VISHNU & RUSS

What happens when you combine two uniquely talented guitarists from the opposite ends of the world? Indo-Spanish Fusion! Vishnu R with his Indian influenced playing and scales together with Russ Hewitt and his Spanish/flamenco background join together to create a sound that takes the listener on an sonic journey.

At the core of the music are songs that audiences can appreciate, but make no mistake, both players include the perfect amount of pyrotechnics in their playing.

From odd metered rhythms to harmony lines, Vishnu & Russ will create a new musical experience!

Vishnu R is an award-winning performer, composer, inventor and patent-holder of NAVTAR®, a unique 9 string instrument that highlights micro-nuances of Carnatic melody and Western harmony. His superlative command over Indian Classical, Western Classical and Jazz music have gained him international acclaim, with performances and workshops across India, Europe and USA.

Vishnu is a Fellow of the US Govt. Bureau of Education and Cultural affairs ‘OneBeat’ program, and is the recipient of prestigious awards such as ‘WINNER’ of the Beyond Music International Project, Grade 8 distinction from the Trinity College of London, Karnataka Rajyotsava Yuva Prashisthti (Chennai) & Pogo Amazing Musician award to name a few.

Vishnu has performed in leading platforms, played for numerous Films, given talks for Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) & India Innovation Summit 2020, and has collaborated with world renowned artists like 4-time GRAMMY winners Michael League & Bill Laurance (Snarky Puppy), Umayalapuram Sivaraman, Vijay Prakash, Singer Srinivas, Shankar Tucker, Guitar Prasanna, BC Manjunath, Ghatam Giridhar Udupa, Denis Stern (Russia), Steve Zerlin (USA), Ueli and Lukas Gasser (Switzerland) and Ayman Boujlida (Tunisia).

Combining lightning guitar runs with unique rhythms provides an electrifying combination of sound and songs in Russ Hewitt’s original music. Russ explains his style of play as “Fusing Spanish, flamenco, jazz, Latin, Cuban and Brazilian together simultaneously without worrying about what particular rules that go with each style. This allows me the freedom to create without boundaries.”

As a voting member in both the Grammy and Latin Grammy awards, invited attendee and having been included on several ballots, Russ Hewitt is highly regarded in the music world and continues to collaborate and work alongside Grammy artists and musicians globally.

Russ has played on stages worldwide from a solo act up to a eight piece band. This includes performing and recording with symphonies, orchestras and philharmonics with his original music, a rare feat for any musician.

Russ has received press and reviews from all over world including the cover of CUTAWAY guitar magazine out of Spain and a three-page feature in Italy’s biggest print guitar magazine – GuitarClub Magazine.

Russ Hewitt’s recordings BAJO EL SOL, ALMA VIEJA, CIELO NOCTURNO, and CHASING HORIZONS has resulted in multiple Top 40 Smooth Jazz singles, Grammy consideration, and song placement in TV, Web Series, and movies.