Meetha Khan and Jan Mohammad Jat inhabiting the remote village of Bhaagadia in the Rann of Kutch, have the distinction of being proponents of possibly the rarest of the rare music genres in India- the Waai style of music. (Image (c): De Kulture)

Sufi Kalam, Swang Nritya, Terah Taali, Waai, Rasudo, Jangad, Kaafi – if you haven’t heard most of these words before you will definitely appreciate the need for this venture. They are just some of the fast-disappearing forms of traditional folk music you will get to listen to, download and purchase from De Kulture. In addition, you will get to know that Pabuji ki Phad is “an intrinsically traditional art of storytelling performed by the Bhopas or temple priests all over the fascinating lands of Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Churu, Sikar and Barmer regions of Rajasthan”. And that Maulud is a “form of music originating from beyond the seas in the captivating land of Arabia, where it literally means prayer in Arabic. Pre-dominantly sung by the people of the quaintly beautiful Kutch region, the Maulud style of singing is usually performed by a group of men sitting in a circle. The Maulud genre of music is performed without the accompaniment of any musical instruments and the harmony rests solely on the melody of people singing this style.” These are just some of the fascinating facts you can pick up by a visit to their website.

Ghada, Thali, Chimta – for most of us these are just things we use in the kitchen, but in the hands of an artist they are magically transformed into musical instruments of divine melody. In addition, there are the more exotic-sounding instruments like Santaar, Tandoora, Algoza, Bhapang, Jodia Pava, Kamaychar, Morchang, Rawanhatta. Prepare to be amazed at the sights and sounds of these instruments through a beautifully catalogued written and photographic description of each on their website.

Started in 2005, De Kulture not only aims to preserve the vanishing indigenous musical forms of the country by capturing its essence in high quality recordings, it pays the artists a royalty in addition to an upfront fee in order to sustain and encourage them. The foundation also aids in the studies of Folkloristics, Performance Studies and Ethnomusicology. The main objective of the founders is to dilute the risk of increasing musical homogeneity that is being rapidly brought about by globalization and to enable people from diverse cultures to reconnect with their own cultural heritage as well as to become aware and appreciate the rich cultural tapestry of other societies. The repertoire features devotional songs, amorous songs, festal, pastoral and nuptial songs as well as episodics, threnodies and authentic instrumentals.

Ilahu Khan is an accomplished Satara player from the Barmer district. The Satara is a Rajasthani woodwind instrument adopted by Sindhi folk musicians, also called a Jori or Algoza. (Image (c): De Kulture)

One of their most unique features is that the musical expressions and performances on their products are not created in high-tech recording studios but are captured on locale through field recordings. This ensures that the natural reverberations of the sound waves in the local dwelling of the artist in houses made of mud, cowdung, wood, etc is captured. With one-take recordings and minimal editing, the end product is a treat for the listener in being able to experience the essence and deep timbre of the local music.

The Sahariya Tribe (also known as the residents of the forest) is the only primitive tribal community of Rajasthan. (Image (c): De Kulture)

Babunath Jogi, a devotional vocalist, plays the Jogia Sarangi and sings eulogies and folktales with his co-artists Surdas and Mehmood khan who accom- pany with the beats of Bhapang (rare single stringed percussion instrument) and the Dholak. (Image (c): De Kulture)

In this interview we caught up with Sambhav Bohra, the Managing Director of De Kulture, to tell us what it is all about.

Now, there is a surprise in store for The Better India readers! De Kulture has agreed to offer a limited period discount of 20% on all their products till 15th October 2011. To avail of this offer, you can:

• email them at sales@dekulture.com

with the subject line “The Better India discount”

• fill up their online form available on site at http://www.dekulture.com/feedback.aspx, or
• call them at +91 141 4023967/2700926 and mention about The Better India discount.

So go ahead and treat yourself to a piece of musical history!

The Kalkeri Sangeet Vidyalaya at Kalkeri, Dharwad

The Kalkeri Sangeet Vidyalaya (KSV), located in Kalkeri, Dharwad district, Karnataka, provides a musical and academic education to one hundred and sixty children. In addition, food, accommodation, health care and clothing are also provided, and everything is free. There are no fees at all.

KSV believes that it is the fundamental right of all children to have access to education, adequate food, healthcare facilities and to participate in their community’s cultural life. “Empowering disadvantaged children gives them the opportunity to obtain qualifications in academics and music. Ultimately, this will enable them to find meaningful and well-paid employment which will have a positive impact upon them and their families,” says Adam Woodward, Director at KSV.

Through their achievements at KSV the students will be in a position to attain more meaningful livelihoods, thus breaking the cycle of persistent poverty and creating a better future for themselves and their communities. Through their music the children will contribute towards the conservation and diffusion of India’s vast musical heritage.

Background

KSV is an international collaboration. There are four founders of KSV – The primary instigator and founder is Mr Mathieu Fortier from Quebec, Canada. The next main founder is; Ustad Hameed Khan, Born in 1951 in Dharwad to a family of musicians, Hameed Khan belongs to a rich and unbroken tradition of music. He is the 6^th in line of the generation of musicians in a family honoured for its great contribution to Hindustani classical music. His grandfather, Sitar Ratna Rahimat Khan, was the innovator of the contemporary sitar. He was a disciple of legendary Ustad Bande Ali Khan of the Indore Beenkar Gharana. The last two remaining founders are Mrs Agathe Meurisse Fortier & Mr Blaise Fortier, Agathe is Mathieu’s wife and is a fine arts graduate from the Sorbonne University in Paris, Blaise is Mathieu’s brother and is one of the Directors of Young Musicians of the World (Canada).

