Kashmir has been a great influence... - Page 3

RAHUL SHARMA

NATIVE SIGNS

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Recorded at Saptak Festival 2003, Gujarat Mixed and Mastered in the U.K. by Derek Roberts of Soundcraft Productions Rahul Sharma - Santoor Bhavani Shankar - Pakhawaj Shafaat Ahmed Khan - Tabla Raga Kalavati Track 1 Alap Track 2 Jod (with Pakhawaj) Track 3 Jhalla (with Pakhawaj) Track 4 Gat in Rupak taal (with Tabla) Track 5 Gat in Teentaal (medium tempo) Track 6 Gat in Teentaal (fast tempo) Track 7 Jhalla in Teentaal (fast tempo) Being the son and student of one of India's music legends does not guarantee an easy road to success. With the privilege of having access to a vast treasure of musical knowledge, comes the burden of comparison and the responsibility of carrying the family name forward. Rahul Sharma is the son of Santoor virtuoso Shiv Kumar Sharma, who has single-handedly transformed the little known and rarely played Indian Santoor into a favourite with world music audiences, and against the odds firmly established it as an integral part of the Indian classical repertoire. Rahul Sharma is now emerging as one of the most innovative instrumentalists in North Indian music. His captivating performances suggest a musician poised to take the Santoor onto a new level of popularity. He first performed live with his father in 1996, the tradition of Jugalbandi, or duet playing, providing the ideal platform for the youngster to craft his art under the watchful eye of his father. Through this testing apprenticeship his attitude towards his predicament has remained characteristically positive. "Comparisons are inevitable", he reveals, "But nothing to get scared of. In fact they are a big challenge. And I am enjoying it," In fact, Rahul has seized his opportunity with both hands. He has already entered into a number of successful music collaborations with international artists, and composed the music for Bollywood film hit 'Mujhse Dosti Karoge', working with veteran producer-director Yash Copra. His renditions of traditional folk tunes from Kashmir and the Sufi music tradition are soulful, innovative, and at the same time always sincere to their roots. From the beginning, his father encouraged the young Rahul to listen to music from each and every corner of the world, and many of these influences are now being absorbed into his performances. This recording captures Rahul performing at the annual Saptak Festival, one of India's most prestigious musical gatherings, in front of an audience made up of seasoned listeners and connoisseurs. Raga Kalavati is a popular raga, adopted by the North Indian Hindustani musicians from the South Indian Carnatic system. The two musical traditions share the same roots, but have developed separately since the thirteenth century, when the northern part of India was invaded by the Moghuls from Persia through Afghanistan. The performance begins with the customary Alap, an unhurried, improvised note by note exposition of the raga. The alap itself is divided into three distinct parts, alap, jor and jhalla; the introduction of jor (track 2) is marked by the introduction of a gentle rhythmic pulse, sensitively played by Bhavani Shankar on Pakhawaj. Bhavani Shankar was born into a distinguished musical family, learning from his father Pandit Babulalji, a renowned performer of Kathak, a popular style of dance which specialises in intricate rhythmic patterns. The Pakhawaj is a horizontal barrel-shaped, double headed drum with a deep, majestic resonant sound, traditionally used to accompany the ancient dhrupad style of music. Its use in this performance demonstrates Rahul Sharma's partiality for experimentation and innovation. The jhalla section (track 3) marks a swift increase in pace. You can hear the audience's appreciation of some intricate improvised phrases accompanied by fast rhythmic patterns, as both musicians reveal new facets of their virtuosity. The alap section is followed by three gat compositions (tracks 4-6), on which Rahul Sharma is accompanied by Shafaat Ahmed Khan on tabla. Shafaat Ahmed Khan is one of the most popular tabla accompanists on the circuit, having played regularly with all the great Indian musicians including Amjad Ali Khan and Shiv Kumar Sharma. Music is in Shafaat's blood, having started to play tabla before he even could walk from his father Ustad Chamma Khan, a maestro of the Delhi gharana of tabla- rhythm. The first gat (track 4) played in a rhythmic cycle of seven beats (Rupak) incorporates a rich melodic sense combined with a keen grasp of intricate rhythmic permutations. The performance concludes with a second jhalla (track 7), this time providing a platform for some skilful interplay between the Santoor and Tabla. As the recital gallops to a finale at an electrifying tempo, the Pakhawaj joins in to play an elaborate synchronised phrase (tehai) repeated three times to round off an invigorating recital.

