TV shows popularise bhajans -Anup Jalota

Everything nowadays is mini and compact, right from the clothes to 20-over cricket contests. Classical music too has come a long way from the days of long play disc to the compact disc.

Like my father, Purshottam Das, I too came to the city and struggled my way into the music industry. I worked at the All India Radio for three years. I use to work as a chorus singer and earned Rs 320 per month. I also did small concerts and shows to make some extra money. Finally, in 1980, my efforts finally paid off with the launch of my first album Bhajan Sandhya.

Every musician shouldn't think of his/her struggling days as struggle. It's not struggle but a training period. One learns the most from those days. There was a time when I had gone to Mehboob Studio to meet Lata Mangeshkar who was recording a song for Laxmikant Pyarelaal. Pyarelaal requested me to sing a few lines for a song he was recording then. Obviously I was glad to do it and the title song, Ek dooje ki liye became a hit.

Although, amateur singers today don't face much struggle with the number of reality shows and platforms available, I believe one can become an idol overnight, but these are short-cuts which lead to a short circuit.

I strongly propose the span of 'training', since an amateur can learn the most from this period. Although I'm not a purely classical singer I try to go beyond the technicalities of music, my aim to sing with melody to the touch the hearts of my listeners.

As for remixes, I feel that, unlike before where a classical singer would sing a raaga for hours inducing the modulations, today people simply don't have the patience.