Features: Magazine | Literary Review | Life | Metro Plus | Open Page | Education Plus | Book Review | Business | SciTech | Friday Review | Cinema Plus | Young World | Property Plus | Quest | Folio |

Photo: S. Ramesh Kurup

Aiming high: Gazal singer Jitesh Sundaram’s ambition is to compose a song that would be sung by Anup Jalota.

“My performance was well received. I felt happy when Bhupinder Singh complimented my diction,” says Jitesh, who was the only South Indian to perform at the festival.

Jitesh, a disciple of Anup Jalota, was indeed in elite company at ‘Khazana.’ Pankaj Udhas, Jalota, Bhupinder and Mitali Singh, Talat Aziz, Chandan Das, Penaz Masani, Ahmed and Mohammed Hussain and Rajendra Mehta were the other performers at the show, which was also attended by many eminent poets of India and Pakistan, as a ‘mushaira’ was also organised as part of this year’s ‘Khazana.’

“I sang four songs at the programme – Mirza Ghalib’s ‘Aah ko chahiye...,’ ‘Jaam chalne lage…’ (Anup Jalota), ‘Hazaaron khwaishen aisi…’ (Ghalib), which I had composed myself, and ‘Rangat teri zulfon…,’ the song which I had tuned and sang for a film ‘Megha Malhar,’” says Jitesh.

The song in ‘Megha Malhar,’ was picturised on Jitesh.

“The director of the film, Kamal, heard about me from one of his assistant directors. I would, of course, love to sing more songs like that in Malayalam films,” says Jitesh.

But his ambition is to establish himself as a ghazal singer. “That’s why I approached Jalota and requested him to make me his disciple. I have been training under him since 1996,” says Jitesh who is making a mark as a singer in Mumbai. Among those impressed by the sound of his voice is Ghulam Ali, whom he has accompanied on many shows. “It is a great honour to share the stage with one of the legends of ghazal. I had sung with Ghulam Ali for the first time in 1998 and have done many programmes together since. It was Jalota who introduced me to him,” says Jitesh. He plans to produce a new album of ghazals along with Jalota. “Both of us will be singing in it.”

Jitesh is eagerly awaiting the release of his maiden Malayalam ghazal album. “It will be composed by Robert, a United States-based Malayali musician. I am sure it would be a different experience for Malayali listeners. Most of the ghazals released in Malayalam aren’t ghazals, strictly speaking. Not all slow-paced songs are ghazals.”

Jitesh has already released three albums of ghazals – ‘Chahat,’ ‘Dard’ and ‘Saadgi.’ “Ghazals became my passion after listening to a cassette of ‘Ghulam Ali Live in India,’ while I was a school student at Thalassery. Not even in my wildest dreams could I have imagined that I would be singing along with Ghulam Ali one day.

“Since both my parents used to participate in stage shows, I was always musically inclined and had learnt to play the mridangam and the tabla. Then I saw Jalota perform for Malabar Mahotsavam in Kozhikode, in 1994; I was studying Law in Mangalore at that time. When I told him that I wanted to learn music from him, he asked me to complete my studies first and then meet him in Mumbai. Two years later, I began learning under him,” Jitesh reminisces.

He is looking forward to work in Kerala too. “And I will get an opportunity soon, as Jalota is planning to produce a film in Malayalam; he has produced four films in Hindi. My dream is to make him sing a song composed by me for the film he is producing,” says Jitesh with a smile.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail