I am born to sing. I am destined to become a musician. I didn't dream of becoming a singer, god made all the way for me to learn and accomplish in the field of music. My journey of achieving in music went straight without deviations only because I was destined to become a musician. Music never said no to me. It always accepted me in its own way.
- Sangeeta katti kulkarni My honored life was more greatly honored after an auspicious interactive talk with this musical legend despite, in the era of commercialized music. The godliness in the path you choose to walk in, the stream you choose to excel in, was invoked by this eminent lady. She is known for her simplicity, humbleness, down to earth and non egoistic attitude, quick learning ability and working without expectations are the ones which have made her stand firm even till today after her 40 years of solid contribution and renowned work she has done in the field of music. Music is in me and I am in music is the mantra that has made her stay tall till date.
It is impossible to see myself isolated from music said this phenomenal lady. She has an unseperable relationship with music. There cannot exist any definition for her without giving space for her attachment with music. She remains incomplete without music in her self and in her life.
Her father was more interested in making his daughter, a true musical elite. He incorporated the imprint (sanskar) and tradition of listening to different musicians and live concerts. He took her to all night music sammelans and sangeet samarohs and that's where she met a lot of achievers, she learnt how to recognize ragas, and started listening to wide variety of songs. He played a vital role in not just developing the interest within her, but also to make it happen. Over the years, she realized that because she was destined, she took up singing. Music is indeed made for her as her name also reflected the same fact that her destination was none other than music. This coincidence took place as she was born on the grand Saraswati pooja during Navaratri, her dad decided to give her a name of a striking art form. Music is one amongst it.
As her musical journey started in 70's, she realized that she was born to sing. She was surrounded by all great legendary personalities. In 80's and 90's, though things changed, there still existed good people, true musicians like her gurus, who were also destined to become musicians. They took up music, pursued it, worked for it and achieved it. And the same story repeated after 30 years with this marvelous women. In her childhood, she was exposed to an environment where all the practices (sadhakas) were in place and doing great. Her official preparation started at the age of four. On Naushad ji insisting, her dad sent her to a music school where she acquired traditional training.
First guru to encarve and strengthen her musical aspect was Seshgiri Dandapur. He imparted the basic knowledge of swara into her. She was just six yeas old when guru Shri Katageri Dasaru used to come home to teach her devotional songs after 9 pm. " I used to be so bored! And he used to say, " only six more lines left ". ". said she. Such are the gurus who have a great vision. Then, it was Pt Chandrashekar Puranik Math, who guided her for classical hindustani music. She was trained rigorously in Hindusthani classical vocal under Padmabhushan pt. Basavaraj Rajguruji's kiran for about 12 years. Pt. Chandrashekar ji introduced her to this divine master saying " I have taught her whatever I could and now she is under you ". The association with your guru is a bliss which many people fail to understand and endure. Unfortunately, its hard for many to sustain proficiency in the field because learning is restricted, it is confined to 40 minutes or an hour's time in a day. Process of learning is never limited.
Biggest challenge she faced was the transition that happened in 80's and 90's, there was a shift in the entire paradigm of music. The definition of music drastically changed. It got digitalized, technicalized and modernized. Thus, it turned out to be very difficult for her to all of a sudden react to this revolution that had been betided.
She shared a couple of inspiration driven instances - once in Gulbarga, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, started his concert at 11.15 pm and continued till 7 am the next day. She was lucky to witness his winsome stamina and the wantingness to sing.
" Music is a meditation. It is a swara sadhana which is endless whose source remains a mystery. It may not just take years, but may take strings of births to excel. Music is a divine gift, ultimate bliss that the mankind has got from nature and can be achieved by working in music, with music and for music. It is a contemplation. It is an immolation (tapassu) which requires a lot of sacrifice, positivity, diligence and zeal. Keep listening to different styles of music, to different singers. 50% of learning is done through listening. Keep listening to the same song again and again and again, until the musician in you explores the notes in the track. Now put forward a lot of questions and find the answers and clarify your doubts. If you don't get an answer then go in search of gurus and thinkers. Other sources focus on the technicalities involved in the musical framework but it does not answer your " why " because the basic rasa siddhanta is not analysed. Raga is an emotion. Its a feel. Feeling the geneses of raga deep within ourselves is what is called as salvation to god or sakshatkara. And ultimately, each raga leads to bliss. Music is the bridge that connects the singer to the listener and to the supreme power, called god. The association between the singer and listener is mentioned in veda shastras. I go according to what god signals me. " says this versatile nightingale of our nation.
Stay tuned with the god's affirmative quivers. She believes that its not she who works for music, it is some guiding, reverend force which pushes you to get along the track. We don't do things, we are made to them, by an unseen aid that acts on you, behind you, beside you and with you. Music has taught her immense that she has the capability to sense the intuitions. So the positive vibes keep her going. Constantly getting guided by her gurus and learning from them is the biggest grab she has ever had in terms of opportunity. Being blessed with a chance of staying with her gurus was itself a greatest latitude put forth to her.
There was an era where a listener was also very efficient who could magnify the errors involved in technicalities embedded in music. In those days, musicians thought twice to perform in front of such efficient audience because, winning even a tinge of appreciation was very challenging. The spectators were also equally prepared who would scrutinize the ragas and swaras.
