Joel Veena

Hailing from a small village in southeastern Vermont, Joel Veena is one of the foremost exponents of the 20-stringed Indian slide guitar. His music defies categorization as he presents meditative classical ragas that blossom into blistering duets with tabla virtuosos in the same set as beat-driven original songs with live-looping and poetic lyrics. A study abroad trip to Delhi, India during his college days set him on a path of deep study in the oral tradition of Hindustani (North Indian) classical music, learning from and eventually performing alongside celebrated artists of the style. Recognized by the government of India in 2023 for his contribution to Indian music on the global stage, Joel's music seeks to heal and empower his audiences to "do the needful" in terms of facing the every day challenges of the modern world and the nourishment of our interior worlds. "Stop your searching and Find It What makes you calm inside, the quiet How to sing a song and stay silent You want to do something, just try it" - Joel Veena,