Melody unleashed

Pandit Jasraj,
Indian classical musician and head of the Mewati Gharana of Jaipur

Music is my destiny. I am defined by music and belong to a family (Mewati Gharana of Jaipur) that has produced four generations of musicians.

I learned music from my father and later my brother and guru groomed me.

Initially I was trained to play the tabla (a percussion instrument) but later branched out into singing and I have never regretted it.

I have always fought for better respect and dignity to be accorded to the instrumental accompanists who bring alive a singer's performance.

I cannot think of a time when I was not surrounded by music.

Yet I am so smitten by the novelty and versatility of Indian classical music that each and every programme I have performed in has been a unique experience.

There are times when music uplifts, makes hearts and souls come together.

For a programme to be truly inspirational, there has to be a perfect synchronisation of thoughts and emotions between the singer and the audience.

Last month, when I performed at the Rashid Auditorium in Dubai, it was one of those special moments.

For the first time I felt my audience and I were on the same wavelength - the telepathy was so perfect. Good music should reach your soul.

Many consider Indian classical music to be an art form; to me it is an aesthetic experience.

Our music is composed in a very scientific manner and meticulously structured.

We begin at a very slow pace, work on it like an artist on a filigree work with our alaaps and tans (musical notations rendered in a particular style) and reach a climax that is the grand finale. It is like weaving out a unique tapestry.

The artist has a framework before him to work out the warp and weft of his rendition.

A lot depends on the colours he weaves into the design.

(In Hindustani music, the arrangement of musical notes in a particular permutation make for a raga).

For instance, Raga Darbari is sung differently by singers like Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Ustad Fayyaz Khan and Ustad Amir Khan and so on.

That is the greatness of Indian classical music - you have notes but what you eventually sing is an inspiration of the moment. For an artist, each performance is like taking an exam.

Music changes you as a person.

I never gave much thought to it. But when I look back, I can think of numerous occasions when I experienced the life-altering episodes, which truly humbled me.

I consider myself very fortunate to have been born into a family with a rich music tradition.

The lady who sought permission to use these cassettes reported after a few months her patients who needed 250 mg of painkillers or sedatives could manage with 100 mg and those who required 100 mg of painkillers could manage without anything after the music was played at bedtime.

The new generation has to be initiated into music. I find it difficult to understand why children below the age of 12 are not allowed during my programme.

I am not disturbed or distracted by a child's cry. Children should be exposed to music.

I recall when my daughter-in-law was expecting her first child. In her seventh month during a lunar eclipse, my wife requested that I sing Raga Darbari to neutralise the effects of the eclipse, as it is believed to be harmful for the child. I settled and sang the raga for over two hours.

How could a three-year-old do that? I believe it was connected to what she had heard while in the womb. Today she is hailed as a child prodigy and made her musical debut with Raga Darbari.

Music propagates peace. Listening to 15 minutes of Raga Bihag calms people down completely. I like to begin my programme with Bihaag.

What is most amazing about music is the completeness within the seven notes.

There is no fear of exhausting music. It is as if the entire universe exists within those musical notes and can generate eternal melody.

However, I am wary of fusion music. There is so much of that happening now and I feel it is a quick fix to fame.

If at all it has to be created, someone who understands the fundamental differences between the Western and Eastern genres should do it.

Western music is beat-based and Eastern music is melody-based.

It should be fused in the right spirit so the essence of both genres is not lost but enhanced - that is real fusion! Otherwise what we have today is more confusion than fusion.

His vocal cords were intact, there was no infection.

Nothing worked, no medicine was effective, he was so dismayed. We were the guests of Maharaja Jayawant Singh in Saanand, Gujarat.

The Maharaj believed in Panditji's talent. He used to pray fervently for Panditji's recovery.

One day, the Maharaj simply said: 'Panditji you will sing today. At 11.30 pm he beckoned the guruji to sing.

After ten months of silence, at the stroke of midnight, Panditji sang, his voice crystal clear and melodious as though it had always been there.

That was a miracle and when I look back, I think it was my first introduction to the divine. This is music, it nurtures faith.

Music is therapeutic.

My favourite is Raga Darbari and I can guarantee you it is so soothing, such that when sung without the accompaniment of a percussion instrument it can lull even the avowed insomniac to sleep.

A lot of people ask me if I have the fear of ever not being able to sing.

Many musicians, including myself, do fear a lack of practice or change of weather might mar the voice or they may not be able to render a classical composition to satisfaction.

However, the only solution is practice. Riyaaz (practice) of what you have learnt opens new windows, enables you to form new compositions, improvise and create.

The creative energy is never-ending. One has to just believe in himself and continue to create. God takes care of the rest.