Scholar Lalit J on singing, gharana and its legacy. Rao

Pt. Nityananda Haldipur, a disciple of the renowned Annapurna Devi and head of the Annapurna Devi Foundation, Mumbai, was in Bengaluru recently (November 29, 2024) to present the Guruma Annapurna Devi Award to senior exponent Vidushi Lalit J Rao. Agra Gharana. In its first editions, the award was given to Manik Bhide, Prabha Atre, N. Musicians like Rajam and Asha Bhosle were provided.

Due to Lalitji’s inability to travel, the award ceremony was held at his home for an audience of renowned musicians from Bengaluru, including Pandit. Vinayak Torvi, Pt. Nagaraj Rao Havaldar, Pt. Ravindra Yavagal, Pt. Ravindra Katoti and scholar RK Padmanabha.

Trained in the Agra-Atrauli Gharana, Lalitji’s music is marked by systematic interpretation of raga and subtle presentation of bandish, with lyrical beauty that is complex and captivating. Even in its adherence to tradition, Lalitji’s music resonates with emotion, avoiding dry displays of virtuosity.

Trained as an engineer, Lalitji’s scientific temperament is evident in the research projects he has undertaken and his scholarly presentations on the Agra-Atrauli Gharana – chief among them the archival project for the Department of Ethnomusicology of the University of Washington in Seattle in 1993.

Coming from a family that wears “masculinity” on its sleeve, Lalitji received his training under an orthodox Pandit. Rama Rao Naik. His Gurubandhus were MR Gautam, Lalita Ubhaykar and Meera Savoor – making it an acclaimed group of disciples. In his journey of almost six decades with music, Lalitji received lessons from Pt. Dinakar Kaikini and Ustad Khadim Hussain Khan.

Excerpts from an interview with Lalitji, who reminisces about his travels, gurus, training and patronage of the Agra-Atrauli Gharana.

You have received training in Agra-Atrauli singing from three gurus. How was it to learn and unlearn from him? How did you ultimately shape your music?

All three Gurus were from Agra-Atrauli Gharana. The basic rules of singing, although individualistic, were the same. Pt. Rama Rao Naik had an amazing ability to teach the youth and convince them to perform. He laid the foundation of my singing and singing style. I learned instinctively, but he prepared me so well that I stood first in a music competition under the age of 30 organized by Sur Singar Sansad Bombay in 1957, when I was just 14 years old. This allowed me to perform at the prestigious Swami Haridas Music Conference. The same year, which included stalwarts like Kesarbai Kerkar and Rajbali Khan.

A few years later, when I was studying pedagogy, Pandit Dinkar Kaikini helped me sort out the musical ‘spider web’ that had gathered. His approach was more structured and he introduced me to the Bhatkhande notation system and the need to analyze one’s music. Although his talim (training) lasted only for a year, I benefited a lot.

The teaching methods of Ustad Khadim Hussain Khan were more or less similar to those of Pt. Rama Rao Naik. He told me that no one can take away what I have learned from my first gurus. He said that there may be small differences in their education but I should learn from them with an open mind. He said that I should think about it later and decide how I want to shape my music. Khan Sahib’s knowledge was indeed vast which he imparted so freely and unhesitatingly that I benefited greatly.

Agra Gharana is known for its ‘masculine style’ and the men’s voices prevail over the women’s voices. Even though Ustad Faiyaz Khan SAAB Zohrabai’s talent was publicly acknowledged, what was it like to become a concert artist amidst such expectations? In fact, Purnima Sen, the acclaimed musician of Agra Gharana, is known for her ‘masculine singing’.

Yes, Agra Gharana has a reputation as ‘macho’ singing and the main reason for this is the strong singing style of Ustad Faiyaz Khan, who walks like a giant in the musical sky. However, the Agra-Atrauli Gharana is probably the most complete Gaikai with 18 angles (aspects). It is up to the artists to choose the angles that they like and suit their personality and singing style. I might also add that the famous Bombay trio of Pt. Rama Rao Naik and Ustad Vilayat Hussain, Khadim Hussain and Anwar Hussain had many more women than men. To cite a classic example, Krishna Udayavarkar, an early disciple of Ustad Khadim Hussain Khan, was performing in All India Radio national programs with stalwarts like Ustad Faiyaz Khan in the 1940s, while she was still an MA student in English Literature. I may have been less popular because of my open-throat style, but I was fortunate enough to perform at almost all the major music conferences across India several times and was highly appreciated. Many music experts have complimented me for my unique singing style.

You are engaged in epigraphic work, finding the gems of Agra-Atrauli Gharana. Can you please explain what inspired you to do this, and why you felt it was important? You also established Sajan Milap Foundation.

ITC Sangeet Research Academy had asked me to archive the compositions of the reigning maestros of various gharanas under a Ford Foundation project. I did this for three years, starting in 1987/88. This gave me the opportunity to become familiar with the musicians of different gharanas and their singing styles.

Ustad Yunus Hussain Khan (son of Ustad Vilayat Hussain Khan) had done a lot of work of cataloging the compositions of my gharana, in which I was very interested. I felt the need to trace their origins and preserve them as each of them added to the treasury of the Gharana’s compositions. My Gharana is very rich musically and the maestros have carefully preserved and handed down a wide repository of captivating compositions of earlier composers. Many of them are so fascinating that they have to be preserved for posterity.

The reason for storing my gharana ragas and compositions was a request I received in 1993 from Ramesh Gangoli, Assistant Professor of Music (and Professor Emeritus of Mathematics), University of Washington, Seattle, United States. He wanted me to record several ragas and compositions of the Agra-Atrauli Gharana for the archives of his ethnomusicology department. Later, I received a request from the Rukavipa Trust, Ahmedabad, to record several ‘variants’ of different families of ragas like Malhar, Todi, Kalyan, Bilawal, Sarang and Kanhada, taught by my maestro. This inspired me to think about and analyze different patterns and interpret each pattern while recording them. I have shared them with all my students who learn and preserve them for posterity.

Sajan Milap was created in 1978 by the students of Ustad Khadim Hussain Khan (whose name is Sajan Piya) and it was Sajan Milap who, among many other projects, first introduced the concept of Gharana Conference in Bombay in 1979.

You have been recognized as a reputed guru. How do you see this role? Did it help you become a better musician? It is fitting that you have been honored with the Gurumaa Annapurna Devi Award, a musician who dedicated her life to teaching music.

In 1994, when I was at the peak of my musical career, I developed a major problem with my singing voice. I decided not to perform in public, because I was not happy with what I could sing. This problem was partially solved by a British opera voice teacher. However, my spiritual master Sadyojata Shankarashrama Swamiji advised me to think of other ways that would keep me active in the field of music. That’s when my husband Jaywant suggested that I take up teaching, so that I could pass on the precious legacy handed down to me by my three gurus to talented disciples. I have been very fortunate to have dedicated and talented pupils who have become excellent artists in their own right.

While teaching, I had to think deeply and realize the importance of musicology, as I had to answer and explain various questions asked by my students during the training. It’s not that I knew all the answers to every question; But I encouraged them to think and together we explored their doubts and answers to their questions.

I listen to different artists singing the same raga, so that I can get their perspective on it. I also listen to lectures of various senior artistes and read books on Sangeet Shastra, so that I can analyze and understand the intricacies of various ragas. This will help me not only while teaching but also in answering various questions asked by my students during training.