Story-tellers, musicians captivate Jaipur connoisseurs, commoners

Jaipur, Oct 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) "We are all poets, story-tellers and musicians in our own ways. This creativity is equal and latent in all of us. What makes a difference is how much one invests in this instinct and unleashes it," said Prasoon Joshi, renowned lyricist, screenwriter, poet and mentor, here on Saturday.

Speaking at "Kya Nahi Hai Prasoon Joshi Mein a - The Man and his Work" on the second day of the MTV Raymond India Music Summit at The Fairmont Jaipur, Joshi said he encountered early in life the reality -- it's difficult to sustain life with only poetry.

However, along with his career in advertising, he kept on pursuing his interests in music and poetry. "The society should consider it a collective responsibility to ensure the survival of artistes as art and artistes make life meaningful," Joshi said.

Joshi, who often uses nature as an inspiration to create poetry and write songs, believes while marketing allows him to know the pulse of the people, art allows him to connect with people. Much to the delight of the audience, Joshi also recited some of his poems and songs at the session.

A session "Passing it On" was held with the renowned father-son Santoor duo -- Pt Shivkumar Sharma and Rahul Sharma.

Stating that musicians are not just products of hard work and practice, but a combination of many factors. "Past karma plays a big role in becoming a great musician," he said.

Talking about the hardships musicians face, Pt Sharma said his wife never wanted their children to take up music as career, because of the challenges one had to face both socially and economically.

On his career as a musician, Rahul Sharma said he never planned to become a musician. Till graduation, the emphasis was on education not music. But he used to play on harmonium the hymns he learnt while studying in a convent school. Apart from santoor, Rahul also had interest in flute and called Hari Prasad Chaurasia a major influence in his life.

On balancing the father-son and the guru-shishya relationships, Pt Sharma said it was indeed difficult to strike the balance. When he started teaching Rahul as a guru, the father-son relationship was already there, he said.

"Being son of a renowned artiste is like a double-edged sword. While it has its advantages, one also has to face a lot of pressure as there is a legacy to live up to. To face this pressure, one needs to keep their calm in which meditation and spirituality play a big role," said Rahul Sharma.

Earlier at the 'Morning Baithak', there were soulful renditions by Pt Ajay Prasanna and Shashank Subramanyam. It was a mellifluous blend of Hindustani and Carnatic styles of flute rendition. It was a reflection of common ragas with different interpretations. It was followed by a Dhrupad rendition by Pt Uday Bhawalkar, stablishing a communication with the audience.

On the occasion, Subramanyam said in the North longer flutes were played compared with the South.

The day of music, included 'Decoding Classical Music' with Ustad Jawaad Khan and Mazhar Khan, and a discussion 'The Mean Scene' with Prabh Deep, Raja Kumari, Nucleya, Aruna Sairam, Aditya Kashyap along with RJ Sarthak, not to forget, a mesmerising performance by Aruna Sairam and 'Swar Aur Sitara' concert by Purbayan Chatterjee and Ustad Rashid Khan.

At the 'Making Music' session, Soumil Shringapure and Siddharth Mahadevan shared the process of producing music for a song. At the "In Aankhon ki Maasti Kea" session -- a conversation with Asha Bhosle and Prasoon Joshi -- the iconic singer spoke about her musical journey.

An entertaining and electrifying evening saw performances by legends, like Saif Mahmood in 'The Sounds of Love'; an ode to 'Maa Durga' by Kaushiki Chakraborty 'Matrurupen'; a Khasi story of love and betrayal by the Shillong Chamber Choir; 'Junoon' by Ustad Shujaat Khan, Taufiq Qureshi and Vikku Vinayakram; an unplugged set by Javed Ali and the qawalli rendition in 'Supreme Love' by Ustad Aslam Sabri and troupe.

Apart from several mesmerising hours, film screenings were also there throughout the day. It included "Zikr Us Parivesh Ka', a national award-winning film on Begum Akhtar; "Gully Life: The Story of Divine" as well as a masterclass on Carnatic flute by Shashank Subramanyam and Ghazals by Radhika Chopra.

Speaking on the association with the summit, Ferzad Palia, head of Youth, Music & English Entertainment, Viacom18 Media, said, "We have been supporting the MTV India Music Summit, over the past three years and bringing an enthralling experience to music lovers. "The event celebrates maestros from various genres, opening new worlds for the rich musical talent in the country.

"Being a brand that has created iconic properties like MTV Unplugged, Coke Studio and more recently, MTV Hustle, we believe nurturing talent as well as promoting established artists across genres, goes a long way in creating newer avenues for the industry. Music is an intangible heritage that brings life to India's multi-faceted culture. "

Platforms, like MTV India Music Summit, were most pertinent in placing India in its rightful place on the global music map, Palia said.

Source: IANS