PANDIT JASRAJ ALSO SANG FOR FILMS

The doyen of मेवाती  घराना, पंडित जसराज  is the top ranked classical vocalist of India.He was born in Hissar in Haryana.His father Pt.Motiram was a musician and  his three sons Pt.Maniram  ,Pt.Pratap Narayan(father of Sulakshana Pandit and Vijyeta Pandit) and Pt.Jasraj, all became well versed  Hindustani Classical vocalists.But Pt.Jasraj is the gem of this Mewati Gharana.Pt. Jasraj got his training in music,from his father and eldest brother Pt. Maniram. I have attended his live concerts, four times since 1982 and what I feel,that his singing is now filled with divinity and spirituality,which mesmerizes everyone in the audience in every part of the world.

When I searched for his contribution to film music ,then it is only in three films,one is,his father in law's(श्री  वी.शांताराम) production;'लड़की  सह्याद्री  की '.In this film,music director Late Shri वसंत देसाई  composed in राग अहीर भैरव ,a patriotic song for Pt.Jasraj.Listening  to it explores the range and quality in singing style of Pandit Ji.The song is"वंदना करो ,अर्चना करो ।इस धरा महान की,स्वर्ग के समान की ।।भक्ति और भाव की ,मिटटी है सम्मान की ।भूमि है गरीब  की किन्तु स्वाभिमान की।।वंदना करो ...।।विश्व से इसे प्रेम है ,शांति से इसे प्यार है ।पर अधर्म के लिए धर्म की तलवार है।।वंदना करो अर्चना करो .........।"    

The second song"रंगरलियाँ  करत सौतन के संग ...." was recorded for the film 'BIRBAL MY BROTHER' and it was a जुगलबंदी  in राग  मालकौंस  in द्रुत लय,तीन ताल ,with the great exponent of किराना  घराना ,प.भीमसेन जोशी .Both the vocalists presented a unique composition of taans,meend gamak,murkiyan,which is not very common for film songs.Here is that song:

 There was a movie'PHIR BHI'(1973) in which Pandit Ji sang many pieces of Aalap and Khayals in the background music score.Pt. Jasraj sang three songs in film'SUSHMAN' and one song in film 'EK HASEENA THI'. This is not enough for such a great singer and I hope that some music director will definitely persuade Pandit Ji to sing his divine Bhajans for films also.He is touching the age of 80 and I wish him a 100 year's long musical life,showering peace and harmony all over the world.

'BHARAT RATNA' PT.BHIMSEN JOSHI'S CONTRIBUTION TO HINDI CINEMA

Pt. BHIMSEN JOSHI was a great classical singer ,representing the KIRANA Gharana of Hindustani Classical Music.Born in Dharwad  district of KARNATAKA on 22nd Feb.,1922, he left this world forever on 24th,Jan.,2011. He was honoured with'BHARAT RATNA' the greatest civilian award,by the President of Govt.of India, in the year,2008 .Due to his great contribution, in the field of Hindustani Classical Vocal Music, he will remain  immortal.Very few people know that, he contributed his classical singing to some Hindi films also,such as : PATIVRATA(1953) ,BASANT BAHAR(1956), SANT TULSIDAS (1972) and ANKAHEE(1981) .His most popular song was in film 'BASANT BAHAAR':केतकी,ग़ुलाब,जूही,चम्पक बन फूले ..'

 This was sung in राग  बसंत - बहार and Manna Dey was his cosinger.He also sang a जुगलबंदी  in राग  मालकौंस  alongwith Pt .जसराज  ,in film 'BIRBAL MY BROTHER'. It was his already famous  द्रुत  ख्याल  " रंग  रलियाँ  करत  सौतन  के  संग ..." .In film पतिव्रता  with classical singer  लक्ष्मी  शंकर ,he sang "ए  री  माई आज शुभ मंगल गाओ ...",in राग मियां की तोड़ी (Audio clip given here). 

He sang two  Bhajans in film ANKAHEE , beautifully composed by music director JAIDEV.One was Tulsidas's famous bhajan "रघुवर  तुमको  मेरी  लाज .." and the second was an enchanting devotinal song,sung in Kirtan style "ठुमक  ठुमक  पग, घूमत कुञ्ज मग ,चपल चरण हरि आये  ...., हरि आओ ,हरि  आओ .." .Both of them became very popular. He sang five compositions in film संत  तुलसीदास  for music director RAM KADAM giving playback to actor Sahu Modak in the role of Sant Tulsidas.The songs are:
1.पिता मातुश्री बंधु कांता प्रजा के सुखदाता  ...
२.बोलो भाई राम की दोहाई.......
३.रामाय राम भद्राय रामचन्द्राय ......जानकी पतिव्रता नारी ...
४.ग्रन्थ ज्ञान के बरव सोरठ ....इन ग्रंथो से भक्ति भावना सारे जग में ...
५.राम प्रभु आधार जगत के राम जीवनाधार, राम एक आदर्श हमारे (Audio clip given here) ....  
I feel myself lucky that I could attend to his live concert at Kanpur in 1989,that was his last visit to this city.It was 15th October.You can see his autograph, given on one of his LP records of my collection.