For me today its like home-coming ! Pt. Jasraj is probably the only classical vocalist who I have heard literally every year for the past 15 years ! His voice is reminiscent of all the bejeweled memories that I have had in my 'kaanseni' career so far.. Panditji has been an integral part in value addition to my love for music. His performances at the Sawai Gandharva Mahotsav (now the Sawai Gandharva Bhimsen Mahotsav) have been my moments of feeling the presence of peaceful soothing rain over an impatient wait for an year by the earth.. year after year with the same intensity, same effect and same trans !
Pandit Ji started weaving his magic long back.. and digging the collections fetched me what is his first ever LP record which features some amazing raag's rendered by young Jasraj with elan.
Raag Nat Bhairav (Chadhiye Mulukh Sultana..) :
http://www.divshare.com/download/19178454-a8b
Raag Hansdhwani (Pawan Putra Hanuman..) :
http://www.divshare.com/download/19178393-337
Raag Shudha Bairadi (Kunj Bihari Thari Re Bansuri..) :
http://www.divshare.com/download/19178523-295
But my connection, as I said, with Pandit Ji started in 1992 when I was hardly 3 years old, but as I have time and again said here, that this year and the performances it witnessed at the Sawai Gandharva Mahotsav were life-changing for me and Panditji's Ahir Bhairav was certainly one of them. His Bhairav Bahar in 1996 was our next meeting and then there was no looking back. we met every year in a different terrain, in a different trance, in a different tranquility.. be it the Ramkali of 1998, Basant of 1999, Jaijaiwanti of 2002 and 2007, Jog of 2003 and 2009, Darbari Kanada of 2004 and 2005 (which are BEST EVER Darbari Kanada's I have heard.. still gives me goosebumps while typing this) have all been reasons why I can sit here and type this with his heavenly voice reverberating in my ears, giving me ample reasons to feel thankful to have ears to absorb the magic !
His strong command over all the three and half octaves, the feeling you have in your stomach when he reaches the 'mandra shaDja', the clarity of diction in his singing, the way he uses Sanskrit in his songs and yet makes them sound not very hard-hitting, the ability to transport you from your place to heaven, the ease in his taans, the impeccable elaborations of the khayal, the studious play with the taal, the careful dissection of any raag while elaborating on its beauty spots, the creation of a certain mood and swing in the singing by taking the audience in the strand and making them feel as if they are singing, the way he looses himself when he gets into the mood.. nothing can replicate or replenish that sight and that feeling ! Pandit Jasraj has not only been a connoisseur of the art of singing, he has been the torch-bearer in spreading bliss through his singing.
A simple example which shows his mettle is the fact that his singing can make an atheist like me believe in the heavenly power when he renders :
Govind Damodar Madhav Yeti (full 30 minutes) :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2St5_AMls4
Om Namoh Bhagwate Vasudevay :
Part 1 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-L1MONqWHI&feature=related
Part 2 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taEfmqkNeIk&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PLE6FD07B17776F127
Part 3 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NR0OLCNKuaw&feature=autoplay&list=PLE6FD07B17776F127&playnext=2
May this nearly unreal energy of his and his strength to generate that very energy in the audience remain unfazed for years to come.. he is just reached 82, and before he gets any more younger.. lets all bow down to this legend, this miraculous singer ! Pandit Jasraj's singing has always made me associate it with the light in a dark tunnel, the pole star in the star-less sky, the light-house in the swollen sea.. listening to him is a lifetime opportunity.. coz he makes you believe in the honesty of life and that is because he is true to his art !
JAI HO ! JAI HO ! JAI HO !
(20 july 2012)
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