When Estas Tonne plays, the world stops. As a soloist he holds the audience with the emotional force of his virtuosity. His playing takes on a fluid energetic form, riffing across musical genres of flamenco, gypsy, jazz, blues and Russian folk tunes. “While playing, it’s not the way I want it to be, it is the way it is. I don’t think, I stay connected to the sound. My music is a progression. Totally different improvisations are birthed each time I play.”
During concerts, his acrylic-layered nails snap guitar strings, but it doesn’t faze him. When the music stops, he talks, tightens the strings, tunes the guitar and continues.
His six-year-old guitar, painted by a friend has travelled the world with him. From mountains to deserts, street corners and concerts, the troubadour has visited hundreds of cities. Estas doesn’t call himself a musician, but a troubadour. “Being a musician is hard work but being a troubadour is even harder,” he says with a laugh. He adds, “Some people take the long road, others the short but our destination to the truth is the same. The longer I walk, I see shorter ways.”
He walks the world in the comfort of his true calling. “There’s no sacrifice when I’m honest and with my heart.” Staying true to his calling has taken him to the US, Europe, Israel and has sold 45,000 albums.
The street, however, remains his favourite concert arena. The transient life and the continuous flow of people excite him. “It’s magical playing music on the street. People walking by are not expecting to see or hear anything different from usual. They are expecting a gray wall. Then they hear you play, they stop, some linger and you know they stay because they like your music. It’s not a concert hall, where people have to sit and listen to you.”
Goa, however, has him transfixed. In his six months here he has been performing solo guitar as well as concert combining music with theatre, comedy and circus acts. Or, time is spent writing a book and shooting a film on his travels. And, he’s ready to buy a new guitar. “I always heard Goa was a party destination. This is my first time here and Goa gives me a different image. With the parties cancelled, there’s a lot of artistic experimentation taking place.”
Estas trained in classical guitar in Russia, but on immigrating to Israel he stopped playing. Then, in New York, the gift of guitar restored him to his true calling. “Music helped me to clean me of my past experiences. It is my medicine and heals me. If I can give it to others, I’m doing my job,” he says recalling an incident when a pedestrian commented how depressed and suicidal he was feeling until he heard Estas playing on a street and the feelings vanished. “There’s so much separateness between people, music is the glue that bring us together.”
