Anecdotal memoirs by Pt Jasraj himself



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Down the corridors of time...lie indelible experiences strewn across nearly seven decades... glistening pearls of wisdom. Which sometimes bring on a smile or a tear...recalling moments of wordless wonder or deep despair but never to be forgotten, because it is both, the joys and the sorrows, that have chiseled the life of a man who is the chosen instrument of God. For that is just what the Lord Krishna once said to Panditji in a dream: Jasraj, you must sing. Sing for me. Your prayers reach me faster on the wings of your music!

And so he sings.

Come, share with him some of his experiences...with people, with fate, with fortune, and with God.



"My father died suddenly in 1934 and we all had to do our bit to shoulder the burden of a large family. I chose the tabla as my means of livelihood. My brother would sing and I would accompany him on the tabla. A very senior musician brought my relationship with my percussion instrument to an abrupt end by deriding me for beating a dead animal's skin and therefore utterly unqualified to talk about the finer points of music. I decided then that I would henceforth only sing."

"In 1944, the only earning member of our family, my Guru and elder brother Pandit Maniramji, lost his voice, which meant he couldn't sing anymore. With the loss of his voice, the family also lost its sole means of survival. The Maharaja Jaiwant Singhji of Saanand took the family into his fold. Being an ardent devotee of Mahakali, he assured Pandit Maniram that his voice would be restored at the Kali temple. The condition was that Pandit Maniram would sing only devotional music during the invocation. By devotional he had meant, 'devoted to any deity, any religion, any faith...to Allah...Krishna...or Jesus...as long as it invoked the Divine Power '. At the stroke of midnight on a predetermined day the Maharaja, Pandit Maniram and I as the accompanist, assembled at the temple. As my brother later related to me, a voice from the sanctum sanctorum virtually led him to sing along with the notes of Raga Desh. Thus, the Mother did bless my brother with the return his voice and he sang untiringly until six o' clock that fateful morning! This was a new lease to his singing career."

"The Maharaja encouraged me to absorb, understand and feel the subtle nuances of music and words and their intermingled relationship in the art of vocal rendition. I would attend poetry readings with him and he would ensure that I always sat next to him when there happened to be a meeting of musicians, music scholars and the like. I always preferred the former but now I'm glad I had the latter experience too."



"Mrs. Som Tiwari, a 'gold medalist' in M.A. was both my teacher and my student for I taught her vocal music while she taught me to read and write. She was truly my mentor during my formative years between 1949 and 1963 and she has been a tremendous influencing force in my life. She would encourage me to be always around my elder brother Maniramji irrespective of his anger or his strictness. Because, as she once said to me,'You are young, impressionable and handsome. And in this city of Calcutta there will be many distractions. Don't fall prey to them. Do your Riyaz everyday without fail.'

As was feared I did once fail to follow her advice and returned home an hour later than the permissible hour of 10 p.m. She then extracted a promise from me- No tea till I was 30, no smoking till I was 40 and no liquor till I was 50... plus unfailing Riyaz everyday! She has saved me from many a mishap treated me with great understanding, extricated me from many an awkward situation and most importantly, is my beloved 'Amma' (mother) till today.



"Once in 1954, during my days in Calcutta as a radio artist I went to attend a concert of the great Kesarbai with tremendous enthusiasm. I had bought ten tickets worth twenty-five rupees. I had given away the tickets to the other nine who were to join me at the venue. As luck would have it I had misplaced my ticket, but was sure I would have no trouble gaining entry as a well-known radio artist. To my dismay I went not only unrecognised, I was humiliated and also denied entry. All my ardent even tearful pleas to the watchmen, the organisers, etc., went unheard. I even tried telling them who I was but to no avail. Finally Mrs. Som Tiwari (Amma) and the great artist A. Kananji came to my rescue and took me inside. He consoled me saying, that a day would come when Kesarbai herself would hear my singing.

After that fate brought Kesarbai and me together in a strange way. In 1970 I was invited to garland Kesarbai and Moghubai Kurdikar at a felicitation function held for them by the Goa Hindu Association. I missed my train and literally ran every step of the way along the railway track from the Grant Road station to the Sahitya Sangh, the venue at Girgaum. As was to be expected I reached late. The crowds had assembled and the function was about to finish. Despite my late arrival when I introduced myself to the watchmen I was respectfully ushered inside. But most of all, to my astonishment my presence was announced and the applause I received then remains unforgettable particularly because I had not received such an applause till then even for my own vocal performance. The formidable Kesarbai not only acknowledged my presence but also, instead of upbraiding me, held my chin and lifting up my face gave me one of my most treasured compliments. She said, "Pandit tum kitne sur me gate ho"(" Pandit, you sing so well."). As was predicted, she had heard my singing albeit over the radio!



"Pandit Omkarnath Thakur has always filled me with deep admiration. On one occasion, I as a junior was scheduled to sing as mere filler, between two great artists and in front of an illustrious gathering including Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Ustad Amanat Ali-Fateh Ali, Prasun, Meera Banerji, Nasir Ahmed Khan and A.T. Kanan. When my turn came, the crowd began to shuffle and disperse for a break. That's when Omkarnathji thundered in and announced to one and all, "Mujhe is balak ka gaana sunna hai" (I wish to hear this lad sing). The crowd followed suit. After my recital Panditji asked me whose son I was. On my answer he exclaimed, " Sher ke bete ho" (You are a lion's cub!). After that initial meeting where I was given the recognition I needed most at the time, Omkarnathji continued treating me with great paternal affection."

"Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, much revered by me, once offered to make me his disciple. He was very persuasive but unfortunately I had to decline because I had a tradition to uphold, which was like a tacit promise I had made to my musical ancestry by being born into the Mewati Gharana."

"On 4th December I was to perform at Rishi Valley on the invitation of the great philosopher and teacher Shri J. Krishnamoorti. At the very outset I was warned not to take offence if my host does not remain at the concert after an hour. I was also told in no uncertain terms that he does not like anyone to touch his feet.

I sang for forty-five minutes and was mentally prepared that Shri Krishnamoorti would soon rise to leave. Instead he sat on and listened. Another forty-five minutes later he took leave. After interval and I continued as before, singing for the rest of the audience. Appa Jalgaonkar, who was accompanying me on the harmonium, seemed uncomfortable as he kept shuffling. Being a big built man I thought he needed more space and so I moved more to my right trying to make room for him. I soon realised he was really trying to draw my attention towards a pillar where he had seen Shri Krishnamoorti standing and listening. Then I noticed that Shri Krishnamoorti had almost sat down by the pillar. I kept on singing while he slowly returned to his original seat. When I was about to wrap up the concert he requested me to sing more. "Sing something in Sanskrit" he said. And so I did. Thus, what was supposed to have lasted for an odd hour turned out to be a marathon four-hour concert for the great man himself. At the end of it, when I went to touch his feet he hugged me and said, "Your place is here" indicating his heart and said, " I wish we had met earlier."

http://panditjasraj.com/pics/pict/gallery/pic07a.jpg

"This was In 1968.One day I was sitting on the banks of the Ganga at Rishikesh, watching the river flow by. At just one spot close to me I heard the river flow with a kind of 'quiver', like a sort of musical ornamentation. I immediately recognised it as a natural Gamak. From that moment onwards my style naturally took on the subtlety of a flowing river."

"For me music exists really at a deeper level of consciousness...The total silence of the deep sea is essential. You can't talk about it, you can only feel it to know what the real thing is"

"Very often I have received musical instructions through dreams. Bandishes, sometimes only the Asthai or just the Antara has been passed on to me in sleep. My wife Madhura has been awakened many a night to take down the words or notations I had dreamt of. Having a photographic memory for musical sound I have always managed to recall these dreams perfectly."

Very recently, on 22.4.99, after my concert in Tampa I returned to my room all alone. No sooner had I stepped in I heard a voice emanating from around me. It was as if the walls were singing... resounding with the one word "Hey Kanha". I kept following it around the room, singing after the voice. Thus the whole bandish in raga Shankara unfolded, leading me along..."He Kanha...Tum par beeti jo beeti, Hampar beeti so kahi na jai...Ham jani tum jaaye pachtaye, Phir bhi prabhu kahaaye, Ham to rank hoon na ban pai."

"I think that my relationship with God does not need the rigour of ritual. I will always sing in praise of Him and my music is really my aradhana. Mai swaron se ishwar ko saadhne ki chesta karta hoon (I try to reach God through my music.)"

"I always begin with OM to free myself from the environment. The first few moments are always difficult and you can dive into the ocean of music only with a prayer."

"I believe music is not something you can perfect even in a lifetime. With every life you start off from where you left off in your previous life. Once you have understood this, age is no more a barrier and death is not the end of your musical pilgrimage."

Article credited to Barnali

Pandit Jasraj Profile
Born: 1930
Achievement: Foremost exponent of Mewati gharana; Recipient of Padma Bhushan, Surer Guru , Sangeet Martand , Sangeet Kala Ratna, Sangeet Natak Academy Award , Maharashtra Gaurav Puraskar , and Dinanath Mangeshkar Award.



Pandit Jasraj is one of India's premier classical vocalists and the foremost exponent of Mewati Gharana.

Pandit Jasraj was born in 1930 to a musical family. At the age of six Pandit Jasraj was mesmerized by the soulful voice of the famous ghazal singer Begum Akhtar. He was initiated into vocal music by his father Pandit Motiramji. However, after the sudden demise of his father, Pandit Jasraj opted for the tabla under the training of Pandit Pratapnarayan, as an additional means of livelihood in order to lighten the burden of family responsibilities.

Pandit JasrajBut, at the age of fourteen as a rebellion against the humiliating treatment given to accompanying artists, young Jasraj vowed never to be an accompanist, and decided to sing. He took his vocal training under the guidance of his elder brother Pandit Muniram and Maharaja Jaywant Singhji Waghela.

Pandit Jasraj is blessed with a rich, soulful and sonorous voice which traverses effortlessly over all three and a half octaves. The highlight of Pandit Jasraj's vocalizing is his perfect diction, clarity in sur and extreme tunefulness. Pandit Jasraj's greatest contribution to Indian music is his conception of an unique and novel jugalbandhi based on the ancient system of moorchanas, between a male and a female vocalist, each singing in their respective scales and different ragas at the same time.

Pandit Jasraj is the recipient of several honors and awards. These include Padma Bhushan, Surer Guru , Sangeet Martand , Sangeet Kala Ratna, Sangeet Natak Academy Award , Maharashtra Gaurav Puraskar , and Dinanath Mangeshkar Award.

http://www.iloveindia.com/indian-heroes/jasraj.html

Pandit Jasraj

by Mohan Nadkarni

First Online: May 01,2006
Page Last Updated: September 07,2008

One of the acknowledged super-stars in the Hindustani gayaki, Pandit Jasraj has acquired an audience, both in India and abroad, that simply jostles its way into the concert hall any time he chooses to sing.

Born it Hissar, in Haryana State, in 1930, Pandit Jasraj is the youngest son of Pandit Motiram and grandson of Pandit Jyotiram, acclaimed as a pioneer of what is known as the Mewati gharana. He started out as a tabla-player but blossomed into a great vocalist under the guidance of Pandit Maniram, the eldest brother.

Endowed with a voice that is his fortune, Panditji has harnessed his talent and genius in shaping a style that is at once his own. His singing is marked by depth of feeling and sensitivity of temper-the kind of music that grips the ear and the soul alike. The charm of his expression marks him out as an artiste par excellence. His alaps are deeply communicative while his boltaans speak of his fecund imagination. To this he adds his playful sargams and sprightly taans. The impact is abiding.

Several titles and awards have come to Panditji at the state and national levels, besides a string of accolades from the erstwhile princely patrons. These include the title `"Sangeet Martand", Padma Bhushan and the Maharashtra Rajya Gourav Puraskar. Steeped in the tradition, he is a regular broadcaster and telecaster. He has earned tremendous acclaim by his performances both at home and abroad. He has toured western countries on his musical mission and has had his overseas audience under his spell.

Panditji has groomed a large number of protégés and several of them from the younger generation have already made the grade on the concert platform. Equally numerous are his indirect disciples, who have the maestro as their role model in their musical career.

http://www.kamat.com/indica/music/jasraj.htm

Darbar - Pandit Jasraj





Review

Sense World is a new addition to the growing number of labels dedicated to Indian classical music. Started in 2002 Sense World is based in UK, with a studio in Gujarat. Many of the albums are live concert recordings of the Saptak Music Festival held every year in Ahmedabad, Gujarat every year in winter.

This CD by Pandit Jasraj presents the live recording of a concert held as part of Saptak Music Festival, 2003. Pandit Jasraj is one of the most prominent, if controversial, Hindustani vocalists of our time and the doyen of Mewati Gharana. Tabla accompaniment is by Nandan Mehta, a disciple of Benaras Gharana legend Pt Kishen Maharaj. Hemant Bhatt accompanies on the Pakhavaj on one track. Is Pakhavaj making a comeback, this time as an accompaniment to Khayal. Mehmood Dhaulpuri accompanies on the harmonium.

The cd mainly features Darbari Kanada, a popular and majestic raaga attributed to Mian Tansen. It is a sampoorna raaga with the scale S R g m P d n , where ga, da, na are komal and ma is shudha. Pandit Jasraj starts with a characteristic invocation which acts as his introductory alaap. Without a doubt his voice is still at its inviting and pristine best, which by itself makes him worth listening. The next track starts with the khayal Hari Virahi Ja Ko Maan, where Pandit Jasraj methodically develops the raaga. For some reason the khayal has been divided into two tracks and the fourth track continues with Pt Jasraj singing sargams and trying various vocal acrobatics, especially in the lower register. Some of that sounds theatrical, but thankfully only limited time is spent on such experimentations.

In the fourth track Jasraj takes up a Lakshana Geeta set to Jhaptaal Asi Darbari Gunijana Gaave, starting in the medium tempo. For the drit portion, pakhavaj joins in. Usage of Pakhavaj in Khayal seems to be catching on ... we will have to wait to see whether it is the new trend or just a fad. Personally I'm not a fan of the boomy pakhavaj, which makes the khayal sound like a bhajan. Pt Jasraj sounds a little tired and out of step in the medium tempo, but picks up form in the drit portion. In the last track Pandit Jasraj takes up a Bhinnashadja, a rare evening pentatonic raaga. Here we have Jasraj hitting really high notes and singing energitacally, especially considering he is seventy three. Again both tabla and pakhavaj accompaniments can be heard in this track.

In the end, the CD by the young maestro is a worthwhile addition if you want a well recording recent recording of Pandit Jasraj. Overall 4.0 stars for the music and 4.0 stars for the recording. Recommended.

Article credited to Bob

PANDIT JASRAJ

Pandit Jasraj, the contemporary doyen of North Indian Classical Vocal Music, is an unparalleled living legend confirmed by a scholarship instituted by the University of Toronto in his name.

Born into a family that has given to Indian music four generations of outstanding musicians, the Mewati Gharana maestro, Pandit Jasraj had his initial grooming in music under his father, the Late Pandit Moti Ram. He then underwent intensive training under his elder brother and guru, the late Pandit Mani Ram.

Endowed with a rich, soulful and sonorous voice which traverses effortlessly over all three and a half octaves, Panditji€™s vocalising is characterised by a harmonius blend of classic and opulent elements, projecting traditional music as an intense spiritual expression, at once chaste and densely coloured. This gives his music a very sublime emotional quality, touching the soul of the listener. He has been guided in this by his spiritual guru, late MAHARANA JAIWANT SINGHJI of ANAND, another doyen of the Mewati gharana.
He has received several titles and awards such as Padma Bhushan, Surer Guru, Sangeet Martand, Sangeet Kala Ratna, Sangeet Natak Academy Award, Doctorate in Music by Vishwa Unnayan Sansad (West Bengal), Maharashtra Gaurav Puraskar, and the Dinanath Mangeshkar Award.

He has also been honored by the Harvard University art museum in the U.S.
His greatest and most original contribution in the field of Indian music is his conception of a unique and novel jugalbandi based on the ancient system of moorchanas, between a male and a female vocalist, each singing in their respective scales and different ragas at the same time. This has been well acclaimed all over India and the connoisseurs of music in Pune named it "Jasrangi Jugalbandi".

He has conducted research in Haveli Sangeet, his mentor in this genre being Baba Shyam Manohar Goswami Maharaj. Not content to remain merely a performer, he has composed beautiful bandishes and popularized them. As a Guru, he is unequalled, successfully imparting his knowledge and love of music to a number of disciples with the care and solicitude of a true teacher in the Indian tradition.

Article credited to Bob

VOCAL



Click here to listen to a 30 second mp3 sample - http://www.earthvibemusic.com/cd/indiancd/zakir/pundit_jasraj.mp3

Vocalist Pandit Jasraj with Sri Swapan Chaudhuri on tabla. This is a direct digital recording of a live concert, using minimalist miking techniques to assure as natural and pure a sound as possible. No equalization, compression or any other artificial enhancement of sound was used during recording or mastering.

Features:
* Rag HUSSAINI KANRA 44:21
* BHAJAN 16:43

Pandit Jasraj



Allah Meherban - Pandit Jasraj at his peak.

By Kavita Chhibber

He is over 70 and yet his voice soars to heights vocalists half his age struggle to attain. He has been honored with the Padma Vibhushan, the title of Sangeet Martand, and innumerable other accolades, yet Pundit Jasraj takes it all in his stride. In an exclusive interview with Little India's Kavita Chhibber, he reminisces on his life and the influences that shaped his journey. He is playful, laughing, bursting into song. When his star protege violinist Kala Ramnath screams at the sight of a cockroach, this strict vegetarian laughs, "We are Bombay wallahs ... that becomes part of our meals and we don't realize it. So relax!"

Not many people know that you started as a tabla player?
I started playing the tabla at about six then and my brother Pundit Pratapnarayan saw my interest and he taught me. By seven I was performing on stage. I performed on tabla till I was 14. Then a couple of incidents happened one after the other that changed my life. Pundit Kumar Gandharva came to Lahore and he was well known to our family and said I have a radio program in the evening, so can I take Jasraj with me? I accompanied him on tabla. While discussing the technicalities of how Kumar Gandharva sang, Pundit Amarnath, who went on to become a wonderfully accomplished vocalist, made a comment which I didn't agree with. When I stated my objection I was told to stick to tabla and that tabla players didn't know anything about classical music. That stung. Two days later for a janmashtami program my older brother was performing at his student's music college. I decided to go and see the arrangements. When I went on stage I asked, where would the harmonium, tamboura and tabla accompanists sit, and was told by a young man overseeing arrangements, "In that ditch below the stage."
I said why would the accompanists sit there? He said, "Can a tabla player dare to sit with the honored vocalist." I was so aghast that a tabla player was considered so inferior. That was it. I cried heart brokenly and told my brother I would not play the tabla ever again. I did not even accompany him in that concert. They had to get someone from the school. We went home and then he woke me up at 4 am and said okay come on, I will now teach you vocal music and explained that they teach tabla for a short time to every vocalist so that he knows how to keep track of the beat while singing. In my case they kept delaying the vocal education, because I became such an exceptional tabla player.

So began your journey as a classical vocalist, and you being the youngest were willful I hear!
Riyaz was tough, I don't think I sang too well and I would get agitated. After two years of training we ended up at a house concert and I said tonight I will sing. My brother said, but I have not taught you any night raga what will you sing? I said I will sing Yaman. He said but I haven't taught you Yaman, so how will you sing? I said don't worry I will sing. He really prohibited me, but I insisted and finally I said you don't want me to sing, you just teach me superficially. He said I will make you sing to your heart's content, but right now you are not ready, so don't be so stubborn. Yes I was willful and spoilt and persisted and he gave in. I did sing and now I recall how badly I sang. I raised my voice and couldn't bring it down. It was as if I was standing on the top of the highest mountain and there is a deep ravine below and I can't find the path to come down. So I stopped and then cried again in another room of the house. My brother came in and said to me I did say to you, you are not ready yet. Two years of practice is just the beginning.



You have also mentioned several spiritual experiences that occurred and changed your way of thinking and how you sing. Your nephew Ratan Sharma who is a wonderful classical singer says you have a totally spiritual way of teaching music.
Maharaja Jaywant Singhji Waghela of Saanand state became my spiritual guru. Because of him I realized at a very young age there is indeed a God. My older brother Maniramji lost his voice in 1944 and could not even croak leave alone sing. I was given a letter and told to approach the Maharaja who evidently was very kind and my brother was told even though he cannot sing the Maharaja would support him financially. The Maharaja called physicians to check my brother's throat, and 15 days later he said to my brother today you will get your voice back. There is a temple of Devi, go in with faith that Devi Ma will give you your voice back. Sing something in God's name and comeback in 10 minutes. I was 14, and didn't understand a lot, but I saw this miracle with my own eyes. A man who could not even croak went in at 11.50 p.m. and then sang till 6 am in a crystal clear voice, which till the last day of his life, remained crystal clear. Spirituality and music are interconnected. I believe that when God likes you a bit he gives you an ear for music, but when he really loves you he makes you a musician. Narada asked Vishnu where do you reside and Vishnu said. I don't live in heaven or in the hearts of spiritual gurus. I reside where my bhaktas sing in my praise. Once I was singing the bhajan "Allah Meherban" and while singing I felt I was saying Allah and Om from the same place. That feeling comes back each time I sing that bhajan.

What do you think of fusion music?
I'm not in favor of fusion music. There is only one kind of musician who can do justice to this so called fusion music and that is the person who has mastered both the western and Indian classical forms of music. Our music is scientifically so advanced that we have to stoop down to such a low level to mingle with other artists in fusion.

How has teaching music and the audience changed over the years?
When we started learning, it took seven years just to learn bhairav. Our guru would sit for an hour and teach us and we would get only 2 percent of it. Today's students record the lesson and hear it again and again till they get it right. That one-hour lesson can be repeated 24 hours and they get it so much faster than we did. As far as the audience is concerned there used to be a handful of people and now there are a huge numbers. In 1972, I sang before an audience of one lakh people.

Your children Sharang Dev and daughter Durga are involved in films and television serials. You have never given music for films or sung, though your nephews Jatin-Lalit have made waves as film music directors.
Well I'm also film maker V Shantaram's son-in-law, so if his genes are stronger than mine I can't do a thing about it!

Article Credited to Bob

Durga Jasraj - On her own terms



with father Pandit Jasraj

There's more to Durga Jasraj than just music. SAVITHA GAUTAM in conversation with the daughter of maestro Pandit Jasraj.

THE GOING can be often tough for children of celebrities, when they happen to choose the same profession. They are bound to be compared to their parents. Some learn the hard way and reinvent themselves, while the others keep trying. Durga Jasraj belongs to the first category.

Instead of falling into the trap, she has reinvented herself. By starting an entertainment company called Art and Artistes India Pvt. Ltd., which is into event management, TV software and producing devotional albums. And promoting classical and fusion music in the process.

In Chennai to present 'Tiranga,' an evening of music and poetry dedicated to the National Flag, the daughter of Pandit Jasraj is all fired up. "This is the first show that our company is putting up in the city," says the ex-hostess of the TV show, "Zee Antakshari."

Flag, a symbol

Why the National Flag? "I remember listening to a conversation between some youngsters, who had no clue about the real meaning of the colours of the Flag. It got me thinking. I felt the Flag is a symbol of what our nation stands for... it provides a common identity to one billion Indians. And it's time the next generation knew what each colour stands for," she says. The musical extravaganza, which has travelled all over the country and to London, will begin with a documentary made by Durga.

Article Credited to Bob