Japan to India, a string of melody

Krishnaraj Iyengar

“Hindustani sangeet sikhna tha to Hindi bhasha kaise na seekhoon? Kitni sundar bhasha hai yeh! Japanese ke saath Hindi ka grammar kaafi milta-julta hai,” he says with a radiant smile and a twinkle in his eyes. His accent is immaculately authentic. Born in Japan, Takahiro Arai’s passion for Hindustani music drew him towards India. Having immigrated to Mumbai, which he calls home, he is one of the finest disciples of living legend Pandit Shivkumar Sharma.

Having rapidly gained popularity in India as an exceptionally talented santoor player, Arai’s style is meditative. Despite the mesmerising mathematical laykaari improvisations, his playing maintains the serenity and the essence of the raga being rendered. At a recent memorial concert dedicated to late sarangi stalwart Pandit Dhruba Ghosh at Sangit Mahabharati, Mumbai, his rendition of Raag Jhinjhoti cast a spell on connoisseurs and the uninitiated alike.

The nocturnal raga was presented with utmost ease as he breezed over the ‘vilambit’ slow-paced composition in roopak taal in seven beats, concluding with a fast-paced piece in teen taal, 16 beats. A brief yet wholesome ‘aalap-jod-jhala’ prelude brought back memories of his guru’s heydays.

“I played the drums. My interest in melodic music inspired me to discover an instrument that can be struck like a drum set, but to produce melody instead. I borrowed a CD of Pandit Shivkumar Sharma’s Raag Des from a friend. I felt the need to delve deeper into the nuances of that type of music. So, I decided to actually study Indian music,” he explains. After learning under Setsuo Miyashita, the maestro’s senior Japanese disciple, he finally began learning directly under Pandit Sharma in Mumbai.

While Arai aims at learning Japanese music later in life, he seems to have a natural flair for imbibing Indian culture and music. The most inspiring aspect of Indian music, he believes, is that it is greatly improvisational.

Known to be a difficult instrument to master and even to tune, the santoor has become a way of like with Arai. Having travelled within Indian and abroad with Pandit Sharma, he has keenly adapted himself to India’s age-old guru-shishya parampara. “Guruji’s musical thought process continually nourishes us. He is also a fabulous human being and I always talk to him about what he played at the concert on the way back home. That too is a part of ta’leem,” Arai says.

Shunting between India and Japan, he performs throughout his motherland for two months every year along with his tabla accompanist. “Indians have been highly encouraging and appreciative about my passion for Indian music and my performances have received an excellent response throughout the country,” he smiles.