Mr Mathieu Fortier and his wife Agathe have, in the past, travelled extensively in India, for a period of about 15 years. During this time they fell in love with India and its rich and diverse culture. They spent two years at Shanti Niketan, West Bengal, learning yoga and Indian languages. Mathieu spent several years learning Hindustani Shastriya Sangeet. This musical journey took Mathieu and Agathe to Benares, whilst there Mathieu heard about Dharwad in Karnataka being a centre in the south for Hindustani Classical music and that the climate was very favourable, so both Mathieu and Agathe decided to go to Dharwad.

Whilst in Dharwad Mathieu enrolled in the University for B.Music and started to take classes with Shri Rajshekar Mansur, the son of the late Pt Mallikarjun Mansur. During this time he became involved with the local music scene. One of the prominent members of the local music scene and who was also Principal of the Music College is Ustad Hameed Khan. Mathieu, Agathe and Ustad Ji got together in 2001 and started to give free evening tuition classes in vocal, harmonium, sitar and tabla. These classes went on for a period of about one year, during which time ideas were discussed about the benefits for the students to be immersed in a favourable environment to intensively study music and academics. It was not long afterwards that Mathieu heard about a farm house on five acres of land to rent just outside the village of Kalkeri which is 16km from Dharwad. At this time Mathieu’s brother Blaise came from Canada to help with the set up and thus in late 2002 the Kalkeri Sangeet Vidyalaya was born.

The Impact

Students at KSV

Up to present day KSV has had a 100% successful pass rate for the final year school examinations (SSLC). For the remainder of the school (1^st to 9^th Standards) the pass rate is 92%. In music, for both the Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board and Gandharva Mahavidyalaya music exams KSV has a 100% pass rate.

A performance by the students of KSV

Currently at KSV there are 14 students who are studying higher education courses. This ranges from Pre-University College courses to post graduation courses. Also with regards to music, many of the students have reached a semiprofessional level and regularly give performances on stage locally and further afield.

To know more about KSV, please visit their website and their Facebook page.

Rock music and drugs go a long way; in the 1960s when psychedelic music became popular, some musicians encouraged and intended listeners of psychedelic music to be under the influence of LSD or other hallucinogenic drugs as enhancements to the listening experience. More recently, in a 2004 interview, Paul McCartney said that the Beatles songs Day Tripper and Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds are about LSD. John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr also experimented with the drug, although McCartney cautioned that “it’s easy to overestimate the influence of drugs on the Beatles’ music”. While rock musicians are known to experiment with drugs and make it more acceptable amongst their youth following, this is not always the case. Music, in no way, needs to depend on such influences. Understanding this, LiveJam found its beginning in the mission of promoting life, hope, peace and purity in place of drugs, alcohol, violence and immorality.

A youth oriented organisation, LiveJam is focused on reaching the youth and promoting music and media as channels of expression for the new generation. With humble beginnings that began in the year 2005 in a small town in Kerala, LiveJam has come a long way in terms of its outreach to young kids in schools across the country. Envisioned in 2004 in the heart of Bonny Andrews, LiveJam is a youth movement that has touched thousands of young lives.

Key Events

The BreakFree Tour: LiveJam has just concluded its BreakFree Tour 2011 in schools. The idea of these tours, started in 2008, is to provide value-based education and value-based entertainment by engaging students through a medium they can easily connect to – music. Shobhith John, LiveJam team member and guitarist, was one of the many performers for the tour also. “At their age, school students get excited about performances. When they see a band performing live for say 20-minutes during their assembly, they want to know why the band is there. That is when we can plug in our social message in a more entertaining way,” says John. For the performers also, reaching out to thousands of young enthusiastic students spells joy in itself.

A LiveJam performance

U180: U180 stands for ‘you’ turning 180 degrees; that is, to turn away from the current track you are on. Sometimes, it’s hard to change our ways and thoughts, even if we want to. At U180, we share real life stories of regular, everyday people who have struggled with issues, who are now out of it, and are making a difference in other people’s lives. “U180 is our monthly concert, a platform that provides an opportunity for upcoming bands in the city to showcase their skills and set a benchmark for further bands,” explains John. In several ways, LiveJam is hence tying music to a message of social reform through personal transformation.

Their other important event is Gloria Deo – an annual International Christmas concert. At the heart of all these musical endeavours is LiveJam’s core vision of transforming the urban youth through music and media, taking it to the next level in India and abroad.

Find out more at http://www.livejam.in/index.php

It might be one of the most unique covers of a Green Day hit you’ll ever hear: young, at-risk girls from an Indian shelter singing Boulevard of Broken Dreams. But that is what Music Basti has brought into their lives. Watch this video to know what music can do. 

(Click on this link if you can’t see the video below)

“Many of these children have been abused or have suffered trauma. Music helps to engage them, it helps them to relax,” Faith Gonsalves, the founder of Music Basti, says.

Music Basti provides at-risk children in India with the chance to experience the magic of music.

Volunteers from the non-profit help give the girls a musical voice as a means of giving them a confident and creative voice of their own.

