| Allah Meherban By Kavita Chhibber Narula
Pandir Jasraj is at his peak.
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
Narula, 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!
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