New Gen and Next Gen Indian Classical (Hindustani/Carnatic) Artists

[Deleted member 15865]

Are you a lover of Indian classical music, whether from the North or the South, bred listening to the stalwarts whose prime was between 70 and 00 and who established Indian classical into the international force that it is? While there can be no satiation to be reached listening to these maestros of yesteryears, do you find yourself on the lookout for newer artists - either the new gen between say ages 40-60 who are earning a name and following for themselves or the next gen below 40 with some serious talent who can blossom into full-blown artistry 10-15 years from now?

Let this be the thread where we share with fellow FM’s such talent that we have come across and liked. Write a bit about them - like their sub-genre, gharana, gurus, and especially what you like about their music. This will only help us broaden our listening while doing our small bit in promoting talent.

 

[Deleted member 15865]

Jayateerth Mevundi

Let me start with whom I consider one of the most promising Hindustani vocalists of the next- gen: Jayateerth Mevundi (age 48) who comes from the Hubli-Dharwad region of Karnataka which has given us past greats like Bhimsen Joshi, Mallikarjun Mansoor etc. No wonder Mevundi belongs to the Kirana gharana and sings in a style close to Bhimsen Joshi’s (who was his guru’s guru). He is considered by many as the torch bearer of this gharana.

Jayateerth is known for his Khyal singing as much as for classical bhajans - just like Bhimsen was. I find his voice sweet and singing rich with emotions and a certain ‘thehrav’. I only wish he soon evolvea his own distinctive style different from Joshi’s.

His website: https://web.archive.org/web/20110202215001/http://jayateerthmevundi.com/profile.html
YouTube page:

Jayateerth Mevundi - Topic

www.youtube.com

Sample albums:

Vocal Splendour

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.

www.youtube.com

 

[Bhaskar Jyoti Talapatra]

Hi
Sachin
Congratulations on your usual nice write up that always unfurls new avenues for me. However, I consider Koushiki Chakraborty to be a promising vocalist from Bengal. She is the daughter of the respected vocalist Sri Ajoy Chakraborty and she belongs to the Patiala gharana. At a very tender age she has won fame and she also had ventured to form a woman's group called Sakhi. Her nice voice, training under the mentorship of her father and also SangeetResearch Academy make her one of the promising khayal singers. Personally I like her songs very much. Perhaps in future she will be as famous as Hirabai Borodeker, my all time favorite female classical voice.
Regards

 

[Deleted member 15865]

Hi
Sachin
Congratulations on your usual nice write up that always unfurls new avenues for me. However, I consider Koushiki Chakraborty to be a promising vocalist from Bengal. She is the daughter of the respected vocalist Sri Ajoy Chakraborty and she belongs to the Patiala gharana. At a very tender age she has won fame and she also had ventured to form a woman's group called Sakhi. Her nice voice, training under the mentorship of her father and also SangeetResearch Academy make her one of the promising khayal singers. Personally I like her songs very much. Perhaps in future she will be as famous as Hirabai Borodeker, my all time favorite female classical voice.
Regards

Bhaskar, thanks for sharing information on Kaushiki. She is definitely one of the most promising young classical vocalists today. I also see a good improvement in her singing in the few years she has been performing which shows she is a good learner and has right attitude. I’ve always enjoyed Ajoy ji’s performances and recordings - he has a way to connect and communicate with the audience. I agree Kaushiki’s voice is pure (just like the name of one of her albums). I also like that she experiments with lighter forms as she continues developing as a classical singer. That ensures she popularises classical music with younger audiences.

Here’s a mix of her renditions for the uninitiated.

 

[Deleted member 15865]

Kaushiki Chakraborty: The ‘Pure’ Voice



39 years of age (of which she has been performing on stage for 19 years already!) and hailing from the musical city of Kolkata, Kaushiki is perhaps the most popular face amongst younger classical listeners today.She sings khyal but is also emerging as a force in thumris (light classical) which to me is her forte. While @Bhaskar Jyoti Talapatra wants to see her as the next Hirabai Barodekar, I feel she can also become a Thumri legend like Shobha Gurtu or Naina Devi.

Kaushiki is multifaceted (explains her popularity with new gen audience) and also sings in selective films. She is also a good conversationalist and also hosts her own musical talk show on Bangla TV channel.