Music Basti’s work has given the children a better sense of self-worth.

“What we also do is to organise performances for these children, and through performance it helps to build their confidence and self-worth,” Gonsalves adds.

Music helps some of these kids who have suffered trauma or abuse relax

Says 14-year-old Jasmine Sheikh:

I love music, singing and playing instruments. When we are here, it feels like it’s something different.

So far, Music Basti has worked with more than 400 children and 500 volunteers in Delhi, often in shelters such as Kushi Home, where Jasmine and her Green Day-singing friends live.

Spending time at Music Basti gives these kids a chance to do something other than study.

Gonsalves hopes to develop the programme further by making it easy for others to set up similar initiatives across the country.

Shankar Tucker is an American musician who grew up in Massachusetts. While in his high school, Shankar developed a liking towards Indian classical music. This love for Indian classical music eventually led him to study under the renowned flute maestro Hariprasad Chaurasia.

Shankar amassed a lot of fame with his online music series called “The ShrutiBox”.
At INK2012, Shankar mesmerized with his soulful clarinet – a Western instrument he modified to play his distinctive Hindustani style. Watch him in action in the video below. (Click here if you cannot view the video).

You may have heard various different renditions of our national anthem. Susmit Sen, the former guitarist of Indian Ocean, has given this unique and beautiful rendition of India’s National Anthem.

Listen to this “Six String Salute” by Susmit Sen

Click here if you are unable to view the video.

A new program in Chennai is enabling differently-abled children and children with special needs to experience the joys of music, dance and other art forms in a comfortable and non-invasive environment. With performances from stellar artists, this organization aims at including these children in the cultural space that is largely denied to them due to their peculiarities, and allowing them to immerse themselves in the therapeutic effects of creative arts.

Seven different colours form a rainbow. Different gestures, expressions and movements enhance the beauty of a dance. Seven different notes form a divine melody. Similarly, it is differences in people that make up a beautiful society. In a society demarcated with boundaries, social and physical, it is music and the arts that act as the unifier and leveler. In a society, prone to be wounded by tension and conflict, the creative arts act as a healer. Music and the arts see no religion, language and social status and reach out to the senses and the soul without any discrimination. This is the foundational premise for Tarang.

Bombay Jayashri in concert at V-Excel

Tarang, a cultural initiative for persons with special needs and their caregivers was launched by V-Excel Educational Trust, a not-for-profit organization for children, in collaboration with Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan (Chennai) on 3rd December, 2013 to commemorate the occasion of World Disability Day. The idea was to bind those with special needs into an inclusive society, to give them the joy of experiencing the beauty and harmony of the creative arts, besides promoting healing and therapeutic effects of the performing arts in special education.

Dr Vasudha Prakash, Director of V-Excel Educational Trust says:

Tarang is a symphony, but it is also a symphony that binds. It forms chords and bridges in the community between everybody, between the children with special needs. It also caters across age groups. We have children as young as 3 and 4 years and we also have adults with special needs. We have lifespan intervention with early intervention. Our oldest student is 40 years old. We have so many things available for them to do.

Children enjoyng the music

The Tarang seed was unknowingly sown by the Academy Award nominated Carnatic musician and singer, Bombay Jayshree, when the V-Excel Educational Trust-BVB association hadn’t taken place as yet. Music had always been part of the ‘classes’ at the NGO. Come every Friday, you would find eager listeners and participators among the special students in the music classes. While Vasudha noted that loud filmy music held great appeal for them, she imagined how the soothing touches of classical music could do wonders to their senses. A meeting with Jayshree solidified that belief. Vasudha recalls:

Suddenly one day, Bombay Jayshree, she said that tomorrow I am coming to your school at 2 PM to sing for the children. So we immediately put the shamiana together and it was a very beautiful and spontaneous thing that she did. She brought her accompanying artistes and we gathered the children from all our schools, around 100-150 children. We called all the children’s parents also. It was an amazing way in which the children sat through one hour very happily; it gave such a good energy in that place. So then we decided that we should do this again.

And there was no stopping after that. The first concert that lasted 20 minutes, had even autistic children who had difficulty sitting down for long periods of time, listening in rapt attention. The experiment had been hugely successful. Over the next three years, V-Excel continued conducting these free concerts on the last Friday of every month from 1 to 2 in the afternoon. They were supported by several dignitaries in the music fraternity to the likes of T M Krishna, Sowmya, Trichur Brothers, Anil Srinivasan, Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi, Vijay Shiva, Lalgudi GJR Krishnan, Shobana Balachandran and many more.

Anil Srinivasan playing at V-Excel

Vasudha noted how the special audience was not only getting culturally stimulated but also intellectually and behaviorally. There was a tangible difference in the way the children responded to music, they started opening up and gaining more confidence. They would react differently to the young artistes and the more seasoned artistes, to vocal music and instrumental music.

As time passed, more schools started participating and parents of the children with special needs began realizing the need for a recreational facility, which they could enjoy as a family. This led V-Excel to ultimately launch this initiative with the support and consent of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.

