Swar is the Ishwar of music
Why is classical music necessary for life? Sarod maestro Pandit Tejendra Narayan Majumdar was asked.
“Classical Music is the root of all music as the way heart beat and the respiratory processes are the vital requirements for a life. The earth was created with the naand or the sound. Through the course of stabilisation, the earth had a close musical concurrence with the sound of nature. The special frequency of that sound is called swar. Swar is Ishwar or the God of music. Classical Music, being an oldest form of high art, will never lose its position from the hearts of music lovers as melody has a universal appeal.”
He also expounded on the necessity of arranging classical music festivals, the first of which he attended last December, and the second season of which is slated for later this year.
“I am especially grateful to ITC-Sangeet Research Academy (SRA) and Bengal Foundation for holding such a nice festival that I hope would bring qualitative changes in Bangladeshi music scene. It is really a great venture. Bangladesh is teemed with many a great numbers of classical music audience, enthusiasts, connoisseurs and of course the prodigious talents in classical music. Bangladesh is, in a word, a breeding paradise of many sweet voices. What is needed is the nourishment of those talents. If they received proper taleem or training and knew the secret of performing good pieces long time in melody, they could truly fashion a big bang. The Bangladeshi talents have to have patience, precise taleem, mental readiness and an initiative to reach the refined melody to the people. An honest effort can ensure the hard task half done and I think, Bengal Foundation is on the right track in achieving that goal.”
“The journey has just begun. If it goes on, a new horizon for Bangladeshi classical music will certainly gleam one day,” added the Pandit.
“'Music is the food for soul,' would say my guru Ustad Ali Akbar Khan.” he said.
According to the Pandit, strength of classical music is so powerful that it can unite people around the globe taking away all the squabbles. The essence of classical music that has no language, race, religion, caste and creed, can ascertain mental peace among all, creating a new world. Classical music is the only music that can create a fraternity delineating politically constructed boundaries as mere impositions.
Pandit Tejendra Narayan Majumdar started his musical training under his grandfather, Bibhuti Ranjan Majumdar. He later trained under Ustad Bahadur Khan (son of Ustad Ayet Ali Khan) for 18 years until the maestro's death. He then continued under Ajay Sinha Roy, the legendary Ustad Ali Akbar Khan (son of Baba Ustad Allauddin Khan) and Pandit Ravi Shankar. Majumdar is one of the most popular and celebrated sarod players of his generation. He stood first in the All India Radio Music competition in 1981 and was awarded the President's gold medal and also received the Pandit D.V. Paluskar award.
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