“I dedicate my performance at Tansen Samaroh to Zakir Hussain,” says Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty

 

It was well past midnight, 1.30 am to be precise, and even amidst the fog and biting cold of December 2024, the music lovers of Gwalior continued to listen to the singing of renowned vocalist and composer, Padma Bhushan Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty. He dedicated his performance at the 100^th edition of the Tansen Sangeet Samaroh 2024 at Gwalior to Ustaad Zakir Hussain with whom he says he has done hundreds of concerts

Namrata Kohli caught up with Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty, on the sidelines of the event

• You were very close to Zakir Hussain. Can you please share an anecdote or something about him that gives an insight into his personality?
  
  I will not waste time on saying how big a musician he was. He was a household name    and even a child was familiar with his name. He had managed to enter people’s hearts. In a hundred years, only one Zakir Hussain is born. 
  I have known him for the last 45 years and got introduced to him through his father Ustad Alla Rakha, also his guru as well as mine as I was an ardent student of tabla as well. I have been to the US thirty-seven times but the first time I went there, it was Zakir bhai who came to pick us from the airport. He drove us and also performed with us across all the six concerts. Amongst vocalists, I would say the amount he has played with us I don’t think he has played that much with anyone yet.
  He had immense guru bhakti and whichever city in the world he went to, he would always bow down to all the music legends there, meet and learn from them and absorb the best from the bestest. 
  He was the one who popularized solo vadan and introduced the right kind of fusion music by collaborating with international artists. 
  It’s not possible to believe he is not there. It’s a great loss for our country. My daughter Kaushiki has gone to the US for the last rites.
  
  
  
  
  
  
                     Padma Bhushan Hindustani Classical Vocalist Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty
  
  
• You mentioned guru bhakti and like guru shishya Parampara. Like that, there are many unique aspects of Indian classical music. Even though globally there are so many good composers and genres, what remains so special about Indian classical music?
  I feel it should not be called Indian classical music or shastriya sangeet but raga sangeet. Shastriya sangeet gives the impression that its music which comes from shastras whereas this music is derived from the heart and the mind. Eg the greatest of the great musicians Tansen ji invented the Raag Darbari. It was not derived from shastra. So, it should be called raga music.
  Raga music is the highest form of music. Everywhere whether it's Germany or China, you find there are 12 frequencies or 12 notes but the detailing of the intermediate frequencies that go from one swar to the other is not so nuanced as it in raga music of India. You will only find this fine detailing here. Contribution of Indian music is simply unparalleled in the whole world because this kind of frequency, registration, understanding, and presentation is not there anywhere in the world. It is our stupidity and lack of capability that we could not prove this. People are only thinking of money, money, money. However, money does not bring peace of mind, love, or trust. Music teaches you values, humanity, samarpan or devotion, sacrifice and many things integral to life.
  
  
• You come from Patiala gharana. What is so special about it? 
  Gharana is not the ultimate goal. It is a confinement, even though Gharana means uniqueness too. But raga is not born out of a gharana. It is born out of time, social condition, and individual contribution. In my view, we need to rise above being part of this gharana or that, and consolidate the goodness of all gharanas to enrich the quality and value of Indian music.
  
  
• You have even called raga music the greatest form of yoga which spiritually elevates humans. What is your message to parents bringing up the next generation of citizens? 
  Music is not a technique or entertainment. It’s a part of being. The guardians should start with just making it possible for their children to hear good music, smell good music, and eat good music. If they can give exposure to good artists and good music, and if kids are raised with good music, it will stay in their heart for a long time to come. I teach more than 1,000 children (from class 6 and 12) in my school ‘Shruti Nandan’ where I don’t charge a single penny. This is my sewa. In today’s times, children crave for unconditional love, trust, character, understanding – those things are missing. And music has the power to spiritually elevate human beings.