Children assembled to listen to the music

From the very beginning Vasudha had been particular about the music or art that is chosen to be presented to the students. What had to be showcased for the people with special needs and their caregivers had to reflect excellence in that field. Talking about this initiative, she says:

That was our vision, aisa nahin ki special children hai isliye kuch bhi suna de, it was not like that. (We never believed that these are special children so we can make them listen to anything). This is also going to be the place where we will display art by students who are hearing impaired, those who are good in singing or playing instruments will also be allowed to showcase their talent. We want art exhibitions, photography exhibitions. We want to showcase everything that could be included under culture in that space.

In fact, C Venkat, a prolific photographer specializing in insect photography has already volunteered to teach photography to the special children who show aptitude in this ‘technical’ art form. Who knows, they can bloom into professional photographers later in their lives and carve a niche for themselves? After all, some of the children are blessed with hypersensitive vision, a valuable physical trait in photography.

Dr. Vasudha Prakash (centre) enjoying the concert with the children

The initiative is also about being respectful and sensitive to the needs of special people, something that gets lost in the mainstream society. Picture this, how many times have you been to a classical music concert and seen a special child enjoying the performance with equal ease and the mainstream audience not getting distracted? Have you ever thought whether families’ enthusiasm in taking along their special children to public performances gets overshadowed by their apprehension and awkwardness? Formation of Tarang had this other underlying objective as well. Vasudha elaborates:

Persons with special needs, children with autism or mental retardation -sometimes they process differently. The large number of people in auditoriums, the kind of seating that they have is not amenable to this. Sometimes the children want to just get up, shout or wave their hands, do whatever they do, which is sensorially triggered. Some might look at it broadly or some may look at them with suspicion, they might think that this is a place for normal people and ask why they are being included. So it is nice that people who are understood will be there, the volume can be adjusted, the music can be fine-tuned based on the response, the interaction can be more. You can drop a bit of formality with the children.

The idea is not to exclude but to show the children that this is how it happens in a concert and if you want to go to a concert, say a music academy, you can use tickets. It gives a readiness for inclusion and we can also customise and create a special environment needed for persons with special needs to listen to music. Parents might feel very awkward to bring such children to concerts, if it gets late in the night. Then there is difficulty to get autos. So we can have these concerts in the afternoon. The school can bring them. So we want to explore that freedom for extra-curricular activities.

As part of the Tarang initiative, every month, the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan will open its doors to persons with special needs in the city for a free musical concert organised by V-Excel. India’s abounding tradition of music, dance and other performing arts will be showcased and make way for a larger acceptance of disabled people in traditional settings. Tarang had its first cultural program on 3rd December, 2013. It was inaugurated by V-Excel’s brand ambassador, Bombay Jayashri. On the inaugural day, there was a piano recital by Anil Srinivasan, dance by Priya Murale and students of Shree Bharatalaya, songs sung by students of V-Excel and a classical music concert by Saindhavi Prakash.

The children of V-Excel Educational Trust take centrestage with their enthusiastic performace of their Friday afternoon songs from ‘Music Time’ in school

The programs and performers are planned out well in advance. Not only do the students and their parents remain excited about the programs, but the performing artistes too love to put up their shows here. The experience is unmatched in terms of the warmth and acceptance they receive here without being judged.

Tarang is indeed putting up a good show and is doing marvelous work for not only those with special needs but their families too. As a result, the children are opening up and venturing into new zones which till before had been restricted to them. Due to their own set of challenges, they don’t socialize and make friends easily. The cultural initiatives of Tarang are filling in this vacuum and in the process, helping them to build their confidence and self-esteem and face the world. More interesting plans lie ahead from Tarang in order to create a more culturally active and inclusive society.

Singing along

The next program is all set to take place on 19th February (tomorrow) between 1 and 2 pm at the Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan auditorium. The performer this time is singer Sandeep Narayan, who will be accompanied by M Vijay on the violin and NC Bharadwaj on the mridangam. Do include it in your ‘must-visits’ if you happen to be in Chennai!

Vayali Bamboo Band with all instruments made of bamboo comes from a small village called Arangottukara in Kerala. Surrounded by small verdant hills and lush green paddy fields with flocks of white egrets, the village transports you to another world. And echoes of the bamboo music resonate with the beauty of this place. Hear the wonderful composition by the Vayali Bamboo Band and let their music take you on a magical trip.

Watch the Vayali Bamboo Band in action!

Click here to read more about Vayali.
Video by Nitin Das.

Have you heard folk music from the enchanting state of Meghalaya? We hadn’t until we got introduced to Bah Kerios Wahlang’s magical song. He is a folk music master from Meghalaya. His folk songs give a voice to the sacred forest of Mawphlang. If trees could sing this is how they would sound.

Listen to this folk song from Meghalaya sung by Bah Kerios Wahlang

Lyrics (translation by Kyntiew Burom War)

The music that I love
The music that I love

The music that sends me deep in thought
It calls to me, It leads me

It’s as old as time
And it will last beyond the 4 seasons
It springs from the depths of the Earth
It flows from the heart of the Duitara (traditional guitar)
You can hear it’s echo in nature

Feel it soar from within the Duitara
It seeps into the veins
It moves into the soul

Gently, very gently
it will spreads it’s wings
and come to rest,
on the water, the land and the wind.

From these 4 simple strings
made of delicate silk,
it plays in my head.

It sings in my heart
It makes me yearn.
Just like the flow of water
an endless circle.
Night or day,
it moves on its own.

