A stellar concert: Pt. Jasraj

On Nov 1st it was as though Austin was exploding with events. My pick, hands down, for which I have been waiting almost a year, was a classical Hindustani (north Indian classical music style) concert by none other than Pandit Jasraj. Pt. Jasraj is a living legend in the world of Hindustani and brings everything around him to life with the power of his music. He is rooted in the Mewati gharana style and has a sublime voice ranging over 3 1/2 octaves. To put it colloquially, he is the boss.

As I wrote the title of this post, I consciously avoided the word "review" because I would have to be a presumptuous fool to think myself capable of reviewing Pt. Jasraj. Since we all know I am über-smart, I will present my experience at the concert instead.

The concert started punctually late (I just coined that expression), 30 minutes from the published time. The artistes were introduced as they walked in, in increasing order of stature. As Pt. Jasraj stepped onto the raised platform on the stage he received the first of many standing ovations that night. I was amused to see one of the "second in line" vocalists (he had two supporting vocalists) pour him a cup of water. Traditions reign strong in classical music. Once past this moment, there was nothing else but beauty in the night. All musicians began tuning their instruments to Panditji's voice cue, and he started with a slow, sonorous swar-vistar, enunciating in great depth every note that would be used in the first piece.

He started with the rag Marwa, which I have always melted at the sound of, and this night was no different. As he sang the aakar (rendering with an "aa" sound) of each note in the Rag, my eyes closed and I drifted off into my own Neverland. Every note seemed to emerge from the depths of his body and then hang suspended in mid air, maintaining its presence for 1, 2, .. even 30 seconds, till he slowly nudged it and morphed it into the next shape he wanted it to take. Music filled the room like you could reach out and touch it, but you were scared to because you didn't want to disturb how it sounded by the movement of your hands. It was magical, incredible, and everything you would have expected from Pt. Jasraj.

As I sat there, strangely not needing Kleenex, I thought about what it meant to be able to listen to music like this. Every organ we are born with must have a purpose beyond its function, something that gives each of them a raison d'être. This concert then was for my ears. And no matter that I am not musically educated or madly skilled, the evening was worth the months I spent waiting for it.

I googled endlessly to find an educated review of this concert, but it was apparently not mainstream enough to get one. I wish I could say more technical things about it, but we have to live with this.