India News | Everyone Understands Good Music, Be It Western or Indian Classical: Vocalist Sumitra Guha
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. Having performed for audiences from far and wide in her career of over 50 years, classical vocalist Sumitra Guha says music and human emotions are the same everywhere only styles differ.
New Delhi, Aug 2 (PTI) Having performed for audiences from far and wide in her career of over 50 years, classical vocalist Sumitra Guha says music and human emotions are the same everywhere only styles differ.
Guha, who is among the few to be trained in Carnatic and Hindustani style of music, has done a number of fusion projects with Korean, Algerian, South African musicians over the years, including 'Gondwana Dawn' project with double Grammy award-winner music producer Robin Hogarth.
"'Gondwana Dawn' was my project with him that is a fusion of Indian music and South African gospel music. It's very interesting how you can make youth feel that music is one," Guha, 78, told PTI in an interview.
For 'Gondwana Dawn', Guha chose a song by Kabir, ‘Mo Ko Kahan Dhundhe Re Bande', and found similar sentiments in South African gospel music.
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"So human emotions are the same, whether you are from the US or from Africa, or India, that was the message I wanted to give through the Gondwana Dawn project. So I think everyone understands good music, whether it is western, eastern, classical and all, only the application differs,” she said.
Guha recently conceptualised and composed “Veer Meera: A Musical on Empowering Women”, featuring Kathak exponent and Birju Maharaj's granddaughter Shinjini Kulkarni.
A professional singer since 1971, Guha was trained in Carnatic music by her mother Rajyalakshmi Raju and Pandit SR Janakiraman as a child. She later studied Hindustani classical at Shantiniketan under Pandit A Kanan and Vidushi Malabika Kanan.
Guha said change is a natural thing and one has to adapt according to the times.
"Audiences were very different earlier. They were more rooted in our Indian classical music. But it doesn't matter. The advice I received from my father when I became top grade in All India Radio, then he said, ‘the person who doesn't understand classical music enjoys your classical music then you are top grade to me',” the singer said.
There were times, she recalled, when she performed for audiences that were not introduced to Indian classical music and she still got appreciation.
“Then I just saluted my father. Because music is music, you know how to present it and it should be soothing to the ear and I think you will enjoy it,” she said.
A firm believer in the gurukul style of teaching, the Padma Shri awardee said that even though music is taught in schools and colleges, if one wants to become a professional then there is one way - to follow ‘guru shishya parampara'.
“Only one at a time then only a 'guru' can impart knowledge to the student. You can have degrees from schools, colleges, and universities. You can have jobs but if you want to become a good artist, then this is the only way.
“For example, I dedicated my whole life to music and whatever little I have I would like to impart to my students, but there will be a few students. Handful of disciples under every guru. There will be many students, but only a few disciples will be the torchbearers,” she said.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)