One of the first major playback singers in Hindi films and a Padma Bhushan awardee, Shamshad is often hailed as India’s original nightingale.

She said, “Uncle took me to the audition which was taken by the company's composer, Master Ghulam Haider. During the audition, I sang a Bahadur Shah Zafar ghazal, 'Mera Yaar Gar Mile Mujhe Jaan Dil Fida Karoon' and some marsiya. Master sahab was impressed by my voice and told me to sign the contract the same day. I was offered a contract to sing twelve songs at a rate of Rs 12.50 each which was a big amount in those times.”

After singing in Punjabi for movies like Yamla Jat and Gawandi, Shamshad lent her voice to Hindi movies starting with the 1941 movie Khazanchi, in which she sang all the songs.

He writes, “[OP Nayyar’s] Shamshad-addressing plea was plain. It was that Lata Mangeshkar was so powerful that he would be ‘finished’ if Shamshad Begum didn’t come to his rescue posthaste. ‘Of course I will sing for you!’ shot back Shamshad Begum. ‘Who’s afraid of Lata Mangeshkar? Not this lady going under the label of Shamshad Begum’.”

Even at her most successful, Shamshad remained publicity shy—she rarely attended parties and did not allow herself to be photographed.

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In 2012, NASA space probe Voyager 1, travelling at more than 40,000 miles per hour, became the first man-made object to enter interstellar space, leaving the solar system behind and ushering mankind into the interstellar age. Launched on September 5, 1977, as a probe to Saturn and Jupiter, the nuclear-powered spacecraft took advantage of a once-in-176-years planetary alignment to extend its mission and travel beyond the four outer planets of the solar system.

Four decades later, humanity’s most distant space outpost has travelled more than 13 billion miles, sending back unprecedented images and data from its pioneering journey.

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Voyager 1 is special for one other reason. On board the spacecraft is a 12-inch gold-plated copper disc with music that aims to encapsulate 5,000 years of human culture. Compiled by American astronomer Carl Sagan, the songs of Sounds Of Earth (as the album is named) echo through outer space, billions of miles from Earth.

While most Indians have heard about this, few know that the album also includes a Hindustani classical music composition – ‘Jaat Kahan Ho.’ A hauntingly beautiful song by Kesarbai Kerkar, the legendary singer of Jaipur-Atrauli gharana, it is the only song from India that has been immortalised alongside the music of Beethoven, Bach and Mozart on the record.

Born in 1893 in the hilly village of Keri in Goa, Kesarbai was one of the most celebrated artists of her time. Revered by the public and royalty alike, she was awarded the title of ‘Surshri’ (Queen of Music) in 1938 by Rabindranath Tagore on behalf of Sangeet Pravin Sangitanuragi Sajjan Saman Samiti of Calcutta (now Kolkata).

Kesarbai Kerkar

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During her childhood years, Kesarbai trained under the tutelage of music maestros like Abdul Karim Khan of Kirana gharana, Ramakrishnabuva Vaze of Gwalior gharana, Barkatulla Khan of Senia gharana and Bhaskarbua Bakhle of Jaipur-Atrauli gharana. However, this training periods were short-lived and she thirsted for more.

Kesarbai’s hunt for a teacher who would teach her the deepest depths of Hindustani classical music ended when she was accepted as a disciple by the legendary Alladiya Khan in 1920. Also known as “Gauri-Shankar” (Mount Everest of the Indian Classical Music) and “Gaan Samrat,” Khan founded the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana and is famous for the many rare ragas he created.

Interestingly, as Kesarbai had been initially unable to master his style of gayaki during a trial period of three months, Khan had initially refused to take her on as disciple. It was only when Kesarbai got the ruler of Kolhapur, Shahu Maharaj, to intervene on her behalf that he agreed!

Kesarbai Kerkar receiving Sangeet Natak Akademi Award from Indian President Rajendra Prasad in March 1953

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She trained under him for the next 25 years, during which she performed across the country. Her immense success as a khyal singer, along with that of Hirabai Barodekar, Gangubai Hangal and Mogubai Kurdikar (mother of Kishori Amonkar) paved the way for the next generation of female vocalists.

In 1953, Kesarbai was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, the highest Indian recognition given to practicing artists. In 1969, the government of India honoured her with Padma Bhushan while Maharashta government conferred upon her the title of Rajya Gayika.

Over the years, Kesarbai’s magical voice won her countless fans across the world. One of these fans was ethnomusicologist Robert E. Brown, who believed her rendition of raga Bhairavi to be the finest recorded example of Indian classical music. He was the one who recommended it for inclusion on the Voyager record.

In 1977, the year Kesarbai passed away, the Voyager spacecraft carried her recorded voice to celestial heights. The poignant piece in raga Bhairavi asks the eternal question, Jaat kahan ho akeli gori (Where are you going alone, girl). Listen to it below.

A producer of the Voyager record, Timothy Ferris, once wrote about the Indian contribution to the mission in Murmurs of Earth, a 1978 book about the record. He says: “One of my favourite musical transitions on the Voyager record comes when ‘Flowing Stream’ ends and we are transported, quick as a curtsy, across the Himalayas to the north of India and from the sound of one musical genius, Kuan Ping-hu to another, Surshri Kesar Bai Kerkar. This raga is formally designated for morning performance, but its popularity has led to its use as a closing number, a kind of encore, for concerts day and night.”

It has been over five decades since Kesarbai last sang in a concert (she stopped performing in 1965), yet her music lives on, wandering through the unexplored terrains of outer space till perhaps the end of time.

Recently, Voyager 1 has been in the news once again: As the world’s fastest spacecraft, it will take 1, 17,000 years to travel to TRAPPIST-1 System.

Named after NASA’s Transiting Planets and Planetesimals Small Telescope (TRAPPIST), which made the initial discovery, this is a system of seven earth-sized exoplanets revolving around an ultra-cool star.

On Wednesday, NASA held a special press conference announcing the discovery of this star system, which is located 39 light years away in the Aquarius constellation of the Milky Way Galaxy. What has space scientist excited is the fact that three of the seven planets fall within the star’s “habitable zone,” a range of distances from the star that would create the right temperatures for liquid water and conditions right for extraterrestrial life.

With this discovery, outer space is shaping up to be a more tantalizing target than ever – and this makes the Voyager 1 probe, which is still sending back data and making discoveries from the edge of interstellar space, probably mankind’s best chance of reaching it.

Also Read: To Space and Back: Things You Might Not Know About India’s Legendary Cosmonaut, Rakesh Sharma

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A one-of-its-kind Music Cafe in Pune offers therapeutic Indian classical music on its menu!

Situated amidst the lush greenery and cosy lanes of Pune’s Law College Road is a curious musical experiment. Lying low among the trees that surround the little bungalow, Music Cafe has a lot to serve on a platter: relaxation, anger management, concentration improvement, positivity, stress relief and confidence boost, among many other ‘recipes.’

Music Cafe offers a vast menu of Indian musical pieces, curated and designed to provide a therapeutic experience to the listener, along with food and beverages.

The recently opened cafe is the brainchild of music therapist Santosh Ghatpande, music enthusiast Anand Kolharkar and Hindustani classical vocalist Sawani Ghatpande.

“Why would I need therapy; I am perfectly alright, one would ask. But let me make it clear that here at Music Cafe, we are not talking of clinical music therapy. We are talking about how music can benefit one’s overall wellbeing and contribute to improving one’s quality of life. We all face minor problems when it comes to our body and mind. Some take a lot of stress; some have anger issues, while some have no time to relax. And research has proven that music can help stimulate brain activity, improve concentration, increase positive thoughts, boost confidence and even affect some of the biological factors like hormones and blood pressure. The why not bring music into your day-to-day routine,” asks Santosh.

The cafe has an outdoor seating area, where you can pick the music of your choice and indulge in it with friends or family. For those wishing for a personalised musical experience, there’s a secluded headset room, where you can sit in solitude and enjoy music. And for musicians wishing to practice, the music creation room offers a soundproof ambience as well as various musical instruments.

Also read: This Group of Poets, Musicians & Storytellers Creates Mesmerising Art from Life Stories

The food and beverage combinations too, have been designed with much thought, so as not to conflict with the nature of the music.

“For example, if a person has ordered ‘relaxation’ from the music menu, then he or she cannot be served tea along with it. Offering music that’s intended to soothe your nerves and combining it with acidic tea doesn’t go together. In the relaxation combo, one is offered the drink called Aasavari, its name based on a calming raga, made of herbs,” explains Santosh.

For those seeking a more personalised selection, Music Cafe offers one-on-one counselling sessions as well. During these sessions, one can get a personalised music chart designed from a certified music therapist.

A working IT professional, Santosh’s tryst with music goes way back. Having learnt music from the age of 6, it has become a part of his existence. While travelling to different Western countries for work, he found music therapy being widely researched. Back home, he realised that despite having many musically inclined people and a rich heritage of classical music, music therapy wasn’t being studied and practised on a larger scale.

So he decided to take it up himself. He already had a Master’s degree in music, which he then complemented with a course in music therapy at the prestigious Naad institute in Chennai.

After the course, he started conducting music therapy sessions, along with his wife Sawani, for close groups in Pune.

“After practising music therapy for over six years, I realised that there was a need to reach out to more people. We were getting a lot of response and the feedback was excellent, but there was no continuity to it. What we wanted was to form a community, which has music as a part of its daily lives, where amateurs, enthusiasts, curious music lovers and veterans could explore music together. With that thought, we founded this cafe,” says Santosh.

With the creation of a community of musically inclined people in mind, Santosh also plans to organise regular workshops and music concerts for a closed group of members. The idea being that consistency allows long-term and better results.

“There’s a lot of scope for experimentation as well. This space can be utilised in many more creative ways that we may not have even thought of. We realised this on the very first day,” says Anand.

On its very first day, the cafe saw a musical birthday celebration taking place in its premises.

“A young guy of around 25 asked us if he could celebrate his birthday here. We weren’t sure how exactly that’d pan out, but we agreed. He came with his family and started playing harmonium in the riyaaz room. He had learnt the instrument as a child and then discontinued. It was his way of reconnecting to his family with music,” says Anand.

Also read: TBI Blogs: Meet the Artists Preserving Jalatarangam, the Ancient Art of Creating Music From Water Waves

To know more about Music Cafe, visit its official Facebook page here and the website here.

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“Music has always been treated as an extracurricular activity in school and a piece of entertainment in society,” points out Anurag Hoon. But for him and his musician friends at NGO Manzil it has always been a medium for expressing their feelings, hopes, desire, joy and learning new things.

So they decided to take their love for melodies a step higher, and combined with an urge to do something for society, they started Manzil Mystics, an institute that uses music to educate the marginalized sections.

“We teach how to sing, write and compose a song. We design our activities in a way that we enable participants to facilitate their learning and learn life skills, social skills, spoken English, History, reproductive health, and menstrual hygiene. We conduct workshops in government schools, low income schools, private schools and NGOs across India,” says Delhi-based Anurag.

The group, after starting the initiative in 2011, has composed 11 songs, each suitable for a particular age group. Their curriculum varies as it is designed as per the need of the participants.

It is divided into four segments: vocal covers skills like empathy, confidence, discipline, respect, social awareness; writing covers critical thinking, punctuality, visioning, importance of planning, responsibility, social consciousness; rhythm covers team building, leadership, management; and composing inculcates thinking out of the box, critical thinking, brotherhood, makes one conscious about social problems.

“We have worked with over 50 schools and over 150 NGOs across India. We conduct workshops, which have two formats. – the short term workshops that vary from two to six days along with long-term ones which are hour-long weekly workshops with a group of maximum 30 participants. At the end, the participants compose their own music and if budget allows record the track,” shares Anurag.

He adds that at the end of their workshops, which are called Learning Through Music, the participants have composed songs on topics like washrooms, water, gender, girl education, education, friendship, brotherhood, being creative and many more.

“Through workshops in schools, we have been able to help increase about 90% students’ grades by five to 35%,” says Anurag.

“There has also been a marked improvement in the attendance level of the school, sanitation and its overall discipline,” he adds.

The group, which draws inspiration from the works of mystic poet and saint Kabir Das and admires the ethics and principles of Mahatma Gandhi, comprises eight vocalists, out of which six vocalists are trained in Indian classical, two are trained guitarists from Delhi School of Music and one is a trained drummer from Rock School (Delhi).

Music stage shows are their main source of income, which has been supporting four of their projects for last four years. In 2014, Manzil Mystics also composed music to the Preamble of Indian Constitution, which was lauded by the Election Commission of India in 2016.

To know more, you can visit their Facebook page here.

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What is the future of an independent musician in India, especially if he/she belongs to a small village? Why is the image of indie music restricted to a festival or a pub in a city with a certain age group of people, listening to a band over a glass of beer? Or, why are the masses only listening to film music, when our country has such diversity of sounds and musical expressions?

These were the questions playing on Kavish Seth’s mind when he was a student of Chemistry at IIT Bombay. At the time, he was about to start his own musical journey, writing songs and planning to cut an album.

Kavish always wondered how far his music would go if he restricted himself to the indie music scene in the cities, as it exists currently.

“I knew that at the most my album will be heard by my friends and relatives, and their friends and relatives. I was a local artist and my art was going to get restricted to my locality and it’s true for every indie artist in India. I was also clear that to grow as an artist, I need to reach out to my audiences and also collaborate with other musicians,” says Kavish

Kavish got his answers during the Jagriti Yatra, a train journey that brings hundreds of youths together to solve problems through entrepreneurship, when a co-traveler, Neha Arora, offered to work with him on finding a way to address this problem. Thus, the idea of Zubaan was formed – a musical project where indie artists collaborate and perform their own songs across the mainland, from streets to stages, villages to cities.

The objective is to make indie music mainstream, which will happen through collaborations and concerts of indie artists across the local music scenes in our country.

They created a repeatable model – to bring musicians together in a place, let them collaborate with each other, and then create a public performance for the people to come and listen.

“Carrying the motto of “Apne geet, apni zubaan” (Our songs, our language), the only condition was that the songs and compositions should be original. Going amongst the people and performing on the street, or creating new performing places, was one of our ways to reach more audiences,” says Neha.

You may also like – Of Music, Mica and Mithai: The Fascinating Story of How Jhumri Telaiya Became a Legend

The model was simple, but the results turned out to be magical. The journey of Zubaan that started from Gorakhpur, soon went on to many other parts of India – to villages and towns to cities and even to Russia, when the artists were invited to perform at a concert in Moscow.

“Zubaan for me was something that would fit in the intersection of Film Making and Music so I jumped into it. Collaboration with n number of artists and hearing original music has now spoiled me, because it has opened the doors of my soul so much that I can’t play the kind of music I can’t connect to. Zubaan feeds my soul,” says Nilay Singh, the beatboxer, percussionist and drummer of the Zubaan team.

Zubaan has formed chapters in Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Orissa and in Uttar Pradesh, and more than 30 artists have become part of the collective.

Raghvendra Kumar, an artist who plays the Mohan Veena and also manages the Varanasi chapter of Zubaan, explains his role, “Collaborating with different artists excites me, it helps us grow, create new things. As artists from different music scenes come together, collaborate, perform, the indie music scene gets bigger.It’s a long way ahead, and we are enjoying this ride”

Wardha, Gadchiroli and Kolkata chapters began this year and regular gigs have been happening in areas like Varanasi, Mumbai, Nagpur, Delhi, and Ranchi. Team Zubaan has also done college concerts at TISS and fests at Kolkata International Performing Arts Festival and the India Surf Festival.

You may also like – This Group of Poets, Musicians & Storytellers Creates Mesmerising Art from Life Stories

During their journey, the artists of Zubaan met some amazing artists like Padma Shri Jitendra Haripal from Orissa,well known for his song Rangabati, sung in Sambalpuri language.To their delight, he has offered to collaborate with the young lot of artists.

Collaborations with Bhojpuri singers and composers like Chandan Tiwari, Rekha Tiwari, and Shailendra Mishra, and senior Thumri artists like Sucharita Gupta and Shehnai artist Manohar Lal began from their Varanasi chapter.

“Humare Bhojpuri geet ko desh bhar hum le jaa paye, isme Zubaan ki team, hum log prayas kar rahe hai. Bhojpuri sirf ashleel nahi hai, kuch logo ne isse ashleel kar diya hai, hum kaafi log acha kaam bhi kar rahe hai jo ki desh bhar le jaane ki koshish kar rahe hai,Bhojpuri sanskriti bohot rich hai

(We and team Zubaan are trying to take Bhojpuri songs to every corner of India. Bhojpuri songs are not vulgar. Some people have made it vulgar. But we are trying to spread the rich Bhojpuri culture),” says Bhojpuri singer and composer Shailendra Mishra.

Listen to these amazing artists with Zubaan in this short film.

The team not only connects the famous artists of their respective areas but also looks out for talent. One such artist is a farmer, Kunal Humane from Paradsinga village in Madhya Pradesh, who happens to be a wonderful singer and songwriter.

“Mujh jaise kalakaar ko manch milna, aur shehar mein logo ke beech apne gaane ka mauka milna mere liye bohot khushnaseebi ki baat hai(It is a privilege for an artist like me to get a stage and a chance to sing among the urban audience),” he says.

Another mesmerizing singer and composer who collaborated with Zubaan at their Mumbai chapter is Chintamani, a koli singer.

Listen to his composition here .

“We belong to the fisherman community. My grandfather then my father and then me, we all wrote and performed on our own songs. Collaborating with Zubaan has given me audience other than the usual ones I was satisfied with. Moreover, there is so much to learn when you meet other artists from various states,” says Chintamani.

You may also like – The Melange of Poetry, Music and Storytelling That Has Made Pune Embrace Urdu Literature

The need to find their own sound and connect with people has led to the invention of new musical instruments as well. Kavish has designed Noori, which is going to be patented soon. Poornaprajna Kulkarni from Karnataka has made Poorna Veena, while Parvindar from Nagpur is making an instrument that is a fusion of Cajon and Swaramandal.

Zubaan is in the process of releasing their songs, made as a result of all these collaborations.

Watch what happens when the musicians from Banaras and Maharashtra collaborate with the hidden talents in Orissa –

The Vidarbha Chapter is also about to start, where artists from Vidarbha will collaborate with artists from different parts of the country. If you wish to contribute/participate/sponsor you can contact Zubaan at zubaanmusic@gmail.com or on their Facebook page.

If you wish to call artists to your place/locality for collaborations or concerts, you can contact Zubaan at zubaanmusic@gmail.com or on their Facebook page.

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Keeping It In The Family

Though all the children in the family were exposed to music, Suresh says that he and his elder brother, Rajasekar, were the only ones who wanted to take it up seriously. Rajasekar would escort him to the music school, and eventually he got trained himself. He reminisces, “I used to keep hitting whatever was nearby with my hands, like small boxes and small utensils.”

His grandfather, a musician at heart though not by profession, saw the potential in his grandsons, and took them to a nearby music school to continue their education. His teacher, T.R. Harihara Sharma, the father of renowned musician Vikku Vinayakram, helped shape his path.

Vikku Vinayakram, on noticing his deep love for ghatam, gave Suresh his first taste of being a performer by inviting him to play the ghatam during his performances.

He reminisces, “Vikku Vinayakram took me on as his special student and taught me all the intricate nuances of ghatam with passion. I have shared the stage with him only on a couple of occasions in the recent past, where he openly appreciated my achievements.”

Bolstered by his support, Suresh became more determined to take music seriously. The turning point was when an uncle who had watched him play told his father to take him to see TV Gopalakrishnan. It paid off, and at the age of 13, he began learning from the great innovator. The Government of India granted him a scholarship to pursue his musical education further. But it was under TV Gopalakrishnan’s tutelage that he would meet and rub shoulders with the top musicians of that time.

His teacher also taught him the ins and outs of the music world.

Suresh says, “Mr. TV Gopalakrishnan used to take me with him all around India to play, and that gave me a platform and the boost I needed to become a more vibrant ghatam player. That was the beginning of my career.”

Overcoming Polio And Finding Happiness

Though his family was filled with musicians, no one had considered that Suresh could go professional. A Polio survivor, one of his legs was shorter than the other, which was a source of concern for his parents.

He explains, “My father was more concerned about my studies and my health, and getting surgeries done for my Polio.” A pragmatic man, Suresh’s father was unsure about encouraging his son to take up music full-time.

Suresh says, “My parents were never for me being a professional musician for two reasons. First, because the music profession is not easy or permanent, and there is no regular income. The second is that they thought that I would always need someone to support me, take me around, and help me move my instruments, because of my disability.”

He admits that he can’t blame them, “When I used to play concerts when I was a teen, and even in my 20s, they would come with me wherever I went. My father would carry my instruments, and sometimes even me.”

When he was diagnosed with Polio as a child, his mother was his biggest motivator. “Right from the day I was struck with Polio, she was the person who motivated me. She told me, ‘You can sit, you can stand up. You can walk. Don’t worry if you’re limping, there are so many people who don’t have legs of the same size.’ She didn’t have a medical or psychiatric background, but she was doing it as my mother, and helped me overcome whatever depression I felt,” Suresh confides.

The Path To Professional Music

Suresh’s father encouraged him to find a desk job, and he was soon on his way to Delhi to begin his career. However, the lure of concerts was stronger. Suresh quit his job in the capital and returned to Chennai because of the expansive music scene.

After working for some time in LIC, and finding love along the way, Suresh found himself longing to pursue music as a profession. After talking to his wife, Suresh gave up his 9-to-5 job and dedicated himself to the ghatam. He says, “She told me to follow my passion, and that whatever comes, we’d face it.”

His musical career was already in full swing, and he was in demand as a concert player, both in India and abroad. Suresh believes that musicians have a responsibility to themselves as well as to their audiences.

He says, “I had covered almost the whole country, but that was not enough. To be a percussionist, you have to be a learner and an optimum performer. It’s not enough if your calendar is filled and you become more and more busy and perform in different places. At one point, I thought, ‘I should be looked upon as a musician of accomplishment.’”

Suresh said he began considering factors he had not explored before like, “Which stage would give me the most exposure? Where could I play my best? Which artists would give me the motivation and room to play?”

Looking Back: Putting Things In Perspective

Almost two decades later, Suresh believes he made the right choice. He says, “The younger generation look to me as someone who can guide them with just one performance.” At a recent performance, he was thrilled to see a band of young musicians who admired his work and waited to meet him after the show.

He says, “All this is possible only because I was able to work more on the technical side, and now I’m being celebrated as someone who has revolutionized ghatam techniques.” He credits his success to Vinayakram and his other guru, Narayanaswamy Iyer. Both his teachers had distinct styles which influenced his playing, and have helped to mould his skills.

Today, Suresh has his own students who are influenced by his unmistakable style. He says, proudly, “Now, when people hear them playing, they can say, ‘They’re following Ghatam Suresh.’ This is what I would call my humble achievement.”

Changing Attitudes Toward Disabilities

Though his career has been a successful one, Suresh did face challenges. He remembers, “If someone says, ‘This guy is not good, he doesn’t play well, his attitude is bad’, that’s acceptable. But if someone says, ‘This guy has a disability, don’t depend on him. He’ll be troublesome to take on a tour’, that’s totally unethical.”

He found that many people used his disability as an excuse to ignore his talent, and it made him all the more determined to overcome the challenge.

“I decided that people should look at me and see only my performance, not my appearance. I’ve never asked a co-musician to help me carry my instrument, or even climb the stairs. I can do my job independently,” Suresh says with quiet confidence.

These days, Suresh plays with a lot of Western musicians, and he says that their attitudes are very different. He says, “The first time they meet me, it’s a little bit of a shock for them. But then there are no more thoughts or questions about it, which I think is a big success for a person who has an issue which was never his choice.”

Suresh feels, “The attitude change in India is more visible, because Westerners don’t care about how a person dresses or what he looks like. I’ve always told my co-musicians that I require no special treatment, but should receive respect for my achievements.”

Ghatam Suresh is one of India’s foremost musical talents today. He has come a long way from playing his first Carnatic-Jazz concert with his guru alongside then-new-arrival AR Rahman. With collaborations with musical giants under his belt, Ghatam Suresh Vaidyanathan is a force to reckon with, and he did it all his own way.

Originally published on KnowYourStar. Visit our website for more such articles, or hop by our Facebook page for daily inspiration.

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“Aao yaar bas ek baar… zinda ho baat kar le
Khaak ho gaye hai mazaak… fir bhi mazaak kar le..”

A writer, poet, lyricist, singer, composer, music director, actor and script writer, Piyush Mishra does not need an introduction. His life is an open book and has been an inspiration to many. We got a chance to speak to Piyush in person. Here are some excerpts from the interview where he talks about his beliefs, his life and lots of learnings.

TBI – Tell us something about your childhood.

Piyush – What do I say about my childhood! I was an introvert, very quiet and shy. Everyone would suppress me at school, at home. I didn’t get a good childhood.

Facts about Piyush –Piyush was born on January 13, 1963, in Gwalior. His father Pratap Kumar Sharma was a retired upper division clerk.  Due to financial problems, the family started living with Pratap Kumar Sharma’s eldest sister Taradevi Mishra, who adopted Piyush.

TBI – So is it the anger that comes out in your poetry?

Piyush – Yes my childhood is responsible. But there were two things that could have happened. Either I would have died or done whatever people told me to do or I would have just gathered the anger and decided to do something in life. I am glad I chose the latter and the result is that I am here today. There was tremendous suppression.

Facts about Piyush – Piyush was named Priyakansha Sharma. He had a strained relationship with his legal mother, Taradevi Mishra. It was in rebellion to her that he changed his name to Piyush Mishra by filing an affidavit when he was in class 10.

TBI –What advice would you give to your younger self?

Piyush – I would advise that do what you want to. It is your right to choose your profession, your passion. No one else will understand what makes you happy -not even your parents, your friends or any philosopher or guide.

Facts about Piyush Mishra – Piyush attended Carmel Convent School, Gwalior, which according to him, was a ‘wrong school’ for him.

TBI –You always say in your interviews that you didn’t want to learn physics and chemistry in school. Why?

Piyush – Because I didn’t have a reason to learn them in school. Kids don’t want to study something because you don’t give them reasons to study that particular subject. In 1999 I did a play on Albert Einstein. That gave me all the reasons to learn physics. While doing that play I understood physics very easily from Newton’s laws of motion to thermodynamics and electromagnetics. Why would someone study something if they don’t have the right reasons? I loved reading Hindi literature. I wrote lot of essays and comprehension. I was also a very good Kabaddi player back in school.

Facts about Piyush Mishra – He wrote his first poem when he was in class 8.

“Zinda ho haan tum koi shak nahin, saans lete hue dekha maine bhi hain

Haath aur pairon aur jism ko harqatey khoob dete huey dekha maine bhi hain

Ab bhale hi yeh kartey huey honth tum dard sehtey huey sakht see lete ho

Ab hain itna bhi kya kum tumhaarey liye, khoob apni samajh mein toh jee lete ho”

TBI –Even I wanted to study English and Hindi literature. I couldn’t understand history and geography. So what is the way out for children who want something different than what our current educational system offers?

Piyush – We can’t change the policies, but parents have to understand that every child is different. Everyone can’t become an Einstein, everyone can’t earn in lakhs. They never understand that their child is an individual and hence hesitate to give different types of education. They are under constant fear that what profession their child is going to choose.

Facts about Piyush Mishra – According to Piyush, he started taking part in plays at the age of 19. The desire took him to Delhi where he took admission in the National School of Drama.

TBI –So do your children have the freedom to choose their careers?

Photo source – Facebook

Piyush – They have already… my older son, Josh, is in first year of the Hotel Management course in IHM. The younger one, Jai is very small now. He is in class 6 but he loves to cook too. I am sure he is going to become a chef. They don’t like art and why should they. My father never liked art, but I did.

Facts about Piyush Mishra –He graduated from NSD in 1986 and then started his theatre group, ‘Act One’ along with his director friend N.K Sharma and actors like Manoj Bajpai and Ashish Vidyarthi.

TBI – Is there any incident that you feel is responsible for your success today?

Piyush – I went to Bombay in 1989 but came back within a year to Delhi. I think that was the best decision I ever took. I didn’t know how to struggle and those days were different. I understood that even if Bombay was made for me, this was not the right time. I came back to Delhi and then started theatre, which did really well.

Facts about Piyush Mishra – After graduation from NSD, he was considered for the lead role in the famous blockbuster Maine Pyar Kiya. Piyush didn’t follow up and Sooraj Barjatya signed Salman Khan.

