Jasraj

Sangeet Martand Pandit Jasraj (born 28 January 1930) is an Indian classical vocalist, belonging to the Mewati gharana (musical apprenticeship lineage). His musical career has spanned more than 80 years and led to numerous major awards. His performances of classical and semi-classical vocals have become albums and film soundtracks. Jasraj has taught music in India, Canada and the US. Some of his students have in turn become notable musicians.

Early life

Sangeet Martand Jasraj was born on 28 January 1930 in Pili Mandori, a village in the Hisar district of Haryana, in a middle-class Brahmin family to Sangeet Ratna Pandit Motiram, a classical singer. Motiram died in 1934 when Jasraj was four, on the day he was to be appointed as the state musician in the court of Mir Osman Ali Khan. Jasraj's elder brother, Pratap Narain, was also an accomplished musician and was the father of music composer duo Jatin-Lalit, singer-actress Sulakshana Pandit and actress Vijeta Pandit.

Jasraj spent his youth in Hyderabad, and travelled often to Sanand in Gujarat to study music with musicians of the Mewati gharana. Jasraj performed for Maharaj Jaywant Singh Waghela, the Thakur Sahib of Sanand who was deeply dedicated to classical music, and received training from him.

In 1946, Jasraj moved to Calcutta, where he began singing classical music for radio.

Personal life

In 1962 Jasraj married Madhura Shantaram, the daughter of film director V. Shantaram, whom he had first met in 1960 in Bombay. They initially lived in Calcutta, moving to Bombay in 1963. They have two children, a son, Shaarang Dev Pandit, and a daughter, Durga Jasraj. Madhura has directed documentaries and children's plays, and directed and produced ballets, Geeta-Govinda, Kaan Kahaani and Surdas, and the TV series, Faster Phene. She made a film, Sangeet Martand Pandit Jasraj in 2009 and directed her first Marathi film, Aai Tuza Ashirwad, in 2010, in which her husband and Lata Mangeshkar sang in Marathi.

Career

Training

Jasraj was initiated into vocal music by his father, Pandit Motiram, and later trained as a tabla accompanist under his elder brother, Pandit Pratap Narayan. He would frequently accompany his eldest brother, Pandit Maniram, in his solo vocal performances. He credits the vocalist, Begum Akhtar, as inspiring him to take up classical music.

Jasraj began training as a vocalist at the age of 14, after renouncing tabla in reaction to how accompanists were treated at the time. He performed his first stage concert as a vocalist at the age of 22. Before becoming a stage performer, Jasraj worked as a performing artist on radio for several years.

He initially trained as a classical vocalist with his brother, Pandit Maniram, and later with Jaiwant Singh Waghela, a vocalist and beenkar. and Gulam Kadar Khan of Mewat gharana. In addition, he trained under Swami Vallabhdas Damulji of the Agra gharana.

Technique and style

Classical music

Although Jasraj belongs to the Mewati gharana, a school of music known for its traditional performances of khayals, Jasraj has sung khayals with some flexibility, adding elements of lighter styles, including the thumri, to khayal singing. During the initial stages of his career he was criticised for incorporating elements from other schools of music, or gharanas, into his singing. Music critic S. Kalidas has noted, however, that this borrowing of elements across gharanas has now become more commonly accepted.

Jasraj created a novel form of jugalbandi called Jasrangi that is styled on the ancient system of moorchhana, between a male and a female vocalist, who each sing different ragas at the same time. He is also known for presenting a variety of rare ragas including Abiri Todi and Patdeepaki.

Semi-classical and popular music

In addition to performing classical music, Jasraj has worked to popularise semi-classical musical styles, such as Haveli Sangeet, which involves semi-classical performances in temples. Additionally, he has also sung classical and semi-classical compositions for film soundtracks, such as the song, 'Vandana Karo,' composed in Raag Ahir Bhairav by the composer Vasant Desai, for the film Ladki Sahyadri Ki (1966), a duet with vocalist Bhimsen Joshi for the soundtrack of the film Birbal My Brother (1975), and a ballad, Vaada Tumse Hai Vaada for a horror film titled 1920 (2008) directed by Vikram Bhatt.

In memory of his father, Jasraj organises a musical festival every year called the Pandit Motiram Pandit Maniram Sangeet Samaroh in Hyderabad, India. The festival has been held annually since 1972.

On 28 January 2017, the production house Navrasa Duende celebrated Jasraj's 87th birthday and 80 years of his service to music as a classical music concert with the title My Journey, an Intimate Evening with Pandit Jasraj at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi. He received a standing ovation.

Teaching

Jasraj has tutored several students who have gone on to perform as classical musicians including Saptarshi Chakraborthy, Sanjeev Abhyankar, Kala Ramnath, Tripti Mukherjee, Suman Ghosh, Shashank Subramanyam, Kavita Krishnamurthy, Anuradha Paudwal, Sadhana Sargam, Shankar Mahadevan, and Ramesh Narayan.

He is also the founder of schools for Indian classical music in Atlanta, Tampa, Vancouver, Toronto, New York, New Jersey, Pittsburgh, Mumbai, and Kerala.

Awards and honors

• Sumitra Charat Ram Award for Lifetime Achievement (2014)
• Marwar Sangeet Ratna Award (2014)
• Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship (2010)
• Swathi Sangeetha Puraskaram (2008)
• Padma Vibhushan (2000)
• Padma Bhushan (1990)
• Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1987)
• Padma Shri (1975)
• Sangeet Kala Ratna
• Master Dinanath Mangeshkar Award
• Lata Mangeshkar Puraskar
• Maharashtra Gaurav Puraskar
• Asteroid 300128 Panditjasraj, discovered by astronomers with the Mount Lemmon Survey in 2006, was named in his honor. The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 27 August 2019 (M.P.C. 115895).

Discography

• Raga Symphony (2009)
• Anuraag (2000)
• Devotionally Yours
• The Glory of Dawn – Morning Raagas (2005)
• Invocation (1993)
• Kanha
• Khazana (2008)
• In Concert Vancouver Vols. 1 & 2 (1997)
• Malhar – A Downpour of Music (2005)
• The Meditative Music of Pandit Jasraj
• Parampara – The Mewati Tradition
• Pride of India (2002)
• Multaani & Din-ki-Purya
• Shri Krishna Anuraag (2000)
• Songs of Krishna Vol. 1 & Vol. 2 (2000)
• The Spiritual Journey (2005)
• Baiju Bawra Vols. 1 & 2 (2008)
• Devi Upasana (2007)
• Miyan Tansen Vol 1 & Vol 2 (2006)
• Tapasya Vol. 1 (2005)
• Darbar (2003)
• Maheshwara Mantra (2002)
• Soul Food (2005)
• Haveli Sangeet (2001)
• Inspiration (2000)
• Ragas Triveni and Multani Live
• Ragas Bihagda and Gaud Giri Malhar
• Worship By Music/Live Stuggart '88
• Ornamental Voice

Performances in film soundtracks

• "Vandana Karo" in Ladki Sahyadri Ki (1966, music by Vasant Desai, based on Ahir Bhairav.)
• Jugalbandi with Bhimsen Joshi in Birbal My Brother (1973, music by Shyam Prabhakar, based on Malkauns)
• "Vaada Tumse Hai Vaada" in 1920 (2008, music by Adnan Sami)
• A song in Life of Pi (2012, music by Mychael Danna, based on Ahir Bhairav)