Quiet voice of the soul

You have been trained in Hindustani classical music but your style is more eclectic — composed of a mix of varied influences. You have also experimented quite openly with multiple forms of music. Who inspired you to follow this path? 

A. I have specialised in two vocal forms of Hindustani classical music, namely khayal and thumri-dadra. I continue to study these and find great joy in being a student of music. I also find myself enriched by the opportunities I have been given to work with genres other than classical music. I also believe that what you term my “eclecticism” comes from my being an Indian. My Indian-ness gives me the ability to celebrate diversity and variety. I also inherited this eclecticism from my great gurus Pandit Ramashreya Jha “Ramrang”, Pandit Vinaya Chandra Maudgalya, Pandit Vasant Thakar, Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki, Pandit Kumar Gandharva and Smt. Naina Devi, all of whom learned and imbibed from several sources. 

Q. Your songs, “Ab Ke Sawan”, “Ali More Angana”, “Pyar Ke Geet” are among your biggest hits. Do you remember how these were originally conceived?

A. I must remind you that I am only the singer of the songs you mentioned, and that they are, in fact, not my songs, but songs written and composed by different lyricists and composers, all of whom should get due credit. “Ab Ke Sawan” was written by Prasoon Joshi and composed by Shantanu Moitra; “Ali More Angana” was written by Shahab Allahabadi and composed by Jawahar Wattal and Ravi Pawar, and “Pyar Ke Geet” was composed by Sandesh Shandilya. These tracks were recorded and published at a time when a genre called “Indipop” was making waves in the non-film music segment in India. Prior to “Ali More Angana”, which was launched in 1996, I had never sung popular music and I did so at the behest of Jawahar Wattal. I had no idea that it would be at all popular, but I enjoyed the experience of learning how to dub and record. 

Q.  You were born into an academic family. How difficult was it for you to diverge from the old path and make your way in the world of music?

A. My parents, Skand and Jaya Gupta, were both teachers of English Literature at the Allahabad University, but they shared a passion for music and encouraged me greatly to engage with the arts and music. It was with their active encouragement and support that I started learning music, and they remained supportive of my decision to make a full-time commitment to music. Therefore, it was with the full support of my family that I was able to study music and become a professional musician. And that really made things much easier for me. 

“Folk music is indeed linked to our roots, our customs, rituals, dialects and communities. And embedded in folk songs are vital pieces of information about all these aspects of our culture.”

Q. Ours is an age of instant popularity and shortcuts, which is as far from the guru-shishya parampara of Indian classical music as you can imagine. What can be done to restore faith in this tradition?

A. The guru shishya parampara remains unshaken even today, although there have probably been some changes and adaptations. Young students of Hindustani classical music continue to seek the guidance of senior artistes and scholars in the traditional guru-shishya system, so there is no loss of faith in the system. What we need to concentrate on is to create better opportunities for practitioners of the arts. The gurus are there, the shishyas and shaagirds are also there. What we need is a society that believes in the arts and artistes and gives both due respect and importance. We need politicians and policymakers who don’t walk out mid-way between an artiste’s performance, followed by their sycophants and gun-toting security personnel. We need VIPs who don’t sit and sip tea/coffee or munch on snacks while an artiste puts his/her heart out in a concert. And we need patrons who won’t stroll out in the middle of a concert as if they were out for a morning stroll. We need patrons and supporters who provide informed and sustained support to the arts. 

Q. What kind of music do you enjoy listening to, and who are your all-time favourite singers?

A. I listen to diverse forms of music and have a long list of favourites. Some of them are: Begum Akhtar, Smt. Siddheshwari Devi, Pandit Kumar Gandharva, Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki, Smt. Shobha Gurtu, Ustad Amit Khan sahab, to name only a few. 

Q. How can the power of social media be harnessed to promote music and musicians?

A. I think social media can be used creatively and imaginatively to connect musicians with their followers and potential followers, and to build communities of people with similar interests and musical preferences. I feel empowered by technology in many ways and use it prolifically in a wide variety of ways. 

Q. Is it fair to say that folk music, something you know a lot about, helps us connect to our roots?

A. Yes, of course. Folk music is indeed linked to our roots, our customs, rituals, dialects and communities. And embedded in folk songs are vital pieces of information about all these aspects of our culture.

Q. What would your advice be to aspiring singers?

A. I’m not qualified to give advice, but I wish them the best and hope that music will be for them the wonderful companion it has been for me. 

Q.  What according to you are the elements of a good performance? What are the things you look forward to when you yourself attend a performance?

A. I am fortunate to have very accomplished and cooperative accompanying artistes who help me give my best. Teamwork is essential for a good performance and I believe I am fortunate to have a wonderful team that contributes generously to my performances. Good sound is also an important element of a performance, and I have had the opportunity to work with some of the best audio engineers in the country. Some of these skilled audio engineers include Nitin Joshi, Tanay Gajjar and Samir Kripalani. 

Q. You have also curated music festivals? Could you talk about the process, experiences and  challenges of that?

A. For four years I curated an annual three-day music festival with my husband Aneesh Pradhan, called Baajaa Gaajaa: Music from 21st Century India. The festival was dedicated to the diversity of Indian music. Aneesh and I were fortunate to receive the unstinted support of artistes and music lovers and, of course, the constant encouragement and support of our friends and family, which gave us great strength. But marketing and raising funds for an ambitious project like Baajaa Gaajaa was not our cup of tea and we finally gave up our efforts. I have recently curated some of the music events for another multi-arts festival in Goa called the Serendipity Arts Festival. 

Q.  To conclude, what skills and personal attributes are important for a singer?

A. A singer is first a student of the voice. Getting to know your voice, finding your own voice with the help of a generous and wise guru, and journeying with your voice are important for a singer.