Aayushi Karnik

Blue Fire: Aayushi Karnik And The New Indian Guitar Crossing

Source: Frank Gazerro
July 8, 2026

Aayushi Karnik, 32, plays the guitar with breathtaking authority. Widely acclaimed as the leading Indian female blues guitarist of her generation, the Juilliard-trained, Fender-endorsed virtuoso has built a career that completely defies the traditional borders of American roots music. What listeners hear first is her touch. Karnik knows exactly how to make a bent note sting, how to let an acoustic phrase bloom around open strings, and how to snap a rhythm figure into place before widening the harmony underneath ...
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