TBI– What is one important thing to follow in life?

Piyush – It is important to move on. I make friends easily. But it is important to leave them easily too. Basically you should have a traveller’s life. I fell in love and got married, which is the best thing that happened because the credit of my success goes to my wife Priya, but if I hadn’t gotten married, I would have led a traveller’s life.

Facts about Piyush Mishra – He married Priya Narayanan in 1995, whom he met in 1992 while directing a play at the School of Planning and Architecture. Presently, he lives in Goregaon East, Mumbai with his wife, who is an architect, and two sons Josh and Jai.

TBI – Do you still have any unanswered question in life?

Piyush –Yes I am still in search of the answer to where does one go after death. If you get the answer, you will know everything.

Facts about Piyush Mishra – He moved to Mumbai in 2003, prior to which he spent 20 years as a theater artist in Delhi. This was the most poetic and turbulent phase of his life, marked by 24 hours of work, alcohol and women.In 2010 he attended a course of Vipassana in Igatpuri, which, according to him, helped him immensely.

TBI –One of your fans has requested to know the story behind Husna and Ghar. Are they related to your real life?

Piyush – Only my theatre is related to these songs. They are songs from plays that I wrote. Husna was a play based on a Pakistani short story Pattar Anara De. And Ghar was a song written for the play Jab Shehar Hamara Sota Hai  based on the famous Oscar-winning film West Side Story. I never thought that these two songs would become a classic someday. But the credit goes to Hitesh Sonik who has programmed and presented them so well that it created magic.

Facts about Piyush Mishra – As a film lyricist and singer, he is noted for his songs Arre Ruk Ja Re Bandeh (Black Friday, 2004), Aarambh Hai Prachand (Gulaal, 2009), Ik Bagal (Gangs of Wasseypur – Part 2, 2012), and Husna and Ghar(MTV Coke Studio, 2012)

TBI –What is that one thing you learned from your experience that has always helped you?

Piyush –That one thing is to keep working constantly. You are not allowed to just sit and relax. You cannot stop working even for a moment. That’s the one thing that has always helped me… lagatar aage badhne ki cheshta.

Facts about Piyush Mishra –Awards – Zee Cine Awards,  2003 for Best Dialogue for the film The Legend of Bhagat Singh. Stardust Awards,  2010 for Standout Performance by a Music Director for the film Gulaal. Julien Dubuque International Film Festival, 2014 for Best Actor and Playback Singer

TBI – You have struggled for more than 20 years in Bollywood. What would you suggest to others who are still struggling?

Photo Source – Instagram

Piyush – See, you have to first judge yourself if you are capable of doing it or not. You have to be your own mirror and see a clear reflection. We all come to Bombay and think that if given a chance we are no less than Amitabh Bachchan or Shahrukh Khan. But you have to first understand the thing that Amitabh or Shahrukh has and you don’t. And you need to work on that.

Facts about Piyush Mishra – His television debut was on teleseries Rajdhani in 1989. He also worked on Shyam Benegal’s Bharat Ek Khoj and appeared on horror TV serial Kile Ka Rahasya. His film debut was on Mani Ratnam’s Dil Se in 1998. He played the role of a CBI officer.

TBI – What is your favorite among all your roles – actor, singer, writer, poet, theatre artist, script writer or composer?

Photo Source

Piyush –I do all of them with similar passion so it is difficult for me to choose. But I think acting is something that I need to do more. And there is independent poetry which I love doing these days.

Facts about Piyush Mishra –He said that he was a Communist only because he didn’t want to hurt his Communist friends.

TBI –Is there any question that has yet to be asked to you. Is there an answer you still want to give?

Piyush – I have bared it all. I don’t have anything to hide. One hides their sexual life the most and I have talked about that too. I have said in an interview in Times of India about how ‘neech’ I was. About how I was a womanizer. But the day that interview was published, I really felt very light… that good that I told everything. I regret whatever I did in the past and that is very important. Repenting is very important. I describe it in my sher –

“Moti samajhke chunta mera khuda agarche

Pachtave ke do aansu, jo chu pade nazar se”

Facts about Piyush Mishra – In an interview with the Times of India, Piyush disclosed all the bitter truths about his life. He framed himself to have been a morally corrupt person, and confessed to how much he regrets that phase of his life.

Rapid Fire –

Favourite Actor – Om Puri

Favourite  Writer – Saadat Hasan Manto

Favourite Singer –Kishore Kumar

Favourite Place – NSD, New Delhi, Mandi House

Favourite Poem – There are many but right now I can think of ‘Parchayiyan’ by Sahir Ludhianvi.

Favourite Person –No one! I feel myself most strong and peaceful when I am alone. So I can say I am my favourite.

You can visit Piyush Mishra’s original Facebook Page here.

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Those who have a soft spot for old Hindi songs will immediately recognise yesteryear hits like ‘Le Ke Pehla Pehla Pyaar’, ‘Mere Piya Gaye Rangoon’ and ‘Kajra Mohabbat Wala’. Decades may have passed, but these songs continue to flourish both in their original versions and as remixes. Behind these and many other hits songs of Hindi cinema’s ‘Golden Age’ is the voice of a reclusive yet powerful singer, Shamshad Begum.

One of the first major playback singers in Hindi films and a Padma Bhushan awardee, Shamshad is often hailed as India’s original nightingale.

Shamshad Begum, in her later years. Source: Facebook

Shamshad was born on April 14, 1919 in a Muslim Jatt family. In recent years, many reports have stated that she was born in Amritsar. However, the singer and her daughter have clarified this stating that her birthplace was actually Lahore, then a part of undivided India. Her father was a mechanic and her mother a homemaker. She also had eight siblings.

Growing up, Shamshad sang at weddings as well as at religious events and parties, though she had no musical training. There were no means to go viral in those days, but her vocal skills were appreciated by her listeners, none more than her uncle Amiruddin. He not only rewarded her for a good song, but also took her for auditions and convinced her father to let her be a professional singer. In a conversation with Gajendra Khanna, she mentioned how Amiruddin told her father that her voice was God’s gift.

She said, “Uncle took me to the audition which was taken by the company’s composer, Master Ghulam Haider. During the audition, I sang a Bahadur Shah Zafar ghazal, ‘Mera Yaar Gar Mile Mujhe Jaan Dil Fida Karoon’ and some marsiya. Master sahab was impressed by my voice and told me to sign the contract the same day. I was offered a contract to sing twelve songs at a rate of Rs 12.50 each which was a big amount in those times.”

She was around 12 or 13 at that time. Ghulam Haider helped her fine-tune her vocal skills and referred to her as his chaumukhiya, meaning an all-round artist who could sing any song. A few years after that, she got married to Ganpal Lal Bhatto, a Hindu lawyer. The marriage met with a lot of opposition and criticism, but it also testified to the young singer’s progressive ideals.

Before she made her foray into films, Shamshad sang a number of devotional and regional songs. According to one account, her first song as a professional was a Hindu devotional song and the recording company substituted her name with Uma Devi. As she began to sing frequently, with her name intact, she also gradually made her foray into singing for the radio and caught the attention of music directors.

After singing in Punjabi for movies like Yamla Jat and Gawandi, Shamshad lent her voice to Hindi movies starting with the 1941 movie Khazanchi, in which she sang all the songs.

Shamshad Begum (left) in her early years. Source: Facebook

Those were the days of singer-actresses like Nur Jahan and Suraiya and Shamshad too received similar offers. However, she did not pursue acting, keeping her father’s wishes in mind, and concentrated on what she did best—singing.

Shamshad moved to Bombay in the early forties, and stayed on after the 1947 partition. By then, she had become a familiar voice for music lovers and a name to reckon with in the film industry. Between her hit movie songs, she recorded a rarely-heard song on the solemn occasion of Mahatma Gandhi’s death.

In her years of singing for the movies, Shamshad worked with every major music director including the likes of Naushad, OP Nayyar, Shankar-Jaikishen, SD Burman and many others. In an interview to the BBC, Naushad highlighted the singer’s beautiful voice, crediting her training in early life, and mentioned she was always soft-spoken and also very sentimental.

You might also like: A Freedom Fighter With a Feminist Soul, This Woman’s Contributions to Modern India Are Staggering!

Though she was known for her reclusive nature, Shamshad was no silent spectator in an industry of perennial highs-and-lows. OP Nayyar, who first met the singer when he was working as an office boy, approached her to sing for his first movie. Not only did she oblige, but she also came to his rescue on a later occasion, when the music director found that no female singer wanted to record with him after his dispute with Lata Mangeshkar. The incident is mentioned in Raju Bharatan’s book Asha Bhosla: A Musical Biography.

He writes, “[OP Nayyar’s] Shamshad-addressing plea was plain. It was that Lata Mangeshkar was so powerful that he would be ‘finished’ if Shamshad Begum didn’t come to his rescue posthaste. ‘Of course I will sing for you!’ shot back Shamshad Begum. ‘Who’s afraid of Lata Mangeshkar? Not this lady going under the label of Shamshad Begum’.”

Shamshad’s vocals brought the music alive in many iconic movies, such as Mother India, CID, Naya Daur, Shikari, Baiju Bawra, Andaz and Love in Shimla among others. She was one of the highest paid singers of her times and younger singers were often asked to imitate her voice. Though many of her earliest songs are no longer available, reports have said that she recorded about 2000 songs in her lifetime.

Even at her most successful, Shamshad remained publicity shy—she rarely attended parties and did not allow herself to be photographed.

Above: The iconic song ‘Mere Piya Gaye Rangoon’ sung by Shamshad

This is one of the reasons why there are not many photographs available of this singer. Her reticence came from her own nature, as well the request of her father who had expressed these wishes early in her career. She shrank away further from the spotlight after the demise of her husband.

