‘India is the mecca of all music’

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Mitali Banerjee Bhawmik is not an unknown name in the world of Hindustani classical music. Born and brought up in a small town in Assam, she has won the prestigious New Jersey Council of the Arts grant for four years. She is also the director of Ethnomedia Music Studio in New Jersey, which is a division of Ethnomedia LLC.

She is also running a non-profit music organisation Raag-Rang, which promotes Indian classical music all across the US.
Recently, she was in India when she performed at 11 different states, which includes Guwahati, Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai and Varanasi. In a freewheeling chat with this correspondent she talks about her life from a small town in Assam to New Jersey, the US, where she is a trainer, student and a performer.

Q. Tell us something about your journey from Assam to New Jersey?
I was born in Nagaon, Assam, where I started my initial training in vocal music. It was my mother who inducted me into this stream. Her desire to be a singer did not come through and thus she wanted me to learn Hindustani classical music. So I started taking lessons from Shree Ajit Dutta, a music teacher in my hometown. After few years of training under him, I came to Guwahati for advanced talim (learning) from the late Shree Biren Phukan, a well-known musician. He was a great teacher and a very good musician. After years of studying, I came to Kolkata for my further academic courses. I was enrolled in Jadhavpur University for my bachelors and masters degree. Meanwhile, I started taking music classes from the late Meera Banerjee. After two years of talim from her I was under the tutelage of late Padmabhushan Pandit V.G. Jog, the great violin maestro. The unique thing about Pandit Jog was instead of sticking to a particular style of music, he used to blend two to three styles of singing in his training. He believed that this would bring colours into my music.
I am still learning semi-classical music from Dalia Rahut, a senior disciple of Vidushi Girija Devi. In between, I got married and went to the US. I have been in New Jersey for the last 23 years promoting Indian music, giving performances and also teaching music to interested people.

Q. How do you think music has helped you move forward in your life?
Music is an expression of my life. Music has helped me concentrate. This has helped me mature. Music helped me to lead a life of discipline. And these things are very important to move forward in life.

Q. What has been your experience in teaching Hindustani classical music to students in the US?
By teaching students, I have learnt a lot. I have a school named Ethnomedia music studio where I teach children as well as adults, and most of my students are of Indian origin. Some of them are very serious about adopting the nuances of classical music. They usually practise on a regular basis, showing real interest, taking part in variety of music-related activities. Not only in Hindustani vocal, they are interested in Carnatic music, various dance forms like Kathak, Kuchipudi, Bharatnatyam, Odissi etc. I have a non-profit organisation named Raag-Rang, which promotes young talent and invites musicians from different places to perform. The scene of Hindustani music in the
US is improving with everyday.

Q. Why did you venture into thumris and bhajans from khayal gayiki?
Besides khayal singing, I always had a knack for semi-classical music and wanted to learn thumris, tappas, dadras, kajris etc. Khayal and thumris are two different styles of singing. Learning semi-classical music is a vast subject in its own. It seems, to sing Upa Shastriya Sangeet is more difficult than singing khayal. Daliadi is teaching me semi-classical music, and I am trying my best to continue learning from her.

Q. How are these various styles different from each other?
In khayal gayiki, you have to maintain purity of the raga. In semi-classical music, within the raga, you can bring a combination of other ragas to beautify that thumri. You have the liberty to experiment and develop depending on your talim.

Q. What has been your experience while performing in India?
Performing in India is always a nice experience. Singing in front of real music lovers and musicians is something different. That way you improve your singing as you are always being judged. This time I had 11 concerts in different parts of India, which include Guwahati, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Delhi and Varanasi. I loved the mahaol everywhere and enjoyed my performance.

Q. Having stayed in the US for so long you must have been accustomed to Western music too. What, according to you, is unique about the two styles — Hindustani classical and Western music?
Though I am in the US, I have not gained much knowledge about Western music. I want to explore this in the near future.

Q. Do you think India is lagging in providing the right kind of training and schools required for classical music?
India is the place for Hindustani music. Not only Hindustani, it’s the mecca of all kind of music. There is no question of lagging behind. To feel, understand, practice music and for proper training, one needs to be in India. There is no other option.