A science graduate with degrees in advertising andmanagement, Sumeet Anand Pandey is also a promising Dhrupad artist devoted topropagating a centuries-old classical tradition that has conquered the test oftime and eras and to those who seek to quench their palette with the ragas andalaps of Dhrupad music.
The Dhrupad vocalist has recently launched his debut album,'Morning Meditation' in Darbhanga Dhrupad tradition online.
Hailing from a revered Dhrupad Gharana, and as the tenthgeneration singer of Darbhanga Dhrupad tradition, Sumeet went online in orderto connect the youth of the nation with their rich cultural heritage.
The album is launched on Naxos World (now part of ARC Music,UK) and available for online streaming on leading platforms. Excerpts from achat with Sumeet:
Q. Please share with us your understanding of the Dhrupadtradition, and what pulled you to it?
A. Dhrupad is the ancient most north Indian classical music,still in practice. Its origin is inspired by vedic chanting and further basedon chhanda-prabandha style from the 13th century. Devotional and meditative innature, many ancient compositions of Dhrupad are religious and spiritual innature with Sanskrit text. More recently, as Dhrupad traveled from holy templesto royal courts and now public performance arena, stylistic temperament alsoevolved alongside. Newer compositions of Braj bhasha were added. Only a fewfamilies have carried forward the rare art form Dhrupad in true Guru-Shishyatradition, of which Darbhanga Mallick tradition's role is pivotal. Theyspecialise in Gauhar vani tracing their origin to Tansen's Senia lineage andalso have a healthy repertoire of Khandar vani. I was born in Darbhanga Dhrupadfamily as maternal grandson of one of the greatest vocalist, Padma Shri PanditSiyaram Tiwari, thus got exposure to music from an early age.
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Q. In today's music space, what do you think keeps Indianclassical music relevant?
A. Indian classical music is based on hundreds of years ofcollective research and wisdom of scholars and saints of ancient India. It is arich and vast field with unparalled combination of both art and science. Thismakes it an ocean of sorts which has some thing to offer to anyone and everyonewho wishes to study and practice music, irrespective of their genre orspecialisation.
Q. Please tell us about your artistic legacy and tutelage.What made you give up career prospects in science and advertising for this?
A. After my childhood training under both my grandfathers,Shri Birendra Mohan Pandey and Pandit Siyaram Tiwari, I came under the tutelageof my present Guru Pandit Abhay Narayan Mallick, grandnephew and masterdisciple of Padma Shri Pandit Ram Chatur Mallick. I trained with himcontinuously for over a decade and continue to receive his guidance from timeto time. I felt an undescribable and irresistible pull towards Indian classicalmusic, and particularly Dhrupad when I was learning from Pt. Mallick. I alsosensed the unfathomable depth of this artform and understood the need towholeheartedly commit myself to it if I was serious about getting anywhereclose to taste the real nectar. Hence, the hard decision of quitting a safe andlucrative career in marketing for an uncertain and arduous journey in musicbecame the obvious choice.
Q. You're also a festival curator and organiser. What do youthink are the key hits and misses of classical performers'/festivals' approachto the common person?
A. There are many things to improve in the classical musicfestival scene as well as classical performances. My discomfort with Entry-Freeculture led me to start Geetam Vadyam Nrityam, a festival that presents thethree disciples, namely vocal, instrumental and dance in a single eveningformat for a nominal support fee. This initiative particularly focuses on youngand promising talent. Young artists need to showcase their talent and at thesame time be paid for their efforts in simple terms. Likewise, art and cultureorganisations need to look beyond big crowd pullers name only and focus onpresenting younger artists to people as well. Performers also need to lookbeyond just programs and invest their time and energy in inculcatingappreciation and awareness about Indian classical music among masses,particularly young students and professionals. Well produced online lecture-demonstrations,art appreciation courses, workshops etc. should be organised in an easy tounderstand manner to reach a wider audiece and dispel myths around ourclassical music which do more damage than good. In the times of pandemic, onehas to leverage digital and online medium and learn new skills to stayrelevant.
Q. What is the thought behind 'Morning Meditation'? How didit come about?
A. Morning Meditation, my debut Dhrupad album, as the titlesuggests, has morning raga Ahir Bhairav as the main track. An extended Dhrupadalap in Darbhanga Dhrupad style followed by a composition set to choutal,'Shyam Sundar ko Pratah Samay' takes listeners into a meditative and spiritualstate. Additional track is an uplifting sargam ki Bandish in raga Bhairav setto sooltal. The album actually came about as a lucky coincidence during myDhrupad recital in Berlin in 2019. Naxos World (now ARC Music) record label'sA&R manager was in the audience, who approached me after the recital andinvited for a meeting the next day to discuss work. To my pleasant surprise, analbum was offered in that meeting and subsequently recorded in Delhi andmastered in the UK.
(Source: IANS)