Singing strings

Pune is not new to this exponent of Indian classical music. Her music,often known as the ‘Singing Violin’,has reached out to the city during Sawai Gandharwa Festivals. Plus,she has conducted workshops here for students,who still ask her for guidance. “Pune is the centre of classical music. 50 or 70 thousand people attend Sawai and the beauty of music is well-appreciated here,” she says.

Rajam’s music is unique; she introduced the ‘Khayali Gayaki Ang’ on the violin. It’s almost as though her fingers enchant the instrument. “The technique is such that when the instrument is played,it sounds as though someone is singing. It has been propagated by my family,” says the woman who began playing the violin at the age of three.

Learning how to play Hindustani classical music on the western instrument was never a difficult task for her. One,because the violin has been in her family for seven generations,and two,because she was extremely dedicated. “How easy or difficult something is depends entirely on your commitment and passion. If you have the right training and the right guru and if you’re ready to put in sufficient amount of practice,then everything is easy. I was lucky to train under the Late Pandit Omkarnath Thakur,” she says.

Rajam headed the faculty of performing arts at the Banaras Hindu University for 40 years,from 1959-1998. “I have done a lot of research and contributed greatly towards the improvement of the violin in India,” she says. She has performed all over India and has even taken her skills abroad. “And though I am not connected to any university right now,I still teach a selected few who are really devoted to music,” she says.

Apart from the many felicitations and awards,Rajam’s prized moments are when she performs along with her daughter Sangeeta Shankar and granddaughters Ragini and Nandini Shankar. They have been trained in Hindustani classical music on the violin under the expert guidance of Rajam. “They play so well and are lauded by music enthusiasts,” she smiles.