Music is my breath: Pt Jasraj

Mona

Pandit Jasraj’s 87th birthday is going to be special for classical art lovers in ways more than one. It would kick-start a new venture Navrasa Duende, a production house that aims to bring world renowned events to the audience in India and promote India’s top-notch events abroad. The company pays homage to one of the legendary names of classical music in India on his 87th birthday and a live concert titled My Journey: An intimate Evening with Sangeet Martand Pt Jasraj at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi, to promote classical music in India.

Pt Jasraj, with his seven decades of glorious, rich journey, shows no signs of slowing down. Quiz him on his relationship with music and the answer is crisp and clear, “Music is my breath.”

Encouraging the initiative, he says, “Navrasa is a beautiful venture. The name indicates different shades of colour, like we have nine different rasas in music. I like it very much.”

When the world wonders about young Indians forgetting their rich heritage, Pandit Ji has no such qualms, “The future of classical music in India is very bright. Our music is completely secure in the hands of our extremely talented, super creative, very dynamic musicians of the next generations. No worries at all.”

Neither has this recipient of Padma Vibhushan any worries about carrying forward the legacy. Rather, he pins his hopes in new blood. “I believe our classical heritage is rich in nature and our roots are strong enough to keep our children connected with our music. The present generation is extremely talented and creative and with this fusion music gains popularity which may work in future. Change is obvious. When there is a change, that means it is alive.”

He values year 2016 for he got to perform and share his love for music at various platforms. For the coming year too, he wishes to continue doing the same, “With my vidya, I plan to keep on performing and teaching talented students in the tradition of the ancient gurus.”

Here is his message for his listeners, “I am grateful and thankful to all my audience that they are continuously listening to me...”

Decoding Navarasa

“Pandit Jasraj belongs to the league of great vocalists, such as, Bade Gulam Ali Khan, MS Subbulakshmi and Bhimsen Joshi. His uniqueness lies in the range of music and audience engagement, his music transcends this world and other world, sometimes his music appears to be his engagement with the Lord, other times he connects with the audience as messenger of god and lot of times you see him taking spiritual romanticism to the ordinary listeners in his own Sufiana music language,” says Dinesh Singh, founder, Navrasa Duende.

Navrasa Duende is a new venture from Energo India (a renowned 28-year-old Indian industrial group) in the realm of arts and entertainment. “Navrasa has its roots in my strong belief of promoting the performing arts of all genres, including modern, traditional, and popular works from India and around the world. The company endeavours to create, manage and promote unique productions of live entertainment across countries in a wholesome way by covering music, dance, theatre, cinema, visual arts, literature, and tourism, sometimes blending multiple genres.” while the goal is to explore diverse cultures and art forms, introduce them to global audiences, and create an impact on the lives of people.

The organisation also aims to discover and promote young talent from the far-reaching corners of the globe, and to provide them with a platform to showcase their artistic flair.

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