The music that I love
The music that I love
 

Meetha Khan and Jan Mohammad Jat inhabiting the remote village of Bhaagadia in the Rann of Kutch, have the distinction of being proponents of possibly the rarest of the rare music genres in India – the Waai style of music. The Waai style was passionately created by the celebrated Sufi saint Shah Abdul Latif Bihtai of Sindh. The first exponents of this style that is sung in Kutchi, Sindhi and Punjabi were the fakirs (followers) of Shah Latif. Meetha Khan and Jan Mohammad Jat are descendants of the Jat Muslims from Baluchistan who traversed the rugged terrain and colossal distances through Sindh and brought this invaluable genre to Kutch in Gujarat.

As Meetha Khan sings in his high pitched voice it is not difficult to see that it is an incredibly complex genre to master. With only the root note of Dhamburo (an instrument similar to the Tambura but much bigger) as the accompanying music Meetha Khan’s rustic voice travels from one octave to another very smoothly. The Waai is an exquisite form of spiritual music characterized by elements of harmony and purity.

About: Video by De Kulture Music
If you’d like to read more about how De Kulture is reviving and repackaging the traditional folk music of India, read our coverage and interview with their managing director.

Bombay Jayashri Ramnath needs no introduction. Apart from working with several international and national artists, this Academy Award Nominee is doing some amazing work by sharing her music with children with special needs. Know more about her various initiatives in this exclusive interview with The Better India and how she is changing lives of many autistic kids.

We arrived at Sampoorna Music Therapy Center and found ourselves amidst a beautiful ambience, a small green garden, the soothing sound of wind chimes and a serene environment. It was a perfect place to meet one of India’s best classical singers and the Academy Award Nominee Bombay Jayashri Ramnath.

Autistic children and music – the genesis of an idea

Sampoorna Music Therapy Center was started a few years ago thanks to the joint efforts of Ganesh Anantharaman, his wife Kavita, Bombay Jayashri and many other volunteers along with the wonderful team at India Inclusion Summit who has been pushing forward the cause of inclusiveness in our mainstream society.

I could feel the passion and emotion in her voice when Jayashri talked about her work with autistic kids. After 15 minutes into the interview, the quiet atmosphere was suddenly broken when a bunch of children who were eagerly waiting for her performance, entered our room and started playing around with the things there. Diagnosed with ADS (Autism Spectrum Disorder), these children were very lively and eager to interact. Not wanting to distract the interview, the teacher took them down for a music session. And as I heard the melodious sound of music, the children stopped being loud. They suddenly became calm and started enjoying the music.

Pic courtesy: Kayaniv/ Wikimedia Commons

I personally saw how music was impacting the lives of these kids with special needs. We witnessed it ourselves and we couldn’t help falling in love with the work Jayashri and the entire Sampoorna team was doing!

A great singer, and an even greater human being

We all know about Jayashri’s great music career and her performances with well known national and international artists. And of course we cannot be proud enough for her Academy award nomination in 2013 for writing and performing “Pi’s Lullaby” in the motion picture “Life of Pi”. However, her awesomeness does not end there!

Apart from being an amazing artist, she has been working extensively with autistic kids and is an important part of Sampoorna Music Therapy Center where she shares her art with kids with special needs.

From her tryst with music for kids with special needs to changing patterns in the music industry, Jayashri touched many grounds in her exclusive interview with The Better India:

When did you first realize that music could be used to bring a change in the lives of children with special needs?

A few incidents and experiences in my life have made a great impact on me. I was in a concert in Dubai some years ago. After the concert a child aged around 10 years came up to me and fiercely kept repeating, “you sang everything wrong”. I was taken aback and then his mother quickly ushered him away. The next day at a dinner related to that concert, his mother apologized to me and explained that her son is autistic and listens to my music regularly. She mentioned that perhaps what I sang on stage was different from the recorded CD that her son listened to daily.
I was touched and when I re-checked my performance I figured out that I had made some mistakes on the stage which this small kid found out! I was so inspired by this boy. He has listened to my music so passionately and he attended my concert with the same concentration and most importantly he had the courage to come up to me and tell me that I was wrong. I felt he wanted to tell me that you can do better and why didn’t you give your best! That was really my first insight where my music was being listened to by someone with such needs.

Jayashri (left) at the Ability Foundation.

What made me pursue this field was Kavita’s (who is one of Sampoorna’s founder) son. When I met him he was three and half years old and he was singing a line which is actually quite difficult to sing for an untrained person and takes years of practice to master. His voice had that kind of purity – I am not talking about perfection of the tone – but the purity was there to feel in his voice and face. He would listen to a song repeatedly and would catch exactly that part of the song that he liked. It was amazing to see his concentration. For most of us it is hard to pay such detailed attention to anything but this child’s concentration was very unique. Since then, I have had numerous experiences which have validated our thought that music can indeed help these children.

Is there a particular method that you follow while sharing your music with children with autism?

Autistic kids are usually tend to follow routines, time based routines or place based routines. With music we don’t do something like that. We just place the music around them and let them immerse into it. And let each child take as much as he wants and the way he wants to. Music has always brought a sense of calmness, happiness – in fact words really can’t put together this experience. The songs I try to sing – I won’t call them Carnatic music – employ more of alliteration and is the kind of music that instantly pleases the ear.
Over various sessions, we create many songs to suit the moods and interests of the kids. Songs that they can sing and relate to.