It was only around the eighties, well after she had retreated from playback singing, when Shamshad began to give a few interviews. She lived in suburban Mumbai with her only daughter, devoting her time to her grandchildren.

So reclusive was this singer, that when another Shamshad Begum—actress Saira Banu’s grandmother—passed away in 2004, the media began reporting the death of the singer. It was Naushad who stepped in to clear the air.

You might also like: Rukmini Devi Arundale, the Legend Who Chose Dance Over Becoming the President of India

Shamshad passed away in 2012,at the age of 94, after a prolonged illness. By then, the reclusive singer had been awarded with numerous accolades including the OP Nayyar Award and Padma Bhushan, both in 2009. When she passed away, then Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh said that she captured the hearts of music lovers with her enchanting voice and unique tonal rendition. She was an artist of extraordinary talent and abilities, and the songs she has left behind in her long career, which she started with AIR in 1947, will continue to enthrall music lovers.

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The sound of the Jogiya Sarangi playing in the background, the colourful costumes shimmering in the setting sun, the gradual flow of audience slowly filling up the IMA Hall – this was the scene minutes before the annual Lok Utsav commenced on a warm summer evening in Alwar, Rajasthan. The Lok Utsav is organised every year in May on the death anniversary of Jahur Khan Mewati, a bhapang player from the Mewat region of Rajasthan, whose sudden finding and consequent musical contribution to a Hindi film sprung him and the bhapang out of obscurity.

Carrying his legacy forward, his sons Farukh Khan and Mehmood Khan, and grandson Yusuf Khan – who live in Mungaska village of Alwar district – organise an evening filled with folk music and dance. It is a platform where artistes from the Mewati community (called Meos) showcase their talents and heritage through a string of performances, ranging from lesser-known musical acts on instruments such as chikara and mashak to the more popular Kal Beliya dance of Rajasthan.

There is an abundance of heritage and culture here. The artistes, who are a part of the community called ‘Muslim Jogis’, trace their lineage to a long line of musicians. These musicians would go from house to house with instruments in hand, performing for Rajput families and other upper castes.

They sang devotional songs, which narrate stories of Hindu gods and goddesses – Shiva, Krishna, and Durga – and are passed from one generation to the next orally.

The songs reflect the history of Meos. For centuries, they’ve practiced both Hindu and Muslim rituals. This points to why their songs revolve around Hindu mythology. Even their instruments are associated with Hindu gods. Take the chikara, for example.

“It is believed that chikara, like all other string instruments, was formed from the bow of Lord Shiva,” says musician Puppu Nath proudly, who sings tales of Shiva, and whose family, for generations, is especially called on Maha Shivratri to perform with his troupe.

Mewat, as it turns out, is brimming with these hidden treasures – local music traditions that only reach a small population of people. Sadly, their popularity is fading in these local areas as well. To counteract this and preserve the livelihoods of these artistes, Farukh laid the foundation of the annual Lok Utsav. This initiative is a part of the larger Jahur Khan Bhapang Kala Shiksha Samiti that was formed with the aim of keeping the musical traditions of Mewat alive.

Their efforts, over the years, have helped introduce local artistes to a wider audience across the country, and even abroad. The rise of social media has further aided this, instrumental in helping them reach more people and rekindling an interest in folk music and dance.

There are various videos of the troupe, performing at various shows, on YouTube, that have helped generate more buzz, and in turn more opportunities.

“We have performed in cities all over India. Our songs reflect the history of Meos; our trials and tribulations, and tales of bravery,” says musician Jaleb Khan from Nuh, Haryana. A proud Meo, he has a number of tales under his belt, some of which have more than 50 couplets!

But there is still a long way to go. Most of these artistes are illiterate and unable to use technology on their own. Their rising popularity outside Mewat is in sharp contrast to the declining numbers of folk musicians in the area, since most children in the family do not want to continue the legacy of their forefathers.

“No one under 60 plays the jogia sarangi anymore,” Babunath Jogi says as a matter-of-fact. His grandfather passed down his instrument, made from a single piece of wood, to him. Sadly, it has no takers in his family. “My children don’t want to become musicians. I don’t force them either.”

Therefore, it is important to digitally archive the art – oral folk tales, locally-made instruments, and stories – of these artistes who continue to strive to keep their art alive.

The Lok Utsav in Alwar is a celebration of the rich musical heritage of Mewat. It is also a reminder of the disappearing indigenous cultures that are slowly fading, even from our collective memories. However, watching Jahur Khan’s 8-year-old great-grandson play the bhapang is a sliver of hope. It showcases that the digital medium can not only preserve the local art, but also catapult it to global popularity.

Digital Empowerment Foundation is working on the cause. It is helping children from artiste families become digitally literate. It also trains musicians in the use of social media for dissemination of their art. Further, it helps Yusuf and his family digitally archive their folk music, art, and culture.

Photos Courtesy: Vimages

Help DEF make digital tools available to marginalised rural populations of India by donating your old devices here.

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Puzhaye ooti, Mannal edhuthu vittu vittu, Mannal vatti pullu ketti, puzha thanne illathayal?

Naad keri keri chennu, Kaadu vetti thinnu thirthal, Maravumilla Mrigavumilla, kaadu thanne illathayal?

Vandi thingi nengi roadu muzhavum niranju ninnal, yanthrangal njarangi mooli, naadu mozhavum pooga nirachal?

Shwasam illathayal, oru cheriya kaate polum veeshadayal?

Vellam illathayal, oru kunju mazha polum peiyathayal?

These lines are from a Malayalam song called Kashtappedum (You will suffer) that raises underlying concerns deeply embedded within each one of us of the atrocities committed in the name of social development. Here’s the translation:

After draining the stream and mining all of the sand from its bed, what if there are no streams left?

After encroaching villages and cutting away all the trees and driving away the animals, what if there are no forests left?

With vehicles clogging up the roads and the horns blaring up collectively, what if the city’s air fills up with smoke?

What if there remains no air to breathe, not even a breeze? What if there remains no water to drink, not even a drizzle?

Kashteppedum is one among the many songs composed and performed by a group of artists based in Thrissur, Kerala who go by the name Oorali or ‘belonging to the native’.

Bringing together a blend of actors, musicians, writers and visual artists, their music, which they call The Oorali Experience, incorporates elements of theatre, all the while raising one’s consciousness to the social realities around us.

“Calling us a band would be something like isolating us to a single musical genre. Since all of us come from a strong theatrical background, our performances are laced with acts that we improvise according to the audience we have”, says Saji Kadampattil, who plays the guitar.

In fact, they had started out as a performing ensemble under Sadhana Centre for Creative Practice, an art collective founded by Martin John Chalissery, who is also the lead vocalist of Oorali in 2010.

Transforming a bus into a performing space known as Oorali Express, they travelled and performed dramas in various towns and villages in the state before turning to music. Most of these acts were based on social satires.

“Through music, we realised that we could reach out to more people. While we remain divided by nationalities and faiths, it is music that unites us. And through our songs and performances, we try to reiterate the idea of one world and hence you would find a universal note in our songs”, he says.

What makes their music garner attention is the themes they deal with—social issues that everyone is aware of but turn a blind eye to.

“That is the credibility an artist has. We can get people to listen to us and through our words instigate change,” Saji adds.

Speaking of change, Oorali played a significant role in highlighting Kerala police brutality against innocent youngsters under the guise of ‘inquiry’ last month.

Accused for having long hair and talking to girls, a 19-year-old Dalit boy named Vinayakan was picked up by two police officials in Thrissur and tortured to such an extent that the young boy took his own life.

“Martin, who also has long hair, had been subjected to similar treatment by the police that ended up leaving a scathing impact on all of us. In fact, such incidents have been a common occurrence for quite a long time now where youngsters have been harassed into cutting their hair or picked on reckless suspicion. But, when authorities turn rogue, who polices the police?” implores Saji.

And hence came about ‘Freak Saturday’—a campaign spearheaded by the group along with few other bands at Thekkinkad Ground, inviting anyone and everyone in the city to protest against Vinayakan’s death on July 29.

“Over 3,000 people joined us in our cause which we had announced through social media. Several policemen were delegated to man the area in case of any violence but I guess, never in their life had they been witness to any more democratic and peaceful protest than this. We had to make a point and we did so, through our music”, he states.

Shortly after the demonstration, the Director General of Police in the state not only ordered an express probe into the matter but also addressed the workforce – asking them to deal with issues of greater importance than bothering hapless youngsters who have long hair or look dubious.

Through the campaign, the Oorali members also managed to collect about ₹1.5 lakh, which they donated to Vinayakan’s aggrieved family. But they aren’t letting the issue to die down that easily.

“We are currently working on a documentary that will address the entire incident so that more people know about Vinayakan. Our idea is to propel a civic society movement and there is no ulterior motive or political agenda behind it. We plan on raising funds for the project through crowd funding,” Saji says.

As for Oorali Express, the band had to temporarily suspend their bus performances due to some permit hassles, which got sorted recently.

“As the days close in on Onam, Oorali Express will be back on track once more,” he adds.

You can watch their music performances on Youtube.

You can reach out to Oorali on Facebook. If you wish to contribute to their documentary project, you can call on 9645789205.

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She is the legend who has sung over 11,000 songs in more than 20 Indian languages, been immortalized on a UK No 1 record, and found a place in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s most prolific recording artist.

Vivacious and versatile, Asha Bhosle is one of India’s most admired and prolific artistes.

