Pt. Ajay Chakraborty on the art of developing a versatile voice

I and some other students are training under Guru Pt. Amarnath at Shri Ram Bharatiya Kala Kendra in Delhi was astonished when we got to listen to a cassette containing six Bengali compositions of Guru Gyan Prakash Ghosh. The soulful voice of singer Ajoy Chakraborty, then an unknown name, captivated us so much that we kept pressing the play button on the tape recorder. After a few months, the young singer came to Delhi for his first concert at the Kamani Hall as the opening artiste of the ITC Music Conference in 1983. I attended the concert and was amazed to see how seamlessly the melodious voice I had heard on the record transformed. To present strong singing of Patiala Gharana. Since then I have keenly followed the music of Ajoy Chakraborty and his rise as a renowned Hindustani singer. Still, he doesn’t take his art lightly.

Five years ago, I went to Mumbai to attend a music seminar. I did not know that Pt. Ajoy Chakraborty was in the room next to me in the hotel, until I heard the sound of Tanpura and his famous rendition of Raga Bhimpalasi, followed by Yaman, Bageshree and Darbari. His Riyaz It continued till late night. The next morning I woke up to the soothing sounds of Raga Lalit. Then came Bhairav ​​and Ahir Bhairav. It was incredible. Then you realize what goes into making a successful artist.

Ahead of his concert in Chennai, the veteran singer talked about his bond with music and the joy of mentoring young enthusiasts.

How difficult was it to find your niche as a musician?

I come from a humble, no-nonsense familyhouseholder background. Thanks to Vijay Kitchlu Sahab (an exponent of Agra Gharana, he helped ITC set up the Sangeet Research Academy in Kolkata), I could enter the ITC Sangeet Research Academy as its first scholar. This helped me understand what gharana is. And inspired me to rise to the level of peers like Rashid Khan, who was much younger yet much more attractive. During SRA’s famous musical tours in India and abroad under Saheb’s supervision, I saw Hari-ji (Chaursiya) ji pressing the flute with his handkerchief and playing it for hours, until we reached our destination. All this led me to drown myself Riyaz,

So you also teach them film songs, Bengali compositions, ghazals and more.

As a youth, I loved the songs sung by Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle and Manna Dey, Ragapradhan songs, Baul and Tagore songs. My father was an untrained but talented singer. When he came to know of my love for music, he encouraged me to choose music as a career, and yet never stopped me from singing film songs or Shyama Sangeet.

Was it not taboo for musicians of one gharana to listen to artists of another gharana, leave alone learning other forms of music?

This is correct. This conservation was possible until the 1950s. Our generation was becoming familiar with radio, films and gramophone records. My father believed that the so-called lighter forms actually help develop the flexibility of a singer’s voice and also open up new vistas of emotional singing. It is true! My voice had become very flexible even before I understood the basics of classical music. The realization came much later that music, though an abstract art, thrives on mastery of both the technical and emotional aspects of improvised music-making.

Do you agree that the large number of talented young musicians today bodes well for the future of Indian music?

Yes I agree. Institutions like Shrutinandan have a major role in this. Parents should also do the same. The way youth combine traditional teaching methods with technology has broadened the reach of our art.

I have found that many untrained youths repeat legends with amazing dexterity. Do you think such talents also need tireless efforts? Riyaz,

This is a good question. You see, like Chinese goods, shortcuts never last long but persistence pays good dividends. For example, when you hear about the Atlantic Ocean, you go online or see on television how huge it is, swallowing and overwhelming even a ship like the Titanic. But while flying over the same place for six hours, you feel helpless because in case of any accident, death is certain.

What do you say about average artists having easy access to promotion on social media?

Discerning listeners can easily spot it. Others should reach out to experts for better understanding. As far as those looking for easy promotion are concerned, the solution is to learn and Riyazwith Riyaz You can hone your skills and also understand how to convey content. The deeper you delve, the more familiar you will become with the topic. Surrender to the music, it will make you its own and show you many new vistas. Once Zakir (Hussain) Bhai was evaluating his Sangat’s art and he admitted that he was very conscious of ‘what was going on in the Sangat’s heart’. Keep your perception correct. To accomplish this, I learned Dhrupad from Jadu Bhatt’s grandson and Thumri from Guru Gyan Prakash Ghosh. This helped me better understand khayal, which is my specialty. Overall, like the survival of any relationship, music also demands love, respect, trust and dedication.

Pt. Ajoy Chakraborty will present a concert titled ‘From Dhrupad to Thumri: A Musical Exploration’ at The Music Academy in Chennai in January (6.30 pm). The concert also features Brajeshwar Mukherjee and Ayesha Mukherjee (vocal accompaniment), Yogesh Shamsi on tabla, Ajay Joglekar on harmonium and Aman Hussain on sarangi.