Papa Tau (A Tribute to Papa Tau Moe)

\"Papa Tau\" is a track from the album Hawaii To Calcutta: A Tribute To Tau Moe, released in 2017. Composed and performed by slide guitarist Debashish Bhattacharya, the piece spans 6 minutes and 8 seconds as the fifth track on the record. The album serves as a homage to Hawaiian steel guitarist Tau Moe, blending elements of Indian classical music with Moe’s signature slide techniques.

The album Hawaii To Calcutta: A Tribute To Tau Moe was issued by Riverboat Records in CD format. Bhattacharya employs his custom-made lap slide guitars, including the chaturangui and anandangui, to interpret Moe’s influence through raga-inspired phrasing and resonant slide work. The tracklist features collaborations with Hawaiian musicians, though \"Papa Tau\" remains a solo performance by Bhattacharya.

Limited documentation exists on the recording sessions or specific raga frameworks used in \"Papa Tau.\" The album’s liner notes highlight Bhattacharya’s adaptation of Moe’s melodic language into the Hindustani classical tradition, emphasizing improvisational dialogue between the two musical cultures. No commercial singles or music videos were released in conjunction with the track.

Critics noted the album’s role in bridging Hawaiian and Indian slide guitar traditions, with \"Papa Tau\" exemplifying Bhattacharya’s synthesis of meend (glissando) techniques and Moe’s open-tuned harmonic approach. The recording location and production team remain undocumented in publicly available sources.