“You need a lifetime to master one raag”
At 17, Karan Deogaonkar is still in his teens, but has already made a mark as an upcoming Hindustani classical vocalist from Pune. Music to him means the entire Universe. His hobbies include cooking, cycling and travelling. In fact, he has the timetable of numerous trains at the tip of his tongue.
The teenaged prodigy does not prefer to be confined to any one particular school of music although his ‘sur’ have unmistakable strains of the Patiala Kasur Gharana. As someone who believes that Hindustani vocal music is all inclusive, he opines that a good audience is a key aspect of every performance. He feels grateful that Bharat is blessed with a wonderful audience, different in every city. For aspiring musicians like him, he feels motivated on receiving suggestions for improvement from them.
Karan Deogaonkar in conversation with A. Radhakrishnan
What does music mean to you?
I see music as the entire universe.
One finds reference to music as the union of three art forms Gayan i.e. Vocal; Vaadan i.e. Instrument and Nritya i.e. Dance. They are like the 3 major oceans of music. Music is always unending. The deeper you go, the more you will realise that there is a lot more to be explored. Many aspects of life starting from expressions and thoughts that a person has to various metaphors of life and death, to love and devotion towards God are covered here. It is a field not bound by religion. E.g. Bade Ghulam Ali Khan Saheb is a composer of Todi bandish Allah Jane Maula Jane as well as the bandish of Bhupali Prabhu Rang Bhina. Music basically connects humans to humanity.
What were your early musical influences?
My first love towards music germinated in the form of nursery rhymes. It has since always expanded. When I was 4-5 years old, two of my most favourite songs were Baglyanchi Maal Fule and Pal Pal dil ke Paas. My father I am told was learning violin one day and I picked up the song in the correct pitch and the correct note. Thus began my training under my first guru Smt. Supriya Prani.
Is your singing inborn or are you trained? Can we call you a prodigy?
Singing is always inborn, but to identify it and make it bloom, training is required. After training with Smt. Supriya Prani for four years, I started learning under the guidance of Pt. Amol Nisal and later from Pt. Shaunak Abhisheki and Smt. Aparna Kelkar and got ample guidance from Pt. Ajoy Chakraborty, Vidushi Sawani Shende and Shri Meher Paralikar.
Which gharana do you belong to?
I strongly believe that music should not be bound much by gharana, but due to what my taleem is, my voice quality and whom I mainly listen to, my gayaki is inclined to the Patiala Kasur gharana. However, one can find influence of other gharanas too.
How many years does one need to learn classical or Hindustani singing.
One needs an entire lifetime (a minimum of 24 hrs a day) to master one raag. Hindustani classical music has its roots in sadhana. The deeper you look into your inner self, the more you will discover. Once your inner self is content, stable and happy, you will be able to enjoy the unending learning process.
What is included in Hindustani vocal music?
Hindustani vocal music is all inclusive. The experiences that one has encountered, the emotions one has had, the joy in the learning process etc., the better you express it, the easier it will be for the audience to connect to you. The attractive sargams, high speed taans, and huge vocal range are aspects that help make your music more interesting, like the abhushans of Hindustani music. Kishori Tai (Kishori Amonkar) always said, “sing to express and not to impress”.
What are the difficulties one faces in this genre.
The crucial thing here is time. In today’s busy lifestyle, taking time out for music is a challenge. Music as a career option is highly uncertain. Just like any art form you are never content with your performance. There’s always room for improvement. In our country, music has always been considered a hobby and never been a part of curricular activities. Even though we say that Hindustani music does not demand a huge audience, unfortunately it has not gained the required amount of popularity. It is also unfortunate that many people from my generation are unaware of names such as Pt. Jitendra Abhisheki, Amir Khan Saheb, Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Shri Vasantrao Deshpande, Smt Kishori Amonkar etc. They are unable to identify many of our musical instruments like the tanpura, santoor, sitar etc. The influence of western music on our generation is pretty high.
Who is your favourite classical singer and why?
Not one, but I have many favourite classical singers and those from other fields of music as well, like Pt. Ajoy Chakraborty and Bade Ghulam Ali Khan Saheb. Every time I listen to a clip there’s something that I always end up learning.
How do you describe the audience at concerts. How do you energize a tired audience?
A good audience is a key aspect of every performance. Fortunately, Bharat is blessed with a wonderful audience, different in every city. For aspiring musicians like us, points of improvement are also something we receive from them.
The audience is always pleased by unexpected elements. From the raag we choose to the laya in which we sing, all are crucial to energise the audience. The stage habits of a person are also important.
How to develop good gayaki?
The key to develop a good gayaki is by letting music happen through you and never copy anyone’s style. One particular gayaki is not suitable for everyone. A guru first analyses and then trains you in various aspects to help you adopt the gayaki that you want to pursue. If your love, shraddha (dedication) and sadhana (devotion) towards music and your guru are visible through your music, then you need not develop a good gayaki… it will automatically start sounding good.
Importance of low swaras.
The best example is that of a toy car. The more you push it backwards, the further it will move ahead. Practicing the lower swaras in the morning will enhance the vocal range, make your voice more open and improve its flexibility. To master the ability to do alaap in any raag, one should have his/her voice in his/her own control. Morning riyaz helps. Person specific though, for me the lower notes just hit differently than the ones of taar and madhya saptak. The resonance achieved by the lower notes always makes a place in one’s heart. Mastering the lower notes is something a Hindustani musician cannot avoid.
How to master laya?
Well, laya is something that unfortunately cannot be mastered externally. It’s an inbuilt understanding of the cycle of the taal. The better one is acquainted with the taal, the easier it is for the musician to analyse the distance between the two matras.
What is the process of singing a raag?
You can relate a presentation of any raag with the act of buying something from a shop. The shopkeeper here refers to the performer and the buyer as the audience. Just like the shopkeeper tries to win over the mind of a buyer by telling all the interesting features of the product, similarly an artiste tries to tell the audience the speciality of the raag that he/she is presenting. First with the aalap, what are the main swaras of the raag, the chalaan, the bhaav etc. Then the bandish in which with the help of words slowly and steadily you reach the upper sa. Then the taar saptak, laykari comes into picture. Then taans and sargams which make that raag engaging and intriguing until finally you win over the minds of the audience. However, as I said earlier just a single raag has its reach far more than just performance.
Have your participated in any reality TV programmes? Or won an award for your performance?
I am mainly focused on the learning process, so I’ve not yet participated in any TV/ reality shows.
However, in an all-India Shribahinisahib classical music competition, I was fortunate enough to be among the top 12 finalists pan India. Every programme that I give, every competition I’ve participated in has turned out to be a memorable experience.
Describe yourself.
I’m a social person, always excited to try something new. Not being in my comfort zone is actually my comfort zone. I struggle to give time to music as well as studies. I’m fond of travelling as well as teaching. I am a student of Class 12 and studying Science in Pune. I wish to pursue a bachelor’s degree in engineering and masters in music. But I will keep on learning and plunging deeper and deeper in the oceans of music.