Photo Source

Bhonsle’s musical journey over her seven-decade strong career has been extraordinary. The third daughter of renown singer-actor Pandit Dinanath Mangeshkar, she was just 11 when she performed her first song, Chala Chala Nav Bala, for a movie soundtrack in 1943. Blessed with an unparalleled voice, the talented singer never looked back, going on to win a multitude of national and international awards.

Whether it was a classical ghazal like ‘Kisi Nazar Ko Tera Intezar Aaj Bhi Hai‘ or garage rock like ‘Dum Maaro Dum‘, Asha tai (as she is affectionately called) poured her soul into every song she sang. It has been 74 years since, but the magic of her music remains undiminished with the diva constantly reinventing herself through unusual collaborations and experiments. Equally endearing are her signature candour, ready sense of repartee and captivating smile.

With an ever-increasing fan base that transcends the barriers of age, background and borders, Asha Bhosle is an inspiration for musicians not only in India but across the world.

As the evergreen singer turns 84 today, we celebrate her beautiful journey with 8 little-known stories from her life.

1. Famous for her popular cabaret playbacks, she won her first National Award for ghazals.

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By the 80s, Asha Bhosle had the crowds grooving to her wildly peppy cabaret numbers. However, it was her 1981 collaboration with music director Khayyam for Umrao Jaan that led to some of the most memorable songs of her career. She got her first National Award for best female playback singer, thanks to the soul-searing ghazals she sang for Rekha in the period drama.

2. When one of her favourite songs of all times was composed by the Hooghly riverside.

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Once, Aha and her husband (the late music director R.D. Burman) were enjoying a quiet evening by the Hooghly river side. The stars were emerging in the darkening sky, a gentle breeze was blowing, and the boatmen were singing songs as they returned home. The quiet was suddenly broken by an excited exclamation from Burman, “Let’s go, Asha, we’ve found our song!”

That evening by the Hooghly riverside was the inspiration for a tune that would go on to become the hauntingly beautiful ‘Do lafzon kee hai dil ki kahani, ya hai mohabbat, ya hai jawani’ song from the Amitabh Bachchan-Zeenat Aman movie, The Great Gambler.

3. When a James Bond film led to an unforgettable album.

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The year was 1987. Asha had been requesting RD Burman and noted lyricist Gulzar to work on songs for an album she wanted to do with them. However, both of them kept delaying it and finally she gave up.

Then, once, while watching a James Bond film (in which there was a scene where Bond emerges onscreen as a tune plays in the background), Burman suddenly switched off the TV and began working on a few tunes. He then spoke to Gulzar for the album (called Dil Padosi Hai) that would finally released on Asha’s 54th birthday.

4. She found an outlet for her creativity through her unique collaborations.

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Asha Bhosle has collaborated with Boy George, Michael Stipe, the Kronos Quartet, Nelly Furtado and Code Red. This list of amazing collaborations started in the 1980s when Asha came together with Stephen Luscombe (of Blancmange) and Vince Clark to form a group called the West India Company. The record released by this group was an unexpected success and was soon followed by other amazing collaborations such as The Way You Dream (a duet with Michael Stipe).

In 1997, British band Cornershop paid a tribute to Asha with their hit number,’ Brimful of Asha‘. Interestingly, the Black-Eyed Peas’ hit song from 2005, “Don’t Phunk With My Heart,” was based on samples from two different songs by Asha!

5. When she tried her hand at composing and acting.

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Asha Bhosle has never hesitated when it comes to trying something new. Other than experimenting with different genres of music, she has also tried her hand at different roles altogether. In 2002, she composed the music for an original album titled Aap Ki Asha. A decade later, the 79-year-old singer stepped in front of the camera with the Marathi film Mai. A family drama that revolved around children abandoning their aged parents, the film also starred actors Ram Kapoor and Padmini Kolhapure.

6. She was the first Indian singer to be nominated for a Grammy.

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In 1997, Asha Bhosle became the first Indian singer to be nominated for a Grammy. The nomination was for the album Legacy that had 12 beautiful classical numbers in Asha’s mellifluous voice with Ustad Ali Akbar Khan masterful handling of his sarod.

In 2005, she was nominated for the second time for the Grammy awards. This time, the album was a collaboration with Kronos Quartet titled ‘You’ve Stolen My Heart – Songs From R D Burman’s Bollywood‘. The next year, when David Harrington of the Grammy-winning band Kronos Quartet presented Asha Bhosle at New York’s fabled Carnegie Hall, this is what he said:

“It has been like introducing an Indian version of Elvis to a whole new generation.”

7. She won a Filmfare award for a playback song that was never picturised!

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In 1974, Asha Bhosle won the Filmfare Best Singer award for a playback song that was supposed to be used in a movie but ultimately did not figure in the movie at all. The song was ‘Chain se hum ko kabhi aap ne jeene na diyaa‘ and the movie was ‘Pran Jaye Par Vachan Na Jaye‘. Incidentally, this was also the last song Asha sang for O P Nayyar, the music composer who created some of her best songs.

8. A skilled cook herself, she owns several restaurants across the world.

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Besides being a music maestro, Asha Bhosle is a skilled cook. Her family, friends and colleagues in the industry swear by her delicious meals, especially her prawn patties and paya curry.

In fact, prompted by her love of food, Asha has started her restaurants in Dubai, Bahrain, Abu Dhabi,Qatar, Kuwait, and Birmingham and Manchester in UK.  Called Asha’s, the restaurants serve signature dishes inspired by Asha’s childhood and RD Burman’s favourite meals, with the singer’s all-time hits playing in the background.

Also Read: 17 Fascinating Stories About Kishore Kumar That You Probably Didn’t Know

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“I will make harmoniums until my body supports me,” says Tatu Mistri as he looks at the 50-year-old musical instrument he made when he was in his 20s.

Tatu Motiram Mistri is from a village called Madkhol in the Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra. The 76-year-old has been making harmoniums for over half a century.

Today, he makes some of the most beautiful harmoniums despite the lack of an education beyond primary school.

Despite its popularity today, the harmonium had a controversial beginning
In 1842, a French inventor, Alexandre Debain, patented the design for the first harmonium. Also, known as the pump organ, the instrument was brought to India in the late 19th century.

However, its arrival received a cold reception, with notable critics like Tagore calling it the “bane of Indian music”.

Such was the dislike around its sound that the harmonium was banned on the All India Radio for more than three decades. After 1971, the airwaves started to accept its music.

Why did a celebrated musical instrument the world over receive such flak?
Chief among the many criticisms against it was the fixed key intervals of the French harmonium that lacked essential inflexions central to Indian classical music called meend, Andolan, and gamak.

Scholars criticised the fixed key intervals, which lacked microtones. Hindustani classical music is famous for using microtones to great effect. Microtones play a very important role in raga music and give it its trademark complexity.

How did a boy who didn’t even finish school become a master harmonium maker?

It was a chance encounter with a music guru and Tatu’s passion that changed his fortune.

When he was very young, Tatu made chairs and supplemented his income with basic carpentry work for residents in his village.

But little did he realise that he would not be making furniture for long.

On one of his assignments, Tatu was called to a harmonium guru’s house – Sonu Mistri. Although he was called to repair the doors in the house, Mistri asked him to make a harmonium, but Tatu had no training in instrument building at the time.

With his existing knowledge, he made the instrument and went back to Sonu Mistri with the final product. After examining it, Sonu threw the harmonium and yelled at Tatu for making a poor harmonium. However, instead of just admonishing the young carpenter, Sonu took it upon himself to train Tatu in the art of making a harmonium.

Fifty years on, this talented craftsman says he takes 20 days to make a single harmonium. It’s also backbreaking work as he puts in more than 12 hours a day to achieve the result. He sticks to the conventional techniques of harmonium making, i.e., he does not rely on machines.

So, how much does he manage to sell the instrument for? Rs 20,000. People from Goa, Malvan, Konkan, Kolhapur and Vengurla are usually where his customers come from.

Tatu makes both the versions of a harmonium; one played while seated on the ground and the other where the legs pump the bellows.

From harsh criticised to being widely used, how did the harmonium find a place in Indian music?
Performers of the instrument kept developing reforming techniques to make it adaptable with Indian classical music.

By 1875, Dwarkanath Ghose, an instrument maker from Calcutta started manufacturing a modified version of French harmonium for its use in the Hindustani classical music. This model could be played while seated on the floor. Ghose played a crucial role in modifying the internal design and made it more durable and cheaper. In the modified harmonium, one hand worked on the bellows and the other on the notes, unlike the Western form where both hands played the harmonium and the feet worked on bellows.

In his book, The Harmonium Handbook: Owning, Playing, and Maintaining the Devotional Instrument of India, Satyaki Kraig Brockschmidt mentions that Ghose added drone steps to harmonium for its use in the accompanying classical music. With the Dwarkanath model soaring up in production, Europe witnessed a fall in its production and India began making the harmonium models inspired by Dwarkanath model of Ghose. Matt Rahaim further mentions in his research paper that by 1913, India became the richest market in the world for harmoniums.

Arthur Hume in his book Harmonium, the History of the Reed Organ and Its Makers writes that the 1913 keyboard trade journal mentioned that the French harmonium which was used in the Indian classical music was sold for Rs 140. It was increasingly used in Indian classical music, for several accompaniments of musical dramas, for churches and missionaries in the field. There have been several experiments done on the scale changing technology and reed tunings.

However, the Dwarkanath model known for its hand pumped style and drone steps remains the dominant type in India.

Kedar Naphade, a veteran harmonium player, writes,
“With its melodiousness, excellent air volume and sheer softness of tone a high calibre H.P. Bhagat harmonium seem to have an uncanny, almost magical ability. It’s as though the harmonium itself inspires the artist who caresses its notes into falling in love with the instrument all over again and rendering a soulful performance.”

