Mumbai, Oct 4 (IANS) Veteran Indian classical vocalist Rajabhau Deo is the sculptor of her musical upbringing, his daughter and disciple Alka Deo Marulkar said here ahead of her 'khayal vocal recital here on Thursday, adding that he was her first critic to teach her the aesthetic values of the Gwalior, Kirana and Jaipur Gharanas.
"My father and guru, Pt. Rajabhau Deo, was the sculptor of my musical upbringing. He taught me the best aesthetic values of Gwalior, Kirana and Jaipur Gharanas for more than 45 years," the vocalist told IANS in an email interview.
"Having your guru as a meticulous father is a matter of advantage, but in this journey my father mostly remained strict. He maintained an excellent balance between my upbringing as a growing child, as a growing student of music, as well as a growing academician," she said.
Marulkar, who is also trained in the semi-classical repertoire of the Purab music tradition, also teaches young classical singers in the emotive and fluent styles of Purabi 'thumri' and 'dadra'.
She attributes her association with the Purab genre to her prolonged stays in Varanasi, during which her recitals came to be influenced by this style.
The 67-year-old musician -- entitled "Gaan Saraswati" by Chandigarh-based Pracheen Kala Kendra -- feels that newer entrants in the music industry do not tend to be selective about their performances.
"We had a strict discrimination in accepting concerts," Marulkar said.
"Now, the number of concerts a performer tends to accept does not allow him to observe himself, self-evaluate his concerts and contemplate on the coming assignments," she added.
The Jaipur gharana exponent is also known for her intricate analysis of the 'raags' of Indian classical music.
Along with initiating young singers into music, she demonstrates its subtleties with workshops and lectures in education spaces.
"Music cannot be confined into a syllabus-based teaching plan," asserted Marulkar, who says her constant inspirations in her repertoire remain Pt. Siddheshwari Devi, Pt. Girija Devi and Pt. Nirmala Arun.
The musician will be performing the musical forms of 'khayal' and semi-classical compositions at the National Centre for Performing Arts here on Thursday.
