When Pandit Ravi Shankar’s disciple Gaurav Mazumdar plays the sitar with his toes, quips a critic, he is good. When he plays with his fingers, he is classy! That touch of class has been seen at concerts across the world. He is among the few Indians to have played at the famous Museum of Modern Art in New York. Only a few can boast of being a nominee for the Grammy. His album with American musician Daniel Hope was nominated in 2004.
It is worth noting that only Gaurav from Pandit Ravi Shankar’s group of disciples was chosen by the guru to play at the inaugural of the Athens Olympic Games. A trip to the U.S. some years ago went houseful in the cities he performed in. He regaled audiences with his pristine music coast to coast at Virginia, Washington DC, Richmond, Cincinatti, Austin, Boston, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Portland, Los Angeles, San Jose, Atlanta and Savannah. He has just returned from a series of concerts in England.
These are not the only feathers in the cap of the ambitious Bengali from Allahabad.
The feats
He is India’s first and possibly only musician to have played for the Pope some years ago. He has also appeared in an album with Barbara Streisand, among others, for a charitable cause. Again, he was the only Indian in it. Famous musicians have accompanied him. Kishan Maharaj the legendary tabla maestro is one such. The world class Philip Glass and his team too have performed together with him. Glass’ Orange Mountain Inc. has brought out Orion featuring himself, Gaurav and others from the Glass team who had played at the Athens Olympics.
“I want to play for the rest of my life. I want to popularise our great musical tradition,” he says humbly. The Allahabad born Gaurav has come a long way from the city of his birth. He belongs to a family of musicians and is a composer too who can be seen dedicatedly guiding his disciples patiently so that they too become top notch. Knowing his devotion, patience and skill, his disciples too will shine.
His wife comes into the room, where he is guiding his disciple Hindol, carrying a phone. She says it is a Swiss organiser who wants to know when he is coming to Switzerland. Gaurav smiles and takes the receiver.
A.K. MITAL
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