Here’s a song by her from the Suman Ghosh film on Tagore’s sis-in-law, ‘Kadambari’ (music composed by another new gen Bangla gem I’d cover soon in the thread):

Please read the above two posts (by Bhaskar and me) for more on Kaushiki.

 

[Deleted member 15865]

M Venkatesh Kumar - A Late Bloomer

Venkatesh Kumar, at 67 years of age may seem an odd entry in this thread. But given that his performing career got launched only around the age of 40, his relatively less popularity but hugely impressive singing prowess, I decided to introduce him here.

Born to a folk artist and puppeteer, Venkatesh spent learning music the traditional way in an ashrama with a saint-musician for years. This traditionalism continues to reflect in his onward journey as well as singing - his renditions have the ability to take the listener back in time - not just to the 80s and 90s, but even before that. Trained in both Gwalior and Kirana gharana, but also follower of Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan of Patiala gharana, it’s not surprising to get glimpses of many previous greats in his singing.



I’d characterise his robust voice as a big strength of his. Don’t expect Rashid Khan like delicacy, his singing is always full-throated and firm, yet maintaining adequate melodiousness to not become strident. He has a great control on his layakari which comes out so fluently that you wonder at its ease!

Just like his career, his khyal renditions take off slowly. A first time listener would wonder why is he rated so highly by connoisseurs when he hits The early notes, but as he warms up and that rasping voice comes into its own, he transforms into a force to reckon with! He’d remind you of Bhimsen and Bade Ghulam Ali Khan both with his sky reaching taans and booming voice. There’s also a hint of Carnatic in his sargams which only adds its own charm.

Venkatesh also sings devotional songs as most musicians coming from Karnataka do and is particularly good at Dasara Padas. He is also academically oriented and has started teaching next gen.

If you haven’t already, you ‘must’ listen to this ‘guni kalakar’ whose best is yet to come. I reckon he will continue to grow in stature over the next decade or two. Here’s a khyal rendition by Kumar followed by a devotional performance:

 

[sivasarjun]

Bharathi Prathap ,disciple of Lalit Rao ,Agra gharana I find quite promising.One to watch out for.Like her approach.

 

[sivasarjun]

There are far more young promising singers in Carnatic than Hindusthani I feel.
Aiswarya Vidya Raghunath is one of them.

Lovely tempo.Slow but full of energy.

 

[Dev.R]

Ustad Rashid Khan , a promising future in Hindustani classical according to Pt.Bhimsen Joshi.
I thing ustad has proved that.

 

[Deleted member 15865]

Bharathi Prathap ,disciple of Lalit Rao ,Agra gharana I find quite promising.One to watch out for.Like her approach.

Good find. Thanks for introducing. Her guru Lalith Rao has such a distinctive voice and style. The ease and alacrity with which her voice climbs registers!

Ustad Rashid Khan , a promising future in Hindustani classical according to Pt.Bhimsen Joshi.
I thing ustad has proved that.

Already counted among the current greats.

 

[Deleted member 15865]

Pelva Naik - Breaking the Glass Ceiling

Restarting this thread after a gap. Yesterday I came across a very interesting young Indian classical musician and remembered that I haven’t been posting in this thread off late.

This musician is Pelva Naik - a young female Dhrupad singer in her early 30’s. Yes, you heard it right! Probably the first lady Dhrupad vocalist I’ve heard. And yes, she’s good.

Pelva is representative of the new age of Indian classical musicians - well-educated, world-wise and articulate. You should read some of her interviews to understand her better. Born in a scholarly family, schooled at Krishnamurti Foundation school (known for all-round development of its students), and with MA in Philosophy, she dedicated herself to studying Dhrupad under ZM Dagar. She shifted herself from Gujarat to Panvel, Maharashtra and lives at her teacher’s Gurukul. Her dedication to Dhrupad is total and one only expects her to emerge as a major musician in years to come.

She is already getting noticed and invited to major festivals. I feel happy that she started her stage performance career at my alma mater, IIT Bombay in 2012.

I came across Pelva’s recital on Shanti Shanti Classical radio station, so can’t give link to the same. Posting here some YouTube links of her performances and one of her interviews (worth reading). You can understand why she chose Dhrupad and his well she resonates with the genre.

