This year, I was privileged to watch a live Diwali Pahat performance by two of the renowned female Hindustani classical vocalists, Kaushiki Chakraborty and Begum Parveen Sultana. Through this article, I aim to enlighten my peers about the most beautiful music in the world, our country's true culture, and something that is uniquely ours- Hindustani Classical Music. I have dedicated this article to Begum Parveen, who this time really captivated my heart with both her distinctive demeanour and beautiful voice. However, Guruma Kaushiki-ji is not any less remarkable; I admire her charming voice and youthful demeanour, and I cannot forget that it was her who first broadened my perspective on classical music.
The effect of Western culture has influenced our country's youth and cultural roots. I am not suggesting that everyone should be a follower of classical music, but in recent years, the value of classical music has declined among younger generations. We are naturally drawn to things that appear appealing and popular. Our goal these days has been to modernise our culture in order to reach Western norms, but in the process, we are gradually losing our cultural identity.
Since the 12th century, when the legendary 'Tansen' introduced it, 'Hindustani Sangeet Kala' has been popular in our nation. The art has since been passed down from generation to generation. Music was once reserved for the wealthy, those born into gharana families (a system by which a certain style of music, unique to the particular unit, is handed down from teacher to disciple). However, later, music started to be openly offered to those who wished to devote themselves.
Begum Parveen Sultana, born on May 24, 1950, in Assam to Janab Ikamul Majid, trained under him for many years before becoming a disciple of Dishad Khan, her husband. She made her live debut when she was 12 years old. She is a member of the 'Patiala Gharana,' which was founded by Bade Ghulam Ali Khan Sahib. Her voice is captivating since she can sing in four octaves at once. She has received various honours, including the Padma Bhushan from the Government of India in 2014 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1998 from the Sangeet Natak Akademi. She is also a recipient of the filmfare awards for the best playback singer for the song ‘ humme tumse pyar kitna.’ She has performed in Bollywood films such as Gadar, Kudrat, Do, Boond Pani, and Pakeezah, as well as various Assamese films. She did not limit herself to classical music, but actively participated in all genres of music.
She does not leave any opportunity to inspire the youth to take part in classical music and herself trains disciples of her academy. She thinks it is the responsibility of the youth to safeguard and preserve this art form and, more significantly, to discover it and accept it as a part of themselves. Hindustani music, according to her, takes the highest hard effort and commitment. During the Pahat, she stated, "My performance is the product of my 40 years of hard work and riyaaz, which has made me worthy of exhibiting my music." She is an icon for me and deserves to be an icon for many other youths. She is the epitome of excellence. Excellence in music is not the only quality I see in her, but I also learned that in order to excel in anything, you must put in a lot of effort and dedication. Another event that struck my heart was when Begum Parveen ji-walked on stage. Vidushi Kaushiki-ji did not touch her feet merely to accept blessings but placed her head on her feet, demonstrating her degree of devotion for her, and she did not move till Parveen ji blessed her by resting her palms on her head. She demonstrated the respect she had for her guruma, her teacher. Our teachers are the ones who illuminate us with wisdom, not just academically but also in life lessons; teachers, or 'gurus,' deserve the highest regard in our world.
Everything is evolving and so is music, but let us not forget about our cultural heritage.
Here are a few videos of begum Parveen Sultana and Kaushiki Charaborty that I enjoy:
Raag Hamsadhwani | Parveen Sultana | Music of India Bombay Jayashri -- Thillana in Sindhu Bhairavi, Listening to Life concert
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