MUMBAI: Pandit Jasraj, renowned Indian classical vocalist and the foremost exponent of the Mewati Gharana turned 80 on Wednesday.
Jasraj is credited for mesmerising his audience with Indian classical tunes and taking ‘Hindustani sangeet’ to the highest level.
Jasraj was born to Pandit Motiramji, a classical exponent, in Hissar, Haryana to a musical family.
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His family is well known for singing in the Mewati Gharana style.
Jasraj is blessed with a rich, soul stirring and sonorous voice,traversing effortlessly across three and a half octaves. His vocalizing is in perfect diction and clarity. He also did extensive research in Haveli Sangeet.
His greatest contribution to Indian classical music is his conception of a unique and novel jugalbandi, styled on the ancient system of moorchanas, between a male and a female vocalist, each singing in their respective scales and different ragas at the same time.
In memory of his late father, he organises a musical concert every year called the Pandit Motiram Pandit Maniram Sangeet Samaroh in Hyderabad, India. It has completed 36 years in 2008.
He has been felicitated with many awards for his contribution to the Indian Classical music including Padma Vibhushan and Master Dinanath Mangeshkar Award.
At the felicitation ceremony held in Mumbai on Wednesday, several noted citizens including Rajshree Birla, Ajay Piramal, Harsh Goenka, Venugopal Dhoot, Pandit Shivkumar Sharma, Javed Akhtar and Shanana Azmi marked their presence.