Meet Pelva Naik, One Of The Few Female Dhrupad Singers in India

www.shethepeople.tv

 

[Deleted member 15865]

Harpreet Bansal - The Raga Maestra

I came across this interesting musician. She is
trained in Indian classical music both in India and Norway and has learnt violin under no less than Dr L Subramaniam while also getting MA in Music.

Harpreet gives solo performances as well as leads her own band, the Hardeep Bansal band which primarily based fusion music steeped in Indian ragas. There’s a certain fluidity and creativity associated with her music. It’s different and worth sampling. Clearly an international artist with strong Indian musical roots, she is extending the musical borders of Indian classical tradition.

Sample this:

To learn more about Bansal, visit her website

Harpreet Bansal | bansalmusic.com

 

[Vivek Batra]

Harpreet Bansal - The Raga Maestra

I came across this interesting musician. She is
trained in Indian classical music both in India and Norway and has learnt violin under no less than Dr L Subramaniam while also getting MA in Music.

Harpreet gives solo performances as well as leads her own band, the Hardeep Bansal band which primarily based fusion music steeped in Indian ragas. There’s a certain fluidity and creativity associated with her music. It’s different and worth sampling. Clearly an international artist with strong Indian musical roots, she is extending the musical borders of Indian classical tradition.

Sample this:

To learn more about Bansal, visit her website

Harpreet Bansal | bansalmusic.com

Hi @SachinChavan

I am reviving my classical taste nowdays.I think you are the best person to go to for classical . I am looking for some really good Indian classical like the ones in Bandish Bandits for example "Garaj Garaj Jugalbandi", Padharoo Mare Des. I do like folk songs as well. Could you please share some of the stuff here?

Thanks
Vivek

 

[Deleted member 15865]

Hi @SachinChavan

I am reviving my classical taste nowdays.I think you are the best person to go to for classical . I am looking for some really good Indian classical like the ones in Bandish Bandits for example "Garaj Garaj Jugalbandi", Padharoo Mare Des. I do like folk songs as well. Could you please share some of the stuff here?

Thanks
Vivek

Hi Vivek,

Glad to know you are getting interested in Indian classical. It’d be a voluminous activity to list from the ocean of classical pieces by past and present masters.

But those examples you quoted indicate that you are interested in Light classical genres. I’d suggest you type ‘Thumri’, ‘Tappa’, ‘Tarana’, ‘Hori’ or ‘Kajri’ in whichever streaming service you use - you’d be able to explore these various sub-genres of light classical music. It’s a very colourful palette. Later, when you feel ready to explore the more fundamental/core forms, you could listen to ‘Khyal’ and ‘’Dhrupad’ which get more technical and meditative.

There are too many artists to suggest, so I won’t even try to be exhaustive, but name just a few. In light classical, try listening to Abdul Karim Khan, Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Bhimsen Joshi, Girija Devi, Shobha Gurtu, Ajoy Chakraborty among the past legends. Among the contemporary artists, I’d suggest Shubha Mudgal, Kaushiki Chakraborty, Malini Rajurkar to begin with.

As a starter try listening to this Spotify playlist:

Thumri Telaiya

Thumri Telaiya · Playlist · 44 songs · 15.3K likes

open.spotify.com

 

[Vivek Batra]

Hi Vivek,

Glad to know you are getting interested in Indian classical. It’d be a voluminous activity to list from the ocean of classical pieces by past and present masters.

But those examples you quoted indicate that you are interested in Light classical genres. I’d suggest you type ‘Thumri’, ‘Tappa’, ‘Tarana’, ‘Hori’ or ‘Kajri’ in whichever streaming service you use - you’d be able to explore these various sub-genres of light classical music. It’s a very colourful palette. Later, when you feel ready to explore the more fundamental/core forms, you could listen to ‘Khyal’ and ‘’Dhrupad’ which get more technical and meditative.

There are too many artists to suggest, so I won’t even try to be exhaustive, but name just a few. In light classical, try listening to Abdul Karim Khan, Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Bhimsen Joshi, Girija Devi, Shobha Gurtu, Ajoy Chakraborty among the past legends. Among the contemporary artists, I’d suggest Shubha Mudgal, Kaushiki Chakraborty, Malini Rajurkar to begin with.

