The raga saga

He was literally born singing. He took to the stage at the young age of eight, and even with more than 50 years of experience, Indian classical singer Pt Ajay Pohankar knows that he still has a long journey ahead of him. He speaks to CS as he gets ready for Pratahswar, a concert of morning ragas, this Sunday at Ravindra Natya Mandir:



Dil se

I have no idea what I'll be singing. All my performances have been impromptu so far. Even our recordings are very unplanned. My son Abhijit who is also a classical instrumentalist gives two surs and I take the cue. If there are missing lyrics, my wife Anjali, who is an outstanding vocalist and musicologist, helps us out. I've performed so much that I don't feel the need to rehearse in advance.
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Flashback
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The music scene has changed drastically over the years. In our days the media was very harsh. You had to be very good for them to be appreciative. Today the media has the power to make a star out of any artist.
The popularity of Indian classical music though remains untainted. However, I do feel that a greater impetus can be given to this genre by inviting Indian artists to the big festivals. There really is no dearth of performers in India.
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With so many TV channels, it would help to have one dedicated to our classical music. Tossing in a few classical numbers in Bollywood films will also go a long way in spreading the popularity of this genre.
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Music to my ears

Even though I am tempted to say that the standard of music has diluted over the years, I make it a point not to judge other musicians by my standards. So I judge them by their output. Shankar Mahadevan and A R Rehman are among my favourite contemporary artists. I like to encourage young performers who have the talent, sincerity and dedication. My son Abhijit, Amaan and Ayaan Ali Khan, Niladri Kumar, Aditya Kalyan and others are taking Indian classical music places. They're connecting with the youth of the country and drawing them to this genre. And that's quite a relief!u00a0