What is the kind of change you see in a child through these music sessions? And at the same time what impact did it have on you?

In a period of about 6 months, I have seen the changes in these children and how calm they have gradually become. I cannot quantify the impact but I can feel the change and difference in their attitude and behaviour. I can see the change in the parents’ eyes and their behaviour too. Often when the parents enter the room for the sessions, their posture changes, they sit in a relaxed mood with shoulders down, eyes closed and a feeling that nobody is going to disturb me for next 45 minutes. Kids are letting their parents relax and enjoy the music and they become calm too. We have met some parents who said that we have always been told what our child “cannot” do, it is for the first time here that someone is showing us what our child can do.

By seeing the way these children take to music and then embrace the singers, there is little else we could ask for. This love of the children is really pure love, with no strings attached!

You are an artist and at the same time you share your art with these kids. Which role do you enjoy more – performing or sharing?

It is a very difficult question to answer. Both are close to my heart. But if I had to choose one then I think sharing is a place where I feel free. I feel when I share my music it is going beyond the people who have come to attend the concert because they have bought the ticket. It is beyond the threshold of judgement and critique. Here nobody is expecting perfection. They are here simply because they’ve begun to love music.

Any interesting or touching experience you’ve had with these children that you’d like to share?

There is a very popular song Manasa Sancharare and I have also sung it numerous times. Now, there was a child named Manas who would listen to my version of that song daily as he believed that I had sung that song for him. He even used to keep the cassette cover under his pillow before he slept every day. I had never met this child ever in my life. And when one time I happened to be in a gathering where he was too, he suddenly heard my voice, came upto me and hugged my knees tightly. Apparently he had recognized my speaking voice and figured out that I was the same person singing to him every day! Though autistic children are reluctant to communicate with strangers but this child had not thought twice before hugging me. I can still feel what I felt then. I still remember the warmth of that hug and the purity in his emotions. And music had brought us together.

You have also started the Hitham Trust that focuses on kids in rural areas and children with disabilities. How hard it is to teach music in those areas where even basic necessities are hard to access?

It is in fact much easier! In rural areas, the mind is not distracted. Here in cities the children have a hundred other things to do – sports classes, then some birthday party and then some social gathering etc. In villages the children look forward to our visit and give us their undivided attention. Because of this they pick up the teachings really fast. It is a rewarding experience for all of us.

You have been practising music for over two decades now. What is the change you see in the music industry today?

Music is constantly changing. Rapid changes have especially happened in the last 3-4 years. We have started using technology extensively too. Earlier we had just one spot light for the entire duration of the concert. Today, there is a lights person, stage set-up, props and many other things. I guess the audience is also getting used to this change and they expect various elements to enjoy the show more.

In my initial days, when I was learning, we were not allowed to record or take notes in the class. It all had to be stored in my mind. Today, the students record everything and this way, unfortunately they are postponing learning. Also, audience back then was much more patient, it would wait for an artist to improve and reach perfection. Today the audience doesn’t have that much patience and time. Of course, at the same time kids learn things early and quickly. Kids as young as 17 have travelled the entire world and sing much better than how I used to sing when I started my career at that age.

To know more about Bombay Jayashri’s work, check out her website.

Sampoorna Music Therapy Center has been supported by India Inclusion Summit. To know more about IIS and to register for their 2014 event, click here.

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Jaywant Utpat invented a device that can simplify the use of several musical instruments. From Tabla to Dholak, this device can produce hundreds of sounds by just a single click. Know more about this one-of-its-kind Percussion Synthesizer for Indian Music.

What happens when a Tabla player with three decades of experience innovates a device that simplifies the way you create music today? Jaywant Utpat can address all your curiosities with his amazing technology that can produce the sounds of authentic Tabla, Dholak, Dafli and several other instruments using one single device.

Jaywant Utpat, disciple of world famous Tabla player, late Ustad Alla Rakha (legendary father of Ustad Zakir Hussain), has been performing at various national and international platforms since the 1970s with some of the most renowned names of the Indian music industry like Pandit Jasraj, Shankar Mahadevan, Suresh Wadkar, Pankaj Udhas, Talat Aziz and many more.

Jaywant Utpat has performed with some of the most renowned artists of Indian music industry.

He observed through his musical journey that different types of instrument were required for different sounds. “Different tablas are required for tuning with a male’s voice and a female’s voice. It wasn’t feasible to carry so many instruments everywhere, so I thought of inventing something that could accommodate all the sounds together,” Utpat says.

That is when the idea of the one-of-its-kind Percussion Synthesizer for Indian Music developed in his mind. He started researching on the device in 2008, and after a lot of study, he was ready with the software that could be used as an alternative to the main instruments.

“The device is not a replacement for the original instruments because the domain of Indian musical instruments is huge and nothing can take their place. This is just a way to accommodate a lot of sounds in one device and make them sound as authentic as possible,” he says.

How did he do it?

Utpat got hold of an existing similar device called a Handsonic. “But, that device was nowhere close to what I had in mind. It had a lot of deficiencies and the sounds were very basic; it looked more like a toy to me,” he says.

The software interface he created is a combination of almost all the features used in electronic sound engineering such as loop sequencing, sample manipulation, midi triggering, midi notes and control messages, VST, automation, real-time command control, effects, mastering etc. Its “software instruments” can very authentically emulate their counterparts, i.e. real acoustic instruments.