As a starter try listening to this Spotify playlist:

Thumri Telaiya

Thumri Telaiya · Playlist · 44 songs · 15.3K likes

open.spotify.com

Hi Sachin

Thanks for the prompt reply. Well I have no in depth knowledge to classify various classical forms in to different categories as you mentioned. I just like where the lyrics are good. I can give you some more hint what I love so far

1. Mora Piya mose bolata nahin
2. Chaap Tilk Sab Chini (Not sure if this qualifies as classical)
3. Ae Re Sakhi More Piya Ghar Aaye
4. Kahan Se Aaye Badra (Yesudas, From movie Chasme Badoor)
5. May be with sufi touch sung by Abida Parveen/Nusrat/Sabri Brothers (Kabir,Amir Khusro, Farid)

I will try the playlist you shared.

Thanks a lot.

Vivek

 

[Vivek Batra]

Hi Vivek,

Glad to know you are getting interested in Indian classical. It’d be a voluminous activity to list from the ocean of classical pieces by past and present masters.

But those examples you quoted indicate that you are interested in Light classical genres. I’d suggest you type ‘Thumri’, ‘Tappa’, ‘Tarana’, ‘Hori’ or ‘Kajri’ in whichever streaming service you use - you’d be able to explore these various sub-genres of light classical music. It’s a very colourful palette. Later, when you feel ready to explore the more fundamental/core forms, you could listen to ‘Khyal’ and ‘’Dhrupad’ which get more technical and meditative.

There are too many artists to suggest, so I won’t even try to be exhaustive, but name just a few. In light classical, try listening to Abdul Karim Khan, Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Bhimsen Joshi, Girija Devi, Shobha Gurtu, Ajoy Chakraborty among the past legends. Among the contemporary artists, I’d suggest Shubha Mudgal, Kaushiki Chakraborty, Malini Rajurkar to begin with.

As a starter try listening to this Spotify playlist:

Thumri Telaiya

Thumri Telaiya · Playlist · 44 songs · 15.3K likes

open.spotify.com

Just started the Spotify playlist and I am already linking it a lot.

 

[Deleted member 15865]

Hi Sachin

Thanks for the prompt reply. Well I have no in depth knowledge to classify various classical forms in to different categories as you mentioned. I just like where the lyrics are good. I can give you some more hint what I love so far

1. Mora Piya mose bolata nahin
2. Chaap Tilk Sab Chini (Not sure if this qualifies as classical)
3. Ae Re Sakhi More Piya Ghar Aaye
4. Kahan Se Aaye Badra (Yesudas, From movie Chasme Badoor)
5. May be with sufi touch sung by Abida Parveen/Nusrat/Sabri Brothers (Kabir,Amir Khusro, Farid)

I will try the playlist you shared.

Thanks a lot.

Vivek

Most of these are film/folk/Sufi songs with some classical basis. They won’t qualify as classical/semi-classical performances, but do sound melodious and soothing because they loosely follow some raga. Even traditional (not the new wave) Ghazals and Qawwalis were based on raga/s. Similarly some devotional music too, for example most Sikh Kirtans, Nirgun Bhajans and so on. But all of these can take creative liberties and deviate from the raga they are based on, while the music that qualifies as classical or semi-classical cannot do that.

But such music serves an important purpose as it helps listeners crossover from pop music to classical.

 

[himadri]

The next gen Dhurpad --- Prasant Malik of the Darbhanga tradition.

 

[Vivek Batra]

Most of these are film/folk/Sufi songs with some classical basis. They won’t qualify as classical/semi-classical performances, but do sound melodious and soothing because they loosely follow some raga. Even traditional (not the new wave) Ghazals and Qawwalis were based on raga/s. Similarly some devotional music too, for example most Sikh Kirtans, Nirgun Bhajans and so on. But all of these can take creative liberties and deviate from the raga they are based on, while the music that qualifies as classical or semi-classical cannot do that.

But such music serves an important purpose as it helps listeners crossover from pop music to classical.

No fixation for pure classical , as long as I can unserstand the lyrics and enjoy I am happy

 

[Yogesh]

Hi @SachinChavan

I am reviving my classical taste nowdays.I think you are the best person to go to for classical . I am looking for some really good Indian classical like the ones in Bandish Bandits for example "Garaj Garaj Jugalbandi", Padharoo Mare Des. I do like folk songs as well. Could you please share some of the stuff here?

Thanks
Vivek

Hi Vivek,

As per songs you have mentioned, This playlist would be ideal for you!

Modern Classical Music

Modern Classical Music · Playlist · 25 songs · 67 likes

open.spotify.com