RAHUL SHARMA

AKAASH

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Raga Chandrakauns 1. Alap 9.11 2. Jor 7.24 3. Jhalla 6.32 4. Gat in Matta taal (9 beats) 22.23 5. Gat in Madhya Teentaal (16 beats) 5.34 6. Gat in Drut Teentaal (16 beats) 18.17 This recording marks the coming of age of a young maestro who is now firmly established as one of the most popular attractions on the Indian classical music circuit. Since 1996, the gifted Rahul Sharma has shared the stage with his father and mentor, Shivkumar Sharma delighting crowds in all corners of the world with their duet performances known as jugalbandi. That process has been an essential part of the grooming of young raw talent into a mature artist. Having won over the plaudits Rahul has now declared that his life's priority is to popularise Indian classical music itself. He is well aware that his task has been made lighter through the endeavours of his father, Shivkumar Sharma who has transformed a folk instrument, whose use was confined to the valleys of Kashmir, into a fully fledged classical concert instrument making major modifications to its design in the process. Rahul is only too well aware that his father faced many hardships on this tireless journey performing all over India, waging a continuing battle to establish the Santoor which was not initially accepted by classical purists. Now Rahul is all set to take the Santoor to greater heights in the twenty first century by adding new dimensions to it with his creativity. Thanks to the open mindedness of his parents Rahul grew up to the sounds of Pink Floyd and Sting, developing eclectic tastes and influences. Unlike many great masters, Shivkumar Sharma took care not to force his son into Indian Music and accepted his appreciation of other different music forms as an essential part of his learning. His family also insisted on him completing his academic studies before venturing into the music business. Though Rahul's task now is easier, his challenges are no less daunting. Living up to his father's reputation and the high expectations that come with it is a challenge he seems to be facing in a relaxed and confident manner. Santoor originates from a world family of stringed instruments with its roots in Persia. In India it was first used in Kashmir as an accompaniment to Sufi folk verses. In Iran and China (known as Yang-Qin) the Santoor has a classical tradition, and its use in Hungary and Romania in folk music suggests that it was used by gypsy communities travelling across from Asia into Central Europe. As is the case with many other India instruments like Sitar, the name has its roots in Persia. Santoor literally means 'one hundred strains'. Santoor has in fact approximately ninety strings stretched across the bridges and struck with a pair of curved wooden mallets (kalam). This live performance was recorded on 10th January 2004, at the twenty fifth anniversary of Saptak Music Festival, an annual twelve day celebration of India's finest classical music hosted in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. It is an event at which Shivkumar Sharma has been a regular headliner since its inception. North Indian Raga music is time based. All ragas have an association with specific times of the day or seasons of the year. The root of this practice is not clear but there is no doubt that nearly all serious artists adhere to this custom in their performance and very often in their practice too. This recording features a pentatonic (five notes) raga, Chandrakauns, associated with the late evening. The first part of the performance is divided into three distinct parts, Alap, Jor and Jhalla as is the tradition in a classical recital. Alap is a slow, serene exploration of the chosen raga. It is in the Alap where the artiste reveals his maturity and the vision. Alap demands complete concentration as well as the experience of handling abstract melodic ideas. After this, the musician moves to Jor (track 2) in which numerous variations on the raga's basic theme are presented within a self regulated rhythmic framework. The tempo gradually increases to the concluding section called Jhalla (track 3) in which various complex rhythmic patterns are presented. For an instrument to be accepted as classical it has to be able to emulate the human voice, the ultimate classical instrument. This requires the effect of meend (glissando), which is the ability to pass, unbroken, from one note to another, as opposed to staccato. Two techniques could be used to create this effect on a stringed instrument. One is by pulling the string, as in the sitar, and the other is by gliding the fingers as in the Sarangi or Sarod. Rahul Sharma sustains the resonance of the notes and maintains their continuity by gliding his kalam, or strikers along the strings very delicately creating very little vibration. This gliding technique allows him to play Alap, the slow improvised invocation of a raga. The first gat sees the introduction of the tabla, played by veteran accompanist Shafaat Ahmed Khan of Delhi. Rahul has chosen to play a gat in a nine beat rhythmic cycle (Matta taal). Gat is the name given to a composition made in a specific rhythmic cycle. These can be traditional compositions or can be made spontaneously depending on the confidence and depth of knowledge of the performer. The Gat should reflect the nature of the raga effectively and it provides a motif around which to improvise. Rahul plays three compositions gaining in momentum and tempo as the performance progresses culminating with a very fast tempo that stretches the technical ability of each of the performers to the limit.

