Pandit Jasraj At Savai Gandharva Music Festival LIVE!

Savai Music Festival, Pune

Artist: Pandit Jasraj

Raag: Lalat

Jasraj was born in Hisar, Mewat region, Haryana in an orthodox Brahmin family to Motiram, a classical singer.[citation needed] His family performed the Mewati gharana style. Motiram died when Jasraj was four, on the day he was to be appointed as the state musician in the court of Osman Ali Khan.

Jasraj was initiated into vocal music by his father. He received training from his elder brother, Maniram, and later from Maharaja Jaywant Singh Waghela and Ustad Gulam Kadar Khan of Mewat Gharana. In addition, he trained under Swami Vallabhdas of the Agra Gharana. In 1960, when Jasraj went to visit Bade Ghulam Ali Khan in hospital, Khan asked him to become his disciple, but Jasraj declined saying that he could not accept Khan's tutelage since he was already Maniram's disciple.

As a means of livelihood, Maniram took Jasraj as an accompanying tabla player. However, at the time, like sarangi players, tabla players were considered minor artists. At the age of 14, unhappy with his treatment as an accompanying artist, Jasraj left and vowed not to cut his hair until he learned to sing. He finally cut his hair after garnering his first AIR Radio performance, where he sang Raga Kaunsi Kanada (a combination of Malkauns and Darbari Kanada).

Jasraj's vocal range extends three-and-a-half octaves and uses precise diction, a trademark of the Mewati gharana's style of khayal. He has also done extensive research in Haveli Sangeet under Baba Shyam Manohar Goswami Maharaj to create numerous innovative bandish (composition).

Jasraj created a novel form of jugalbandi, styled on the ancient system of Moorchana, between a male and a female vocalist, who each sing different ragas at the same time. In his honor, this legendary jugalbandi is known as The Jasrangi. This name was coined by music connoisseurs in Pune.

Jasraj has many students, including Rattan Mohan Sharma, Sanjeev Abhyankar, Ramesh Narayan, Suman Ghosh, Tripti Mukherjee, Radharaman Kirtane, Girish Wazalwar, Chandrashekhar Swamy, Hemang Mehta, Pritam Bhattacharjee, Gargi Siddhant and Kala Ramnath. Sadhana Sargam, a Bollywood singer, Ankita Joshi, Prasad Dusane is one of his disciples.

In memory of his father, Jasraj organises a musical festival every year called the Pandit Motiram Pandit Maniram Sangeet Samaroh in Hyderabad, India. It ran for 36 years as of 2008. Jasraj participated at the Sawai Gandharva Music Festival. He is also recognized as a master of the Bhairav family of Raags, along with the legendary Raags Darbari Kanada, Miya ki Malhar, and Jog. He is also known for presenting a wide variety of Rare Raags including Gyankali, Abiri Todi, Dhanashree, Patdeepki, Purba, Bhavsakh, Devsakh, Gunji Kanada and Charju Ki Malhar.