Berta Rojas, the classical guitarist from Paraguay, who recently performed in Kolkata and Delhi, has been recognised for her work by The Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts, which named her a Fellow of the Americas. Rojas, at present, is Paraguay’s ambassador of tourism and a professor of guitar at George Washington University and the Washington Conservatory of Music. In a telephonic interaction with Manisha Yadava, she talks about the guitar revolution and women’s involvement.

n Who has been your inspiration?

The inspiration comes from within. When you look at great performers playing, you develop a vision in mind. And over time, this vision help you set a target for yourself. This is what happened with me. I was inspired by the way male guitarist played and always thought to myself, if they can play so well, why can’t I?

n Why do you think women guitarists don’t have a similar fan following as their men counterparts?

This is because there haven’t been many female guitarists, except for Joan Jett and Bonnie Raitt. If someone is asked to name famous lead guitarists, men would definitely score higher. But women have now earned an equal place in what has traditionally been a male-dominated field. Over the past few years, women have outrageously stepped into various leads. In India, too, you have the first woman President. Women are changing history. Nowadays, women do not just want to strum the guitar, they want to lead, sing, and play complex rhythms.

n What do you think can be done to help increase the number of female guitarists globally?

I think we should just let it flow. Women are now taking interest in learning and playing the instrument. There should be more schools for learning guitar, and professionals should take classes, not those who just strum simple chord progressions. Students should be made to learn and play single-string solo lines. In fact, it should be made an optional subject in school and colleges so that the enthusiasts can get the opportunity to learn and develop their skills at an early age.

n How was the experience in your recent concerts in in Kolkata and Delhi?

The experience was wonderful and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I found a lot of hidden potential in India. There were a lot of women who were interested in the guitar. The crowd was equal to men, if not more.

n What is your view on the artistes and performers in India?

I have to confess my love for India. I have always been attracted toward Indian music. Indian artistes and performers have great talent and are very creative. I admire sitar players such as Ravi Shankar and Anoushka Shankar.

n A few years ago, Rolling Stone magazine published a list of top 100 Greatest Guitarists, and there were only two female guitarists in it. How do you think we can change this?

I think a revolution is already taking place. In fact, the book The Classical Guitar: Its Evolution, Players and Personalities Since 1800 by Maurice J Summerfield has maximum names of women guitarists. This indicates that the trend is changing.

n When you started, was it easy for you? How did people react when they watched you perform then?

It wasn’t an easy start. Instead, it was a big challenge, as guitar was mostly played by men at that time, especially in the country where I come from. But I think anything that comes from the heart and with true effort, is always accepted. The ability to come out with your best is always appreciated. I was blessed with all of that and then there was no looking back.