His father's son & more
Abhay Desai

Spiritualism is santoor player Rahul Sharma's current fixation

HIS face bears the unmistakable stamp of his famous father, santoor wizard, Pt Shiv Kumar Sharma. He has also inherited his father's commanding height, easy-going mannerisms, a down-to-earth humility and most significantly, the skills at bringing the santoor to mesmerise.

But there the similarity ends. Rahul Sharma belongs to the young breed of classical musicians which is not content with just keeping a family tradition alive, but is also pushing the frontiers of art to explore new creative vistas to invent new idioms of expression.

Spiritualism is Rahul's current fixation. More specifically, it is Zen, as is evident from his latest album of like name which is topping the music charts across India. It consists of eight soul-stirring tracks in santoor and electronic instruments like wave drums and keyboard, capturing the essence of Zen philosophy.

"Zen teaches us that there is the Buddha or truth in each of us," he elaborates. "And one of the biggest truths, as we all know, is our impermanence. I could easily relate this to music. When we play at concerts, each time we play a raga, we play it differently because each time we try to improve and improvise. That accounts for growth. Nothing that is there now would remain the same tomorrow."

Rahul Sharma, an acknowledged master of the Santoor is an established classical musician with more than 12 album releases. Son of Santoor maestro Pandit Shivkumar Sharma, Rahul hailing from Mumbai has been playing Santoor under his father since the age of 12. After his training, he accompanied his father on stage for around two years, performing in several concerts and music festivals all over India. His first ever album was recorded in 1997 by Navras featuring a live duet concert recording in Toronto with his father titled 'The Golden Heritage' and he hasn't looked back since. Rahul is the first young musician to collaborate with the world-renowned pianist Richard Clayderman to not just cut an album (The Confluence) but also to give live concerts. And, he is the youngest Indian musician to perform at the WOMAD (World of music, Arts and Dance) festival in the UK, as well as the Edingburgh festival, Scotland (2001). Apart from performing at concerts the world over, he has also released a number of music albums. Some of his albums are 'Melody of Jammu and Kashmir', 'Time Traveller' etc. He has also done non classical work for Hindi films 'Mujhse Dosti Karoge' under Yash Chopra banner and assisted his father in composing music for movies like 'Lamhe', 'Darr' and 'Chandni'. He has won a number of prestigious awards like the Indo- American Society Award (1998), Bollywood Music Award for promising New Music Director, New York (2002), First MTV (IMMIES) Music Award for Best Classical / Fusion Album 2003 and many more.

Top 100 Handsome Indian Men, Rahul Sharma.

	Mujhse Dosti Karoge Cast : Hrithik Roshan, Rani Mukherjee, Kareena Kapoor, Uday Chopra, Satish Shah, Sachin Khedekar, Kiran Kumar, Himani Shipuri, Smita Jayakar. Director : Kunal Kohli Music : Rahul Sharma Lyrics : Anand Bakshi Producer : Yash Chopra

A love triangle from Yash Raj films directed by debutant Kunal Kohli, critic turned film maker. But the big star cast and beautiful locations in Shimla and London cannot make up for the lack of freshness and style of the film. The story is about Raj (Hrithik Roshan), Pooja (Rani Mukherji) and Tina (Kareena Kapoor), three friends who parts ways when Raj's family shifts to London. Raj who has a soft corner for Tina promises to send her e-mails. Tina who doesn't care much about the mails, fails to respond. But Pooja impersonating as Tina keeps corresponding with Raj. Here the film has similarities to the Hollywood film 'The truth about cats and dogs'.
Years roll by.. Raj decides to come back to India. Pooja convinces Tina to play along the deception. Raj falls for the now glamorous Tina whom he thinks has send him long emotional mails for the past years. The film moves smoothly with Raj romancing Tina and Poojas pain on seeing them together; till.. Raj realises the truth. Then the story goes berserk . When Raj realises it was Pooja who has been sending him the mails he immediately switches his affections to her. By the time, Tina had begun to fall for Raj, she loses her father. So the ever sacrificial Pooja forces Raj to be with Tina.
Raj and Tina get engaged but Raj refuses to tie the knot until Pooja also finds someone. Here Uday Chopra steps in ... Some of the scenes have been handled well by the director especially in the first half, but in totality the film lacks lusture. The movie is so predictable and some of the scenes especially the climax is ridiculous with the sindoor falling on Poojas forehead. The Director should have come up with an original script. Rani Mukherjee steals the show with her superb performance.. Hritik looks good in his dashing outfits and dances well. Kareena's role is nothing new from what she has been doing in her past films. Uday Chopra has done whatever he's given well. Music score by Rahul Sharma is also not impressive except maybe for the number 'Jaane Dil Mein Kabse Hain Tu'. Expect for the big banner and star cast the film has nothing much to boast of.

