India has lost a legacy in the passing away of Pandit Jasraj. He was not merely the founder of schools of classical music in India and abroad, he was an institution in himself. His voice has mesmerised audiences worldwide. His firm belief that music is a spiritual thing -- “prayer reaches God faster on the wings of music” -- gave his singing a special quality that will be hard to replace. When this iconic artist spoke of morning ragas and evening ragas, he became a scientist.
“Depending upon the air, the temperature, you can feel the rishabh. In the morning rishabh, the notes rise higher because the sun is rising. In the evening rishabh, they go lower and lower to describe the setting sun,” he told this newspaper once in the course of an interview. As he wrote in his diary, he became a musician more out of necessity than talent. The death of his father forced him into becoming a professional tabla player. His introduction to vocal music was also accidental. As a percussionist, young Jasraj was enraged at the treatment meted out to accompanying artistes. So, he decided instead to sing. And the world of classical music became all the richer for it. He became an innovator, too, by creating a unique form of jugalbandhi (duet) called jasrangi. In this unprecedented format, he matched male and female voices, where each singer would sing two different ragas in their respective scales that blend and become one. It was a novel concept and Jasraj himself revealed its beauty when he performed harmoniously with celebrated singers.
Inspired by great artistes like Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, he cultivated a style that was rich in its emotional content. His music moved his listeners as much as it moved him. He sincerely believed that listening to music by great masters was a “life-giving experience.” The hope of Indian classical music growing beyond the borders of this country motivated him to set up a unique institution for music and research in the US. Established on the traditional guru-shishya parampara, this institute carries the rich legacy of the Mewati gharana which was so dear to his heart. His dream was to make its students “the true ambassadors of this country.” But Pandit Jasraj was no mere singer. He was an institution, a living legend who defied age, custom and practice with his ground-breaking imagination that made his music one of a kind. Today, the voice that spoke the language of music, that moved effortlessly over multiple octaves, has become silent. And we are the poorer for it.