Robbie Basho was a pioneering American guitarist, composer, and vocalist known for his transcendent approach to the steel-string acoustic guitar. Emerging in the 1960s alongside peers like John Fahey and Leo Kottke, Basho helped define the American Primitive Guitar movement. Deeply influenced by Indian classical music, East Asian traditions, and Native American spirituality, his work fused fingerstyle technique with global modal structures and mystical themes.

With albums like The Falconer’s Arm, Visions of the Country, and Art of the Acoustic Steel String Guitar, Basho pushed the guitar into spiritual and compositional territory rarely explored in Western folk music. His powerful, operatic vocals and adventurous tunings made him a truly singular figure in modern acoustic music.