World Music Day: Music is the food of love, consume it; distribute it

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Music is the first love for the four families in the city. They have been into it for generations. They want to carry forward the legacy to dish out that love to others.

On the eve of World Music Day, Free Press talked to the young classical vocalists and instrumentalists representing the second and seventh generations of their families. For them, music is the food of love, so consume it and distribute it.

Excerpts:

It’s everything to me

I am the seventh generation sarod player in my family. I first learned it from my grandfather Ustad Lateef Khan. My elder brother Sarvar Hussain is my Ustad now. Music has been a part of my life since birth. I went to bed listening to music and woke up to music sarod strings produced. I was 10 when I first performed in public with my grandfather. I have performed in India and abroad. Recently, I performed in Germany, France and Switzerland. I am an arts graduate. Music is everything to me.

-Amir Khan, 32, sarod player

‘It’s like oxygen’

For me, music is like oxygen. My maternal great grandfather was a musician in the court of Gwalior princely state and my maternal grandmother was a classical vocalist. My mother Shruti Adhikari is India’s first woman santoor player. As a child, musical instruments were my toys. I first performed in public when I was 5. Besides India, I have performed in Thailand and Abu Dhabi. I have done MA in vocal and instrumental music and MSc in electronic media.

Ninad Adhikari, 25, santoor player

Integral part of life

My great grandfather Rambhau Sheolikar, my grandfather Vasant Rambhau Sheolikar and my father Praveen Sheolikar were violin players. I represent the fourth generation in my family. I am BA (honours) in economics and done MA in music. My grandfather was my first music teacher. Later, I learned from my father. As a student, I used to perform at annual functions besides on radio and TV. I performed in public for the first time with my grandfather on his 75th birthday. I was 12 or 13. Besides India, I have performed in Belgium and Germany under students’ exchange programme. Music is an integral part of my life.

-Chaitali Sheolikar, 28, violin player

‘Tool to explore myself’

Dhani and Anant are cousins and represent second generation of musicians in Gundecha family. Dhani is the daughter of Umakant Gundecha while Anant is the son of late Ramakant Gundecha. “I have done graduation in political science from Delhi University and also a diploma course in Italian. I am a postgraduate in music,” she says. Dhani began learning music professionally at the age of 18 and performed in public for the first time when she was 21. She is now a teacher, a learner and a performer. For her, music is a way of life. Anant, a commerce graduate, learned Dhrupad singing from his uncle. He finds Dhrupad, enriching and deep. “For me, music is a tool to explore and understand myself,” he says.

-Dhani Gundecha, 29, Anant Gundecha, 26, Dhrupad vocalists