" My Memoirs in Music " by Shweta Jhaveri
A thing of beauty is a joy forever - in the spirit of this favourite Keatsian line I present a few of my memoirs in music.
Whether it is the present, past or future, sweet memories stay forever. Often suggested by my wellwishers and students in general
to write something about my Hindustãni vocal music training and music-life, I present excerpts from my teens and twenties in India and abroad.
My first 25 years in music.
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* The Guru-shishya Paramparaã
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In 1990s I was instrumental to inaugurate the lamp of the premier Pandit Jasraj School of Music foundation
outside of India and often visited there to teach and perform.
( Founded & Directed
by Asha Lohia )
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Vocal accompanyment to my legendary Guruji from 1986 to early-1990s was great learning for me.
He performed richly beautiful khayals, his compositions and bhajans that I was grateful to learn and performed in India and abroad,
inaugurated the lamp of Guruji's premier foundation outside of India, mentored students, researched, composed for dance-dramas
and sang for my debut-film BhagvadGita for swami Vivekananda's centenary.
From college days I had often sung, composed, recorded, for many years at the studio of a producer fan P. Jangbãri in India.
When he heard me accompanying Guruji in concerts, he called my voice-culture 'Shwet-rangi' colourful and pure, gladly received by
people around.
Guruji's voice was four notes higher than mine. His shadaj (Sa) was my madhyam (Ma) therefore in many concerts due to my limited upper
voice range I had begun to accompany him in the lower to middle octaves introducing my voice culture, reviewed by the Indian Express as
'providing delightful counterpoint' or 'wonderfully innovative'. At times critics had interviewed or asked me about my thoughts
as if I co-innovated something. Thus 35 years ago in my early 20s as a disciple and vocal accompanist to Guruji I was grateful to perform his innovative
duet in progress and was its premier performer-accompanist. For years I was not fortunate to hear Guruji perform his innovation hence
I do not perform it.
Due to Guruji's foundations, busy schedules and our different lifestyles we hardly met.
Guruji had blessed me saying "As a disciple and a vocal accompanist your voice brings me peace.
May you remain an institute in yourself devoted to music."
(Tutelage- reviews)
* My Beginnings at the AACM :
(page 2 of 3)
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2023 © Shweta Jhaveri
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