Today, Tatu looks back at his 50 years of experience and is vehement against using machines. He says, “There is arithmetic behind the magic which a harmonium produces, and this magic can only be created when they are completely hand-crafted.”

                                 The 50-year old harmonium made by Tatu Mistri

About the author: Sanket Jain is a rural reporter, PARI volunteer and Founder of Bastiyon Ka Paigam. He is passionate about listening and understanding the everyday lives of everyday people. He is often found in rural areas covering stories of abject poverty.

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Recently, Jimikki Kammal, a peppy song from Malayalam movie ‘Velipadinte Pusthakam‘, became an Internet sensation after it found a fan in American chat show host, Jimmy Kimmel. A Twitter user tweeted the a viral video of the song to Kimmel, asking if he had heard it. To the Twitterati’s surprise, Kimmel soon responded, saying that “he loves the song”, following which the already-popular song went viral on social media.

Today, the incredibly catchy tune has clocked millions of views on YouTube, making it the most watched Malayalam song ever. Estonians are singing along to it and Russians are dancing to its beats, though they have no idea what the words mean.

Video: Russians fan perform to Jimikki Kammal

However, this isn’t the first song from India to have become a global hit. Several Indians songs have crossed the barriers of language, region and country to stamped their musical influence in foreign nations. People didn’t know who the composer or the lyricist was, or in some cases, even which film or album these songs were from. But this didn’t stop these records from taking the world by storm.

Here are 7 Indian songs that went viral across the globe before ‘going viral’ was a thing!

1. Awara Hun

Video: The original song

Video: The song being sung in Uzbekistan

It is fairly well known that Raj Kapoor enjoyed wild adulation in the Soviet Union in the 1960s. His film Awaara – dubbed in Russian and released as Brodiaga – left the Russians besotted. The first Hindi film to be successful in the country, Awaara’s title song became a huge rage, even being played at official banquets. In fact when Raj Kapoor went to Moscow for a special screening of the movie, his car (that was parked outside the theatre) never left the curb. The massive crowd of fans simply picked the car up (with the actor in it) and carried it off!

2. Mundian To Bach Ke

Video: The original song

Video: Foreign fans dancing to the song

In 2002, Panjabi MC jammed cross-cultural airwaves with their song “­Mundian To Bach Ke“ that went on to become a breakout international smash hit the top 20 in at least 15 countries. Sung in Punjabi, the fusion hip-hop groove went on to sell an estimated 10 million copies worldwide. The record also reached the number one spot in Italy and Belgium, and number two spot in Germany (where it sold over 100,000 units in two days!).

3. I Am A Disco Dancer

Video: The original song

Video: A Russian fan performing to the song

Released in 1982, the movie ‘Disco Dancer’ rocked the popularity charts at home and across the Soviet Union. Throughout the 80s, the dance halls at Russian summer resorts resounded with the beats of ‘I Am a Disco Dancer’, instantly transforming Mithun into one of the most loved next-gen Indian actors in the country.

Here’s an interesting anecdote from those days: When Mikhail Gorbachev visited India, Rajiv Gandhi introduced him to Amitabh Bachchan as India’s greatest superstar. It is believed that Gorbachev’s reply was that his wife only knew Raj Kapoor and his daughter only knew Mithun Chakraborty!

4. Tunak Tunak Tun

Video: The original song

Video: Foreign fans dancing to the song

Most songs fade from public memory in no time, while few manage to stay a little longer on their minds. Then there are those iconic ones that go on to build a cult following for themselves. Daler Mehndi’s 1998 song ‘Tunak Tunak Tun’ is one of these.

From Germany to Korea, the song became a rage among youngsters across the world after its release in the late 1990s. Mehndi’s iconic Bhangra steps in the video were also practised and replicated by these ardent fans. Recently, martial arts expert and megastar Jackie Chan shook a leg to Mehndi’s tunes at the 17th Shanghai Film Festival (the video went viral in no time).

5. Ichak dana Bichak Dana

Video: The original song

Many an Indian visitor to Jerusalem has been pleasantly surprised to find an Israeli shopkeeper singing “Ichak dana bichak dana” (from the film ‘Shree 420‘) while strolling through the city’s ancient streets. Much of the credit for this song’s immense popularity in Israel go to the deep admiration Raj Kapoor (who featured in this song) evoked among the Russian immigrants of the city.

6. Oruvan Oruvan Mudhalali

Video: The original song

Video: Japanese fans performing the song

The 1995 Tamil drama ‘Muthu‘ was the film that fetched megastar Rajinikanth the enduring title of ‘Dancing Maharaja’ among the people of Japan. The song “Oruvan oruvan mudhalali” and its positive message clicked with young audience of Japan and quickly became a rage. The immense popularity of the movie (it completed a 182-day run and grossed over 200 million yen at the box office) was also mentioned by Indian PM Manmohan Singh in his speech when he visited Japan in 2006.

7. Why This Kolaveri Di

Video: The original song

Video: The Gyas rowing team from Groningen (in Netherlands) pay a tribute to the song

Released in 200, the song “Kolaveri Di” became an instant hit and was the most searched video on Youtube by November 2011. Despite being a slow-beat track, the song’s catchy colloquial lyrics and amazingly groovy rendition (by Dhanush) also ensured that it became a global rage overnight, quickly garnering more than 125 million views (the first Indian song to reach this coveted mark). Voted the Top Song by CNN in 2012, Kolaveri Di also stood third in the global music list giving a tough time to Lady Gaga.

You May Like: 8 Talented Foreigners Who Are So Good at Indian Classical Music They Would Put Many of Us to Shame!

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Chennai adds another feather to its hat with its inclusion in UNESCO’s list of Creative Cities for its unparalleled contribution in the field of music.

While the city has always showcased cultural proclivity and is referred as the Carnatic capital of the country, the recognition by the United Nations’ cultural body is an achievement that should make India proud.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the lead in congratulating the Chennai folks.

Congratulations to the people of Chennai on the city’s inclusion in the @UNESCO Creative Cities Network for its rich musical tradition. Chennai’s contribution to our rich culture is precious. This is a proud moment for India: PM @narendramodi

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) November 8, 2017

64 cities from 44 countries have been designated as UNESCO Creative Cities by the UN Scientific and Cultural Organisations Director-General, Irina Bokova. The international organisation aims to foster innovation and creativity as key drivers for a more sustainable and inclusive urban development.

“These new designations showcase an enhanced diversity in city profiles and geographical balance, with 19 cities from countries not previously represented in the Network,” the Director-General said in an official statement.

Apart from Chennai, Varanasi and Jaipur have also been featured in the Creative Cities’ list.

Instated in 2004, the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) comprises 116 Members from 54 countries at present and covers seven creative fields—crafts and folk art, design, film, gastronomy, literature, music and media arts. A total of 180 cities from 72 countries are now part of this network.

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“While differing geographically, demographically or economically, all Creative Cities commit to develop and exchange innovative best practices to promote creative industries, strengthen participation in cultural life, and integrate culture into sustainable urban development policies,” a statement on UNESCO’s website said.

Chennai’s inclusion comes right at a time as the city gears itself up for the Margazhi season, during which music festivals are hosted across the city, inviting thousands of singers and musicians from across the world.

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Born on 6 February 1993, Ashwin Maharaj Ramasubramaniam was an enthusiastic sportsman, social-worker and budding lawyer. From the very beginning, he was actively involved in the upliftment of weaker sections of society.

While he was a student at the Jindal Global Law School in Sonipat, Haryana, he started something called “Sports for Development”. This involved using football as a means to help orphaned children learn. Ashwin noticed that these children were usually remorseful and bore a feeling of ill-will, no doubt due to their living circumstances.

After playing football, however, they were noticeably happier and more receptive to value-education.

During his internship in Mumbai, Ashwin was instrumental in filing a Public Interest Litigation on behalf of 350 less-privileged students who were about to lose their access to education due to a lack of funding.

During college, Ashwin had another objective. He wanted to spread legal awareness amongst the rural populace. He wanted to do this through animation, short video films and cartoons.

Rural people, he noticed, weren’t very well educated. They weren’t aware of their own legal rights. Recently, the Union Law Minister made an announcement to all law colleges, imploring students to make short films to increase the legal awareness among rural people.

Tragically, Ashwin was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia in 2015. The initial procedures for his treatment began in Chennai, after which he went to San Diego for further treatment. During his time in California, Ashwin started receiving music therapy as a part of treatment.

He loved music, and the therapy immensely benefitted him, helping him to cope with the pain and nausea and facilitating better sleep.

After obtaining a perfect match and undergoing a stem-cell transplant, Ashwin and his family began to hope for the best.

Unfortunately, Ashwin passed away, but before doing so, he conceptualised and started implementing his vision.

Ashwin’s dream was also to help spread awareness about stem-cell donation, promote legal awareness for the common man and to help other cancer patients in rehabilitation through music therapy and meditation.

In his memory, the Ashwin Maharaj Foundation was started in December 2015. The Foundation, through its work, aims to keep Ashwin’s legacy and dream alive. Cancer is a debilitating disease, and patients who don’t have adequate access to proper healthcare infrastructure have a tough time with treatment.

The Foundation aims to ease the life of cancer patients across the country, by infusing music therapy in their course of treatment and providing supplementary nutrition to them via protein-powder packets.

The music therapy sessions began twice a week at the Adyar Cancer Institute in Chennai.

Day-care chemotherapy patients received the high-protein health powder. With ingredients like almond, flaxseed, horse gram and others, this special recipe, provided by Dr V Shanta, Chairperson of the Adyar Cancer Institute, is very light on the stomach and loaded with essential nutrients. It costs around Rs 250 to take care of the supplementary nutritional requirements of one cancer patient, per month.