One can change the instrument and its playing style, perform multiple instruments simultaneously, modify pitch or tempo, add/remove melody accompaniments, change sound effects according to the physical location of the performance, etc. All these features can be implemented independently or jointly by combining any/all of them, on just the click of one key.

Utpat with his innovation.

“It can be used as an accompaniment or for solo performances. One can perform many popular instruments such as the Tabla, Pakhawaj, Dholki, Dhol, Daf, Ghatam, etc on this single instrument,” he says.

He has also presented a 90-minute long solo performance just centred on electronic percussion. “I have just made modifications in the software, I can’t do much with the hardware. So I connect the handsonic with my laptop to get access to various sounds,” he says.

The future

The device is not yet out in the market as Jaywant is working on making it more user-friendly at present. In the future, he wants to incorporate all changes in one single box which can be carried without a laptop support.

“It took me a lot of time to incorporate several sounds in the software as it was by trial and error method. Now I have understood how to use different pressure levels on the device to get the desired sounds. I am working on the machine to make it less complex for users,” he says.

Here is a performance by Utpat using the Handsonic –

The device can be a boon for all those who cannot afford to carry several musical instruments. This all-in-one technology can definitely give a new range to the artists.

To know more about his work, contact Jaywant Utpat at – jaywantutpat@gmail.com

You can also check out his performances on his YouTube channel

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The Grammy Award, more popularly called as just ‘Grammy’, is an award given by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry.

The 2015 awards were even more special considering it had one Indian – Ricky Kej and one Indian-American – Neela Vaswani – who won the award!

Here is a list of all the Indians who have won a Grammy so far:

1. Pandit Ravi Shankar

Pandit Ravi Shankar was one of the best known exponents of the Sitar as well as a composer of Hindustani Classical Music.
He has won Three Grammy awards including a Lifetime Achievement Grammy!

2. Zakir Hussain

Zakir Hussain is not just a world-renowned tabla player. He is also a musical producer, film actor and composer!
Zakir Hussain has won Two Grammy awards. One in 1992 and the other in 2009.

3. T. H. Vinayakram (also known as Vikku Vinayak)

Vikku Vinayak plays Carnatic music with the ghatam, an earthen pot, and is credited with popularizing the ghatam.
He won a Grammy in 1991 for the Best World Music Album for his participation in Mickey Hart’s Planet Drum.

4. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt

“Vishwa Mohan Bhatt” by Krupasindhu Muduli

He is a Hindustani classical music instrumentalist who plays the Mohan Veena (slide guitar). He won the award in 1993 for Best World Music Album – A Meeting by the River

5. A R Rahman

Rahman has been described by the Time magazine as “the world’s most prominent and prolific film composer”. He has won two Grammy awards – one for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album and one for the Best Song Written for Visual Media.

6. (Late) H Sridhar

H Sridhar was a sound engineer and won a Grammy for his work with A R Rahman in Slumdog Millionaire.
Sridhar also engineered and mixed albums for international artists like George Harrison of The Beatles, John Neptune Kaizan, Pandit Ravi Shankar, Zakir Hussain, L.Shankar and John McLaughlin.

7. P A Deepak

P A Deepak is a Mix Engineer and Record Producer. He too won the Grammy for his work in Slumdog Millionaire.

8. Ricky Kej

Ricky is a Bengaluru-based composer, music producer and musician. He won the Grammy award in 2015 for his album Winds of Samsara – a collaboration with South African flutist Wouter Kellerman.

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Ricky Kej and Neela Vaswani from India made the country proud by bringing home the prestigious Grammy award in its 57th edition. Here is all you need to know about Kej the self-trained musician and his journey to international success.

Bengaluru-based musician Ricky Kej won this year’s Grammy for the ‘Best New Age Album’ at the award’s 57th edition on Monday for “Winds of Samsara”.

Ricky Kej (left) with Wouter Kellerman at Grammy awards.

 Photo: Facebook

“Winds of Samsara”, which symbolizes peace and harmony, is a collaborated album for which Kej teamed up with South African musician Wouter Kellerman. The album was an instant hit and stayed at the Top 10 for 12 weeks in the US music charts under the ‘New Age’ category.

Apart from Kej, another Indian Neela Vaswani won a Grammy in the Best Children’s Album category for “I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up For Education And Changed The World (Malala Yousafzai)”.

Neela Vaswani

Photo: english.manoramaonline.com

While two Indians managed to grab the coveted trophy, Anoushka Shankar, who was nominated for her album “Traces of You” in the ‘Best World Music Album’ category lost out to Angelique Kidjo’s album “Eve”.

Born in the US and raised in Bengaluru, Kej was all set to become a dentist after getting his degree, but his love for music made him take up a different path. He never took a formal training in music but became a known name in Kannada music industry at a young age. He would sit down with a guitar and keyboard to teach himself various tunes.

Best known for his amazing work in Sandalwood like “Venkata in Sankata” and “Crazy Kutumba”, Kej has also produced over 3,000 jingles for reputed brands like Toyota, Essilor, Levis, Lee, Air India, Fosters, Ford, IBM, Nike, etc.

Photo: Facebook

One of the biggest highlights of his career was when he created the theme song for the opening ceremony of ICC cricket World Cup at Dhaka in 2011. Gradually, Kej’s love for music grew stronger and some successful stints in the industry gave him a boost to launch his career at an international level.