THE CONFLUENCE - SANTOOR AND PIANO Virgin, Rs. 75 THIS IS a collaborative venture between santoor exponent Rahul Sharma and pianist Richard Clayderman and an addition to the growing corpus of "fusion" music - a term that covers quite a huge spectrum. The opening track, "Together" is arguably the best, both moving and melodious. In fact all the songs on the first side have their distinct quality, though the second side gives an impression of sameness, and unless you listen carefully, you can easily miss where one song ended and the next started. Some tracks like "Yeh hai Mumbai meri jaan" are based on film songs.

The music composer is Rahul Sharma while arrangement is by Kishore Desai, and keyboards and rhythm programming have been done by Prasad Sashte. Bass guitar has been played by Dominic Fernandes, guitar by Jayanti Gosher, flute by Rakesh Chaurasia, and dholak and tabla by Bhavani Shankar.

WOW!!! Thanks Bobda..... 😛

So much info. Have started saving them. Will read it quetly. I just love his compositions. They are fusion but so soft and melodious.

Cool thread Bhaskar 👏

Thanks Bob'da and Barnali'di for all the info 😊 .. Have saved it and will read later 😳

Virasaat

Anita Bora Shoulder-long curls, good looks… 25-year-old Rahul Sharma would look quite in place in a rock band, if only he had a guitar in hand. Replace the guitar with the santoor, and that is the instrument Rahul really plays. The younger son of illustrious musician and instrumentalist Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, Rahul recently gave his first public performance with his father in a concert organised by the Banyan Tree. Called Santoor Virasaat, it is only the first in line of many. For Rahul seems ready to share the mantle with his father. As the son of a famous father belonging to a family steeped in the tradition of music, it seems but natural for him to take up the same profession. But, for Rahul, the decision did not come easy, though his interest in music started early in life. "Even when I was in school, I would come home from singing classes and play the tunes on the harmonium," he reminisces. His father recognised his potential at an early stage, but realised that it was a decision that would have to be taken by Rahul alone. "I was only five when my father started teaching me to play the santoor. I did not want to do the same thing to my son. Taking up the santoor was a decision that had to come from his heart," says Pandit Sharma. Pandit Sharma also felt that the son of a famous father need not necessarily have the same interests, "You either have it or you don't, and Rahul, I noticed, had a strong grasp of melody. After my students left for the day, he would often practice the lessons I had taught them." Like any youngster, Rahul went through his stages of indecision and confusion. He knew he wanted to be associated with music but, till the age of 17, he did not actually give a serious thought to following in his father's footsteps. "I wanted to become a music director at one stage, but realised that success in the field of commercial music is superficial, depending upon whether the film is a hit or a flop," says Rahul, who assisted his father in composing music for movies like Lamhe, Darr and Chandni. Rahul was 13 when he seriously began learning the santoor from his father. "My father," he says, "always encouraged me to develop my interest in music, but my mother was keen that I concentrate on academics." Besides, as Panditji points out, the changing times lent specific emphasis to studies and higher education, which left one with very little time to concentrate on any other interests. Once Rahul completed his BA in economics from Bombay's Mithibai College ("with pretty good marks too,'' he adds), he was clear about his future. "You get more time then -- by bunking lectures," he explains with a smile. And, in 1996, an organiser in Norway invited the father-son duo to play in an Oslo festival. It was at this point that Pandit Sharma stepped in, "He was in two minds about film music and classical music, and it was then that I offered my advice. I think it is important to master an instrument and concentrate on composition, which is an intrinsic part of classical music." A little fatherly advice and an invitation to play in an international festival was all the encouragement Rahul needed. "That year, I toured Europe with my father, and I got a lot of exposure to a musician's lifestyle and performing on stage -- an experience I greatly enjoyed," Rahul recalls of the turning point in his life. He hasn't looked back since. Europe was followed by America and, 16 or so concerts later, he finally found his place under the sun. In India, the father-son duo first performed together in Santoor Virasaat. "Usually when a musician plays with his guru, he only plays in a supportive mode. But I was given the opportunity to create a musical dialogue by actually playing along with him," says Rahul. Being his father's son has its advantages. And Rahul readily admits he has not had to struggle much, mainly due to the invaluable work that his father has already done to establish the santoor in the canvas of classical music. His father echoes this sentiment. "He was given an opportunity to play along with me only because he's my son. But I was sure that he was ready to do it. In fact, the