Lone living legend of her craft

Vidushi Girija Devi at the IC-SRA Classical Music Festival 2012.

Vidushi Girija Devi is the lone living legend of Purbanga styled classical music. Showcasing the opulence of Purbanga style, the vivacious Devi of music said, "Such a rich variety of music is nowhere to be found. The Purbanga styled music covers a gamut of classical and semi-classical genres including dhrupad, dhamar, khayal, tappa, tap khayal, tarana, thumri, dadra, chaiti, kajri, holi, sadra, jhula, purbi dadra and many more. Among those chaiti, kajri, holi, jhula are derived from folk music. Folk music just has a connotation of those melodies; but if you want to adorn the melody for a decorative performance, you must follow the classical style."
"I developed a fascination for classical music in my early childhood. I started learning the genre at five. As music is a guru--centric subject, a proper guru or mentor is required for training. It is important to follow rewaz or practice everyday to have a command over classical music," said the maestro.
Khayal music has the ability to win over the heart and soul. How can an artiste win the hearts of the audience through the rendition of khayal? Said Vidhushi Girija Devi, "Have you heard Bade Gulam Ali Khan or Ustad Faiyaz Khan's style of rendition? What was your feeling? The artistes performed from the depths of their heart. Today, several artistes perform for only the sake of giving performances, but that usually fails to capture the essence of melody. "
To the question of how we can reach the infinite through music, Girija Devi said, "One can reach the Creator only through swar and meditation. You may carry on programmes and earn money, but you cannot showcase you excellence in performance."
Acclaimed by music enthusiasts and connoisseurs alike, Vidushi Girija Devi, the prima donna of the Benaras and Senia traditions, has dedicated her life to the cause of Hindustani classical vocal music for over five decades. Born in Benaras in 1929, she was initiated into music at the tender age of five under the tutelage of Pandit Sarju Prasad Mishra. She later continued with Pandit Srichandra Mishra. Vidushi Girija Devi has received many awards and accolades, including the Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and the ITC Award. She has been a guru at the ITC Sangeet Research Academy since its inception.