Tuning in

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Dayita

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Posted: 19 years ago

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Tuning in

This young composer is making all the right noises

Ameta Bal

Pune, May 15: Move over Anu Mallik and Himesh Reshammiya, there's a young gun on the way who's prepping himself to take over. At 12, Raj Pandit, son of film producer Ashok Pandit and playback singer Neerja, has got a headstart into music composition with a soon-to-be released album Kashmiri Club Mix and yet another track with lyrics by veteran wordsmith Sameer.

Raj got hooked on to music through his mother who hummed tunes as she worked around the house. So at three, besides singing with his mom, Raj also began to learn the tabla. Now a student of Ustad Allah Rakha Khan's Institute of Music, where he continues to receive guidance from Ustad Zakir Hussain and Taufiq Qureshi, this Std VII student of Utpal Sanghavi School, Juhu, can play almost all percussion instruments. But his talent box isn't full yet. Besides the tabla, Raj has been taking piano lessons for the past two years and has set up a studio, where he spends several hours composing music on softwares he's learnt on his own. ''After I finish school and tuitions, I come to my studio and spend at least four hours every day recreating tracks,'' says Raj, who prefers to potter around his studio than play in the sun. ''There is one boy who I hang out with in class. He sings very well,'' Raj says. It doesn't take too much to guess what Raj aspires for. He wants to study at the famed Trinity College of Music, London, and ''then I want to work with A R Rahman,'' he says. ''Raj absolutely idolises Rahman. He was thrilled when he met him recently and the maestro gave him his blessings. So for the past few days, Raj's confidence levels are soaring pretty high,'' remarks his amused father. The proud father relates stories of how Raj never tires of music and singing. ''We can even hear him thumping the bucket as he sings in the bathroom.'' And hearing the father prattle off names of accomplished musicians Raj has received guidance from, you're bound to get impressed -Roop Kumar Rathod, Shamir Tandon, Raju Singh and Sameer all figure on his list of Svengalis.

https://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=182851