In the Philadelphia area for the past 30 years, Raj started playing guitar when he was 19, and is self taught. His initial musical influences were the great rock guitarists Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), Jimi Hendrix, and David Gilmour (Pink Floyd). Then he discovered Shakti, featuring 3 masterful Indian musicians and guitar legend John Mclaughlin playing a modified sitar-like acoustic guitar. Raji promptly put away his electric guitar and immersed himself in the pure tones of the acoustic guitar. Now he finds deep inspiration from many brilliant “Modern Fingerstyle” guitarists who are all disciples of the late Michael Hedges, who reinvented the acoustic guitar with his harmonic percussive playing.