‘Senior musicians are not promoting the next generation,’ says violinist Kala Ramnath in the book The Call of Music

Priya Purushothamam’s latest publication is simply a slim yet engaging postulation of vignettes connected 8 surviving musicians who person shaped her creator journey. At 270 pages, it is simply a brisk work — accessible to newcomers to Indian classical euphony and rewarding for connoisseurs alike. Though released past year, immoderate publication connected euphony is simply a invited addition, particularly since truthful fewer are written connected the art.

Priya’s prime of artistes is eclectic — from the U.S.-based sarod exponent Alam Khan to the Mumbai-based elder vocalist, Shubhada Paradkar. It besides includes acclaimed musicians specified arsenic Yogesh Samsi (tabla artiste from the Punjab gharana) and violinist Kala Ramnath to the lesser-known similar Rumi Harish and Suhail Yusuf Khan. Says Priya, “I chose to see a spectrum of artistes... what a young artiste whitethorn deficiency successful experience, they whitethorn compensate for successful freshness of perspective. Wisdom is not a relation of clip but of extent of acquisition and capableness for reflection.”

Each effort follows the aforesaid format — an instauration of the musician, their journey, and moving connected to a much idiosyncratic perspective. Alam Khan, the inheritor of a large bequest was brought up successful the US, influenced by galore philharmonic streams. For him contented tin beryllium a handicap. “I consciousness it doesn’t springiness maine capable originative freedom. But, I emotion Indian classical music. My guiding light. I takes you done the acquisition and past resolves itself,” helium shares.

The section connected Shubhada focusses connected the challenges faced by a homemaker and a singer, which Priya recovered inspirational.   

Two elaborate chapters are dedicated to Priya’s guru, Sudhindra Bhaumik, wherever helium discusses the challenges helium faced. The crux of his communicative is that not each singers get to beryllium performers, but what matters is the travel of euphony and however it tin alteration the existent person of music.

Violinist Kala Ramnath is presented done a feminist lens — touching upon topics specified arsenic sex favoritism and adjacent determination favoritism (she is simply a South Indian playing the North Indian style). She boldly states that elder musicians “are not promoting the adjacent generation,” adding: “you go a large sanction successful your state lone erstwhile the West recognises you.”

Trans-man and vocalist, Rumi Harish, trained successful the Agra gharana, talks astir mislaid opportunities aft his sex transformation. What sustained him done his hard travel were the words of his archetypal guru Ramarao — “You should beryllium capable to sing thing anyplace astatine immoderate constituent of time. It’s casual to sing for radical with afloat stomachs (well-informed). Sing for those who are yearning to know.” As performance opportunities were few, helium turned to euphony creation for theatre. He besides says: “I don’t spot immoderate quality betwixt activism and music. My philharmonic choices are not patriarchal oregon bhakti-based. That’s wherefore I consciousness singing has to beryllium political.”

Suhail Sabri Khan’s communicative is linked with the sarangi, He belongs to a hereditary household of musicians. Interestingly, overmuch of his euphony is imbibed done the women successful his family. Though not formally trained, they were repositories of knowledge, knowing hundreds of ‘marsiyas’ (laments sung successful representation of the Prophet’s grandson Husain ibn Ali) acceptable to ragas.  Realising the limitations of being an accompanist, Suhail, based successful the U.S., ventured into collaborative euphony and scholarship.

The effort connected Shubha Joshi — thumri and ghazal vocalist based successful Mumbai — again highlights the hard travel of a non-gharanedar instrumentalist successful acquiring and processing philharmonic knowledge. Learning from Ustad Taj Ahmed Khan (ghazal composer) often meant waiting for much past 2 hours to learn.

The past effort is astir the Mumbai-based Punjab gharana tabla exponent Yogesh Samsi. He is the author’s guru. Yogesh’s travel with Ustad Alla Rakha is well-known. What is not known overmuch is his caller grooming nether Sushil Jain from Punjab. Though not a performer, Sushil is simply a repository of accusation of overmuch of what was mislaid successful the tabla baaj of the Punjab gharana, which lone a masterly practitioner specified arsenic Yogesh could decipher and imbibe.  

Beyond narrating the lives of these musicians, The Call of Music highlights what makes each communicative unique, and that is what sets the publication apart.