audience was quite pleasantly surprised when it was announced that this was his first such performance on stage." Rahul adds, partly in explanation of his late entry into the field, "A lot of artistes start when they are very young, but my father wanted me to wait till I was completely ready for stage." Santoor today has become synonymous with Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, mainly due to his singlehanded effort in continuing his father Pandit Umadutt Sharma's attempt to popularise the instrument. "My father had to face a lot of hardship in the early years," says Rahul, "performing all over India, waging a continuing battle to establish the santoor which was not initially accepted by classical purists." Though Rahul's task now is easier, his challenges are no less daunting. Living up to his father's reputation and the high expectations of people -- does that faze him? Rahul seems relaxed and confident that he will be able to take it all in his stride. What about comparisons, how often does he encounter them? "Constantly," Rahul admits with a wry smile. He is fully aware that comparisons to his father are but inevitable, but he prefers to view it as a challenge to better himself as a performer. Most of his performances to date have been overseas, and he has found audiences there to be very receptive. "Some foreigners are actually trained in classical music and know exactly what they are listening to. In a few countries in Europe, some members actually meditate in the beginning of the concert while the alaap is going on, and it is very satisfying to know that they understand the music." At home, Rahul feels that audiences in Calcutta and Pune are very knowledgeable, a fact that is not surprising since they are the cultural centres of the country. Yet, despite the many up-and-coming musicians, one often hears about the decline in the popularity of Indian classical music these days, especially among the younger generation. Rahul, however, feels differently. "Classical music has its own audience and its popularity is increasing. I think young people only need to get exposed to one good concert to realise what they have been missing all along." He illustrates, "There was one young couple who rang me up after they had attended my concert and told me how much they appreciated the music. Until then, they had only listened to other kinds of music and this was a revelation for them." In the midst of a morning paan (which apparently doesn't affect his prowess with the flute), Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia who has heard Rahul perform, is extremely optimistic. "The future is the hands of bright and talented musicians like Rahul. I don't think that he will face any problems." A prediction that Rahul, who practises for about four hours every morning and teams up with his father when he is not busy touring, hopes will come true. Listening to music forms an integral part of the learning process. And for those of you who are wondering, it's not all work for him. "I like hanging out with friends, driving around, going to the disco once in a while and partying," he smiles. When not busy practising, he also listen to the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Sting and Enigma. His choice of cuisine ranges from Chinese and Mexican to Italian but Indian, he maintains will always be his favourite! Among classical Indian musicians, he lists Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Ustad Amir Khan and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan among his favourites. And with his elder brother, Rohit, working for Modi Entertainment (distributor for Walt Disney in India), he also watches a lot of the previews before they hit the Indian screen. In the immediate future, the concert schedule which starts in the US in April will keep him busy. The next stops are Europe and the Middle East, during the months of September and October. At home, the peak season starts in November and Santoor Virasaat's next stop is New Delhi in December. With all his travels abroad, does he think he will, like many other Indian musicians, settle overseas? Rahul is quick to stress that his roots are firmly in India at the moment, while travel basically provides him with the opportunity to learn new things and broaden his horizons. And the future? "Only time," he says, "will tell." At present, Rahul is concentrating mainly on mastering the instrument. "An instrumentalist," he says, "is only a singer who is trying to convey his words through his instrument. And it gives him great satisfaction if he is able to touch someone through his music." Besides there is tremendous scope for improvisation in classical music, for evolution and new challenges. "Once you master an instrument," says Rahul, "there is the opportunity to diversify and experiment in other forms of music." The legacy he has chosen to inherit might have daunted lesser mortals. But it sits comfortably on Rahul Sharma's shoulders and he, perhaps, expresses it best when he says, "I think I have been groomed very well and am actually enjoying the responsibility." Pandit Chaurasia agrees, "Rahul has definitely been groomed well by his father. He is a maestro in the making. His father has made sure he is ready to perform and he is one of the bright stars of our future."

Photographs: Jewella C Miranda