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Journalism of Courage
Neela Bhagwat and Shruti Sadolikar-Katkar, have very little in common. The former is a feminist who sees her music as a medium for establishing an alternative culture8217;. The latter looks at music as a spiritual experience. While Bhagwat is a student of the Gwalior gharana8217;s great stalwart Sharatchandra Arolkar, Sadolikar-Katkar has been groomed by her illustrious father, Wamanrao Sadolikar, in the Jaipur gharana tradition. But as these two women come together on a single platform for the Wamanrao Sadolikar memorial concert this Monday, their differences, in background and approach, melt and merge 8212; what remains is the divinity of their musical traditions and their passion for the art.
After exploring several art forms, including literature and dance, Bhagwat decided that music was her muse. She started training in 1969 and for the next eight years spent two hours with her guru each day, learning the nuances of Gwalior gayaki. quot;For me, any art form is a medium and language of self-expression. Ibelieve in relating to society through my art 8212; it cannot exist in isolation. The bandishes that I have composed speak of the experiences of a modern individual, particularly women,quot; she says.
She was drawn to Gwalior gayaki because of its emphasis on words as well as melody. quot;It is known as bol alaap where the bol is musicalised. And the entire composition has its own lines and designs 8212; it is a space-time relationship,quot; she says.
And her quest for a secular culture drew her to Kabir8217;s poetry. quot;I was trying to redefine the culture that I was learning. And in Kabir I found a poet who was an atheist, but spoke of spiritualism,quot; she says. Her obsession with Kabir8217;s poetry grew and she started setting his words to tune. quot;I find his work very relevant today 8212; he is secular but cannot really be categorised. It is the subtle feeling of life, music, art, beauty and conflicts in Kabir8217;s poetry that I have been trying to relate to and put forth through my music,quot; she says.
Bhagwat,along with a few others, started the Khayal Trust to conduct educational activities in music. The first exercise they undertook was a sitar lec-dem by Abdul Halim Jaffar Khan in 1990. quot;But we also look into other art forms 8212; we had poetry recitals, film screenings, a lec-dem on painting by Gieve Patel and theatre workshops. After my guru passed away in 1994, we started a festival on his classification of the ragaas,quot; she says.
Unlike Bhagwat, Sadolikar-Katkar was born into a musical family. In fact, she cannot recall the exact moment when she started singing. quot;The first full-fledged song I sang was Naahi mee bolat naatha8217; from the play Manapaman at the age of one and a half,quot; she says.
But her formal training began at the age of five under her father, and later with Gulubhai Jasdanwala and Ustad Azizuddin Khan. quot;I am lucky to have parents who had a spiritual grooming. Everything my father did was motivated by the spiritual. He related this to us through his music,quot;she says.
And asher father initiated her in his musical tradition, he also trained her to become a guru. Sadolikar-Katkar has been teaching music for the last 40 years. quot;My father would be away for concerts and tours 8212; he was actively involved with theatre 8212; and he would allot the younger batch of students to me,quot; she recalls.
And this learning was reciprocated and rejuvenated. quot;Being a student and teacher at the same time helped me clear my basics. Teaching widens your perspective and broadens your world view 8212; it is far easier to be a student and continue making mistakes. But if my student sings one wrong note, I am responsible for it,quot; she says.
After her father8217;s death in 1991, Sadolikar-Katkar decided to form a foundation in his name, to keep his music alive. quot;He had trained under great masters like Alladiya Khan Saheb, Bhurji Khan Saheb and Pandit Paluskar and taught well-known artistes like Lata Mangeshkar, C Ramchandra and Ram Marathe. But he didn8217;t have the two indicators of success to his name 8212; records andawards. For him, I was his greatest achievement. He used to say, quot;When you try to create8217; one artist you will realise how difficult it is,quot; she says.
Apart from conducting various programmes and educational activities undertaken by her foundation, Sadolikar-Katkar is also trying to trace the historical influences on Jaipur gayaki. quot;The Pushtimargya sangeet and Vaishnav sangeet of the 14th and 15th century, which was practised by generations of musicians from Vallabhacharya8217;s fold, have made a deep impact on Jaipur raagdari and bandishes. I had several unanswered questions about these strains and decided to trace the roots of this tradition,quot; she says.
And as the two women come together to share their distinctive styles, they also mark the coming together of two of the richest gharanas from the treasure-trove of Hindustani classical music.