The music therapy is conducted by the foundation in conjunction with a group of dedicated volunteers. The sessions are beneficial for patients when clubbed together with other forms of cancer treatment.

Music therapy has been found to reduce pain and discomfort, improve mood and diminish stress while improving the quality of life of the patient.

Music therapy isn’t a cure by itself, but heals the patient physically, mentally and emotionally. During the music therapy sessions conducted at the hospitals, soothing instruments are played and volunteers sing.

Volunteers spend time performing in front of patients in the hospital wards. The music sessions have a positive effect, as patients always seem relaxed and happy, and make song requests occasionally as well.

The music is soothing and mellifluous, and the performers and the audience both enjoy the time music therapy. The volunteers are mostly college students, and Ashwin’s mother praises the student volunteer-musicians, mentioning that they are committed to the cause, enthusiastic and don’t have hidden motives.

AIIMS has been working with the Ashwin Maharaj Foundation, and patients there have been receiving music therapy for the past 15 months. The Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital has been receiving the protein mix every month.

The foundation is also working closely with the Kidwai Institute of Oncology, providing music therapy for both children and adults, and distributing the protein powder.

Other notable hospitals that the foundation is involved with, include the Gujarat Cancer Research Institute Ahmedabad, the CMCH institute in Coimbatore, JIPMER Pondicherry, and the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital in Chennai.

The Ashwin Maharaj Foundation is also associated with the Jeevan Bone Marrow registry in Chennai, with an aim to create awareness about bone-marrow transplant. Patient rehabilitation through music therapy and distribution of nutritional packets is their primary objective.

Speaking about stem-cell donation, Ashwin’s father mentions that awareness needs to be created amongst the population.

Ashwin wished for more awareness about stem-cell donation in India, and the foundation has been instrumental in proliferating this cause through the country.

The foundation has been recognised under Section 80G of the Income Tax Act. Donations to the trust are exempt from tax.

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The Foundation is looking to partner with more corporates, under CSR, so the health drink can be manufactured on a larger scale. Here’s hoping the Ashwin Maharaj Foundation succeeds in making the lives of those battling cancer easier and happier.

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The folks at ‘Let’s Be The Change’ NGO in Bengaluru call themselves a bridge connection between the BBMP and the average citizen. The city is infamous for its recurring black spots, often ignored by the locals.

However, the NGO has vowed to fix that through their regular ‘spot fixes’, where they beautify the black spots in Bengaluru by painting them and installing benches. In their mission, they involve residents as well as the BBMP to rid the city of its dirt.

The NGO was started by Anirudh Dutt in 2013, and has successfully organised hundreds of cleanliness drives, awareness programmes and regular spot fixes.

In the past, the NGO’s young volunteers have often attended Benguluru-based Indian fusion band Swarathma’s shows whenever they’ve performed in the city. While interacting with them after their show, the band members found out about what the NGO does and the two decided to collaborate in some way.

Swarathma has often performed at places one wouldn’t expect to see a live music show. From blind schools, alzheimer’s centers to small villages, the members feel their most memorable gigs have come from playing at such places.

So, when the NGO planned a cleanliness drive last month, along came a great opportunity for the band to appreciate the people who were doing so much for the city. Every member of Let’s Be The Change had decided to clean 70 black spots in Bengaluru.

The band created a mobile stage so they could travel from one spot to another, encouraging the volunteers through their music.

“Performing for them was a very special moment for us. Residents, volunteers and municipal workers came together for a cause and we felt great to have contributed to that cause through our music,” Jishnu Dasgupta, bassist of Swarathma, told The Better India.

The band released a zestful video of their ‘musical cleanathon’ in the streets of Bengaluru, where they can be seen lifting the spirits of the volunteers as they beautify the city.

Jishnu and the bandmates want to keep doing this in the future and be able to make music a part of the cause, which they say is much more fulfilling than performing at festivals or pubs.

You can watch the video here:

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“During the day I worked as a banker, only to keep my passion for playing the harmonium alive,” says 71-year-old Tukaram Bugad, a passionate harmonium player and a former banker.

Tukaram grew up listening to devotional music—his family used to host weekly bhajan sessions—and started to learn music at the age of 12. Even though he understood that finding a job was of paramount importance, the reality did not deter him from his journey.

Tukaram completed his an undergraduate degree in commerce (B.Com) and started to work as a typist in the People’s Co-operative Bank in Ichalkaranji town of Kolhapur district in 1969. “Back then there were no fixed criteria for such jobs at the bank. They would hire any graduate,” he says.

However, Tukaram knew that had to make his ends meet because surviving as an artist wasn’t a feasible option.

He would work from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and use the rest of his time for his practice sessions. After returning from work, he would practise the harmonium for at least six hours, and go on till late in the night. This became a daily exercise, but he refused to stop practising and received ample support from his family. In his 40 years of service at the bank, he stuck to this routine and despite the heavy workload and continuous training sessions. While working at the bank, he also went on to complete his diploma in Commerce and Auditing which took him about two years.

In 1965, Pandit Dattatray Vishnu Kanebua, a renowned classical musician came to Ichalkaranji where he watched a performance of Tukaram playing the harmonium. He decided to train Tukaram and taught him for 12 years. Tukaram credits Kanebua for his transformation from an amateur musician to an expert in the art form.

He truly believes that their meeting was not a coincidence; it was a product of the hard work and the hours he had put in the art form.

Entering the world of music wasn’t an easy task for Tukaram. The harmonium was banned from 1940 to 1971 by All India Radio (AIR) as it was considered un-Indian. Tukaram says, “There was no scope for harmonium during those times. People preferred the sarangi because of the false notion that the harmonium lacks melody. Time changes so fast. Today, nobody sings without the harmonium,” he adds. Tukaram started performing at AIR, Sangli district and continues to do so till date.

Also Read: With Degrees in Law and Engineering, This Pune Couple Is Making Classical Music Fun for Kids

Back in the 1980s, he was paid ₹25 for a performance that lasted 2-3 hours. “My masters always used to tell me that not every artist earns enough money for his survival, and you have to face that reality,” says Tukaram. Coming to terms with this reality wasn’t an easy option for Tukaram, but he fought back by training himself in the art-form and also keeping the family financially stable.

Tukaram has performed with renowned Thumri vocalist Pandit Vasantrao Deshpande, Gajananbua Joshi, Yashwantbua Joshi, Kishori Amankar, Ashwini Bhide, and Arti Ankalkar. At times, when the performance timings would clash with his working hours, he would take a leave of absence and carry on with the performance.

Tukaram has performed in many cities including Pune, Mumbai, Goa, and Kolhapur. People began to address him as Anna, and he is popularly known by the name Anna Bugad today.

“You have to play music with the instrument and not let the instrument command your music,” says Tukaram.

(Written by Sanket Jain)

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“Even though I have lost more than 90 percent of my eyesight, no can stop me from pursuing my passion of playing the flute,” says 75-year-old Ashok Sangle, who belongs to the Ichalkaranji town in Kolhapur district, plays the flute and mouth organ, and is an artist as well.

Ashok has faced a lot of hardship during the course of his life, but his relentless passion for playing the flute has kept him going.

Ashok quit studies after Class 10, because of weak eyesight. To make ends meet, he decided to set up a small electronics shop. However, he also realised that he wanted to continue playing the flute. He worked it into his schedule and began to practice for at least 7 hours on a daily basis. The strenuous work hours didn’t bother Ashok because that was something he wanted to do.’

Also read: For Fifty Years, This Master has Been Filling the World With Harmoniums

His passion for playing the flute started in school. “I used to play the bugle in the school band,” recalls Ashok. However, he never imagined the hardships he would face on this path. In 1990, he underwent a cataract operation, and in 1994, his right eye was damaged owing to a nerve choke-up.

Slowly, Ashok’s vision started diminishing, and post-2012, he began losing his eyesight at a rapid rate which eventually made him 90 percent visually impaired.

However, Ashok refused to give up and eventually went on to perform at the local level. He credits his father, Gajanan Sutar, for helping him pursue his passion. “My father was a harmonium player, and the weekly Bhajans in the house opened up the world of music for me. Later, Rajendra Kulkarni—a well-known flute player from Belgaum came to Ichalkaranji in 1995. That was when I met him first, and he decided to teach me how to play the flute. I am proud of the fact that I was his first student here in Ichalkaranji,” he adds.

Apart from the flute, Ashok also plays the mouth organ player, and when he was in his 20s, Dilroop Swami taught him how to play the Sitar. Ashok can even sketch—some of his sketches date back to 1960s.

“I am passionate about the Arts, and hence, you will find me doing many things like playing flute or sketching,” he says.

The flute remains his first love. “Based on the calibration and a few other parameters, flutes can be classified into various types. I prefer the large flute which is known as Pandhari 3 in Marathi,” he says.

While his journey has had several disastrous moments and transitions, Ashok never gave up. “I never felt like quitting in the middle of such disasters. I will play the flute forever and encourage everyone to do what they feel strongly about because nothing fuels the spirit like the passion,” advises Ashok as he resumes playing the flute.

(Written by Sanket Jain)

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Every year, artists gather in Chennai for the Urur Olcott Kuppam Vizha, a festival which celebrates art forms. The performers are constantly reinventing ways in which they can connect with the audience. This year, they decided to perform in a place which was a little off the beaten track.

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Dancers, musicians, and comedians all took to a moving bus, surprising passengers and delighting them with a live performance! It was art, on the move. For more on the performance, and how the festival came to be, watch the video below!

Featured image courtesy: Facebook

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