 Magic
at his fingertips
The Asian Age, 26 July 2000,
(Exclusive Interview)
The accolades keep
pouring in but the young man in the traditional Indian
kurta pyjama seems as unperturbed as ever. He merely
keeps doing what he knows best, that is, working magic
on his string instruments. Meet Avijit Ghosh, a sarode
player par excellence.
"I want to
share the enormous wealth of Indian classical music
with people and be the torchbearer of my gharana, Maihar,"
he claims.
Not a tall order
for the young man, who, in his mid-20s, has already
etched out a name for himself in the music circuit.
Born on November
30, 1974 into a well-known musical family of Kolkata,
Avijit showed an inclination towards music from an early
age. During his college days however, he was more into
western music. "My love of western music perpetrated
into a passion for Indian classical music under the
influence of my maternal uncle, pandit Ranjan Ganguly,
a well-known sitarist of Mumbai," he says. He started
learning classical guitar at the tender age of 12 for
about three years.
His taalim in
sarode began in 1990 when he started taking lessons
from the late professor Dhyanesh Khan, son of the legendary
sarode maestro Uslad Ali Akbar Khan Sahib of the Maihar
Senia gharana.
At present a student
of Ustad Aashish Khan and his sister Sm. Ameena Perera,
he is also taking taalim from pandit Deepak Chowdhury
and pandit Tejendra Narayan Mazumdar. "The sheer
vastness of Indian classical music never ceases to amaze
me. There is so much to learn," he says.
But the quest
for knowledge is not an arduous task for those who have
the talent. Avijit has been an outstanding student of
music all through.
He secured first
position in the All India Radio music competition in
1996, obtaining the President's gold medal.
Now he is a final
year student of instrumental music at the Rabindra Bharati
University, having stood first class first in the pre-degree
examinations, A regular artist of All India Radio, his
career boasts of a number of sarode recitations. He
has performed at Medha, Dover Lane music conference
and the Haldia music circle, to name a few. "A
lot of youngsters come to my shows," he says.
In an era dominated
by the Michael Jacksons and Celine Dions, Avijit feels
that "what people like is melody. Any presentation
which is aurally pleasing appeals to everyone. That’s
why, the music that emanates from my sarode is so much
loved and appreciated by the masses."
But behind the
classic keys and notes, lies hard labour. "To achieve
perfection, you have to put in a lot of effort. I practice
everyday for about five to six hours. The idea is to
be truthful to yourself and your instrument. Discipline
ensures success," he says. Add to that his reverence
for his chosen field and you have a combination which
is perfect. "I take my pursuit of music as a form
of worship. It's a spiritual approach."
Avijit draws inspiration
from his parents, who have always supported his musical
bent, and his wife, Gargi Ghosh, herself a student of
pandit Ajay Chakraborty. "Ours is a musical family.
Everyone understands and loves good music,'' he says.
But not all in the audience appreciate high quality
instrumental presentations. "Before the performance
you have to estimate the audience's preferences. Laymen
often enjoy the music without understanding the intricacies
of craftsmanship," he says. And do they love his
music! The repeated requests for encores at all his
shows arc ample proof of the fact.
|
That's
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