Having proved his calibre at a regional and national industry, Kej was all set to try his luck internationally and launched his first music album “Communicative Art – Lounge from the Bay” in 2003.

Here is a track from one of Kej’s works which shows a side of Karnataka never seen before

Since then, it was never looking back and he went on to launch many albums and judge several music reality shows which gave him worldwide recognition.

The self-taught musician who started his career at the young age of 19 now needs no introduction. We congratulate him and all the other winners and nominees for their incredible work and hope to see many more success stories and artists in the future.

Here is a track from the award-winning “Winds of Samsara” -

Also see: List Of Indians Who Have Won The Grammy

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1. Mian Tansen (1506 - 1589)

2. Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941)

3. M. S. Subbulakshmi (1916 - 2004)

4. Pt. Ravi Shankar (1920 - 2012)

5. S. Balachander (1927 - 1990)

6. Pt. Shivkumar Sharma (1938 - )

7. Lata Mangeshkar (1929 - )

8. Mohammad Rafi (1924 - 1980)

9. Begum Akhtar (1914 - 1974)

10. Hariprasad Chaurasiya (1938 - )

11. Ilayaraja (1943 - )

12. Zakir Hussain (1951 - )

13. Bismillah Khan (1913 - 2006)

14. A. R. Rahman (1987 - )

15. Master Madan (1927 - 1947)

16. Bhimsen Joshi (1922 - 2011)

17. Ustad Amjad Ali Khan (1945-)

18. R. D. Burman (1939 - 1994)

19. Kadri Gopalnath (1949 - )

20. Dr. L. Subramaniam (1947 - )

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Her passion for music is so strong that even though she cannot converse properly, she can express her feelings through ragas and music.

“Both of us focussed on the fact that what has happened cannot be changed. We only wanted to know what can be done further to help our child,”says Kavita

“When we awaken Benzy with ragas in the morning, she is cool and calm the entire day. And if the same happens without music, she is a completely different person…irritated with everyone around her and also with her own self,” says Kavita

They then began to share her work with prominent people working in the field. It was Shubha Mudgal who sent in the first response saying that she found potential in Benzy’s voice, and encouraged her to continue.

Benzy’s current teacher is Pt. Ramji Mishra. Her favourite singers are Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle, and some of Benzy’s favourite songs include Itti hi hasi, Aa bhi ja, and Rahe na rahe hum.

“My message to parents who have children living with autism is that they should not consider autism to be a disease which needs to be cured. They should understand it, and give their children the best quality of life. Treat them as the most beautiful and special children. Teach them with love, and accept them. Keep the children happy. We have raised Benzy as a princess all her life. When a child is happy, he/she will succeed. Just try and find the one thing that makes your child happy, and help them grow in it,” concludes Kavita.

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1. Ravanahatha

Source: URSONGS

2. Yazh

Source: Wikimedia

3. Sursingar

Source: Wikipedia

4. Gubguba

Source: smtagorecentre

5. Pepa

Source: Wikipedia

6. Kuzhal

Source: YouTube

7. Algoze

Source: Shelbyshore

8. Gogana

Source: Wikipedia

9. Pakhavaj

Source: Wikimedia

10. Padayani Thappu

Source: Wikipedia

 11. Udukai

Source: Wikimedia

12. Sambal

Source: Chandrakantha.com

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Experimented with something different in the spirit of ‪#‎Christmas‬....Merry‪#‎Xmas‬ ! ‪#‎MerryChristmas‬

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1. World Sacred Spirit Festival

Photo: worldsacredspiritfestival.org

Two beautiful and larger-than-life forts: Mehrangarh in Jodhpur and Ahhichatragarh in Nagaur, perfect weather, a shimmering, starry night, and sufi music. Could there be any more perfect setting to spend your vacations? Take a few days off and discover (or rediscover) sufi music in all its glory. Check out this page for more details. 

When: February 22–24 in Nagpur; February 26–28 in Jodhpur Where: Nagpur and Jodhpur, Rajasthan

2. Kasauli Rhythm and Blues Festival

Photo: Facebook

This annual music festival is organised  in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh at the Baikunth Resort. The festival invites upcoming artists to perform in support of under-privileged and orphaned children who are critically ill. All funds raised through the festival are directed toward their treatment.  More details here. 

When: March 25–27, 2016 Where: Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh

3. Poush Mela, Santiniketan

Photo: www.askmeontravel.com

This annual three-day festival celebrates the harvest season through folk music. Held at Santiniketan — the town established by Rabindranath Tagore — in the Birbhum district of West Bengal, this festival is a treat for lovers of folk music. The festival showcases folk music, notably baul music, and includes other activities such as dance and tribal sports. Since this is also a mela, you can stock up on local fabrics and handicrafts. You can learn more about Poush Mela on its Wikipedia page.

When: December 23–25, 2016 Where: Santiniketan, West Bengal

4. Ragasthan, Jaisalmer

Photo: www.ragasthan.com

5. Madras Music Season

Photo: www.chennaidecemberseason.com

6. Ziro Festival

Photo: Facebook

7. Jodhpur RIFF

Photo: jodhpurriff.org

8. Soorya Music Festival, Thiruvananthapuram

Photo: journeymart.com

9. Kalidas Festival, Nagpur

Photo: tariquesani.net

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