Kishori Amonkar, accepted this country's treasure as her student, to guide her, thereby, it became one of her life changing incidents. She owned a wonderful bondage with her gurus. She would get a call from her gurus for various other reasons, the minute she remembered them, or when she was in need of her guru for poignant succor. Guru plays an indispensible role which is priceless and can never be repaid. Meeting Naushad ji renovated her entire life into an aspiring story which added aesthetic value to it. There existed moments where she failed to recognize her very dear friends and her own family as she was transitioned to another level after that intense music she met with. While vande mataram live at vidhan sauda, Abdul Kalam ji walked all the way up to the stage and he was right in front of her when she opened her eyes. She calls it a deific blessing, she has got to receive.
" Music shares a beautiful bonding with nature. If you understand the nature well, then you will be able to understand music. Music exists right from Samaveda. When you present a raga, feel the heartiness and involvement within it. Amidst all the technicalities, do the alaap. Why do you find a nightingale's hum melodious? Its because it is natural. A musician also has to be as natural as possible and get close to nature to the fullest. In music, singing may be easy but making it reach god is very very challenging. There was also an era where nature responded to music and hence music gifted nature, the rains, light, heat, withering of a rock.
Observe the silence in nature, each and every aspect embedded in nature. Understanding music is through exploring the notes in different ragas. The swara has its own identity in any and every raga. "
Even after being gifted with abundance talent, not many show case it. Reasons may be numerous but on a significant note, its because they are not pushed by nature. The generalized statement saying that all the successful people today are successful because they have spoken out, smartly grabbed opportunities and prioritized their way of life does not act true always because the tons of hard work they have put in day in and day out is what has got them there.
In today's generation, musicians opt for the field, meet people, actively participate in shows, performances, work with different event management companies, introduce themselves, and on the whole, really work hard for it. But in her case, nothing as such resided in her journey. " Everything happened as if they were previously planned, in a manner as though it was all pre defined only because I was destined to become a musician. " she says. After every song she sang, she had a next song readily waiting for her. So, this made her realize that music was for her and god himself is supporting her by creating a path for her to move and that takes her towards her destination.
" All my gurus are my mentors and my dad is my first mentor who carved the interest and passion towards music into me. " she says. Public and her gurus were her judges when she started this amazing art form. But today, media has overtaken the most of it, since it stands strong in commercial aspect. Singing is not just singing. A lot of perseverance, a lot of sadhana, a lot of patience and of course last but not the least, a lot of madness is required. If music could be achieved by each and every singer today, the world would be the most beautiful place to live in.
The success requires one stroke of luck along with constant and vigorous sadhana. " ek hath hain upper " she says. Music has gifted her loads, is gifting her loads and will gift her loads. The divine aestheticity implanted in music will surely nurture this strong believer, till her last breath . " there can be no progress without guru " is what she has remarkably understood. Music has given her happiness, confidence, tranquility, peace and joy. Her relationship with music cannot be explained, one can only experience it. Born musicians focus on self satisfaction and passion within them rather than publicity and money. It is very well evident in the life of her as well.
" I never craved for anything, I simply walked without expectations. My only focus was to sing really really well, improve the quality of my musical approach. Success, pride, money and publicity will automatically follow if this key focus is satisfied. " was her formula to success. Song may not be good but the music in it is always stupendous.
More than learning music, understanding how to learn music itself is a thick process. Get deeper into it and then go wide in it, in order to experience bliss. Obtaining bliss and salvation is a transcending process and ultimate goal of every art worshipper. The melody streaming in a song, takes the listener to another level where one forgets the physical world.
Understanding your learnings about music starts after 40's. Until then, you achieve vigorously.
10 years : training, hard work, practice.
next 10 years : achieve, become successful.
next 10 years : you rule.
The burning hunger to learn, determination, interest and passion are the key requirements to attain musical peak. She even now feels that every concert she takes part in, is like an exam where in nervousness is the on stage feeling she is subjected to.
Music, music and music till the very end is her vision for life. Amidst the present generation, changing world, music has decided something very auspicious for her. If it has got her till here, then it will definitely take her far ahead into growth.
" keep working without expectations, culture a non egoistic attitude, stay committed to whatever u choose to do and work with passion. Dream with consciousness, so that you can see what is happening in and around you and correct yourself. You may get carried away, or flaws may get covered if you close your eyes ".
" There is nothing of mine here, my gurus are the only reasons for what I am today. If I am able to talk about keys that take you into music, the knowledge which my gurus have imparted to me is the backbone behind it." she confessed. This proves her simplicity and humbleness.
She concludes with a golden quote of hers -
" It is easy to handle failures, but costs a lot to handle success " .
I was exposed to the monogram of music authorized by this outstanding music lover which struck me with the mesmerized feeling. The level of blessings which god has showered upon me reached its peak after having to get this splendid opportunity to meet the country's pride and learn immense from her. Fortune at its best is the right phrase to describe my present sense of state. With all the productive contribution that has been added to my life to make it remarkable, the arrival of this auspicious opportunity to learn from this great standing talent is indeed a milestone of my life which takes me all the way long to attain the blissed success.
" Music is dear near everything to me, but the field is not a garden of smooth roses for me, there have been thorns which have tried to prick, I have managed to travel the hard way only through my always a fighter and never give up attitude, my gurus, the almighty and the luck has favoured me in getting an encouraging family after marriage.
Music is beyond any ahankar, so why to lift up your head and see the sky? bow down to see the mother earth always."
" Duniya jhukti hain, jhukaanewala chahiye "
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