Ghulam Ali graces Zee show

Zee TV's singing reality show 'Sa Re Ga Ma Pa 2012' will showcase some mind blowing jugalbandi's in the presence of the ghazal maestro Ustad Ghulam Ali Khan this week.

Jugalbandi being the core theme of the episode, the Top 10 contestants were pitted against each other in a musical duel which brought out their competitive streak beautifully.

Amongst many other conversations, anchor of the show Javed Ali shared a very interesting anecdote on his association with the maestro.

Javed said,  I have been a diehard fan of Ghulam Ali Saab since childhood. When I was 5 or 6 years old, I got a chance to meet him in Delhi with my father who was a well known Qawalli singer. I used to listen to Ghulam Ali saab on the radio very intently. One day, my father took me to one of his concerts and I got a chance to meet him in person after his performance."

"I sang one of his ghazals in front of him and he was so impressed that he asked me to come to his concerts to perform. Ghulam Ali ji rechristened me Javed Ali from Javed Hussain and since then I'm known as Javed Ali.

Javed serenaded Ghulam Ali saab by singing the ghazal 'Humko kisi ke'.

Amongst the performances, the one that took everyone's breath away was the jugalbandi between rockstar Jasraj (from Pune, Maharashtra) and Ustad Mohd Aman ( from Tonk, Rajasthan).

They gave a scintillating performance on 'Garaj Baras Sawan ghir Aaayo'.

They got a standing ovation from all the mentors and mentor Sajid gave Rs.1000 to each as a nazarana.

Mentor Shankar Mahadevan whistled on their outstanding performance and said, Kya Jodi hai yaar. I don't think such a performance has been ever given in the history of 'Sa Re Ga Ma Pa'. Unbelievable presentation."

"Both didn't step into each other's territory and yet sang so beautifully. This is called a duel.

Another performance which deserves a mention was given by Jazim and Himanshu. They performed the popular Ghulam Ali Khan saab's ghazal 'awargi'.

An exhilarated mentor Shankar Mahadevan said, This is a historical moment for me. All we could see is love for each other. It's a peak in the career of both Jazim and Himanshu.

Ustad Ghulam Ali said: Ye bade khatarnak hai dono. Sur mein bhi ga rahe the aur alfaaz bhi accha gaa rahe. Main bahut khush hua aapse.

read more...

Shankar Mahadevan boys follow in their Dad's footstep

Shankar Mahadevan's two sons Siddharth (age 18) and Shivam (age 11) are all set to follow in their father's footstep. And that includes their reverence for and emulation of Lataji's singing style.

In fact 11-year old Shivam is a diehard fan of the Nightingale. He has been studying her voice and singing style for several years now.

Says Shankar proudly, Shivam spends a considerable part of the day studying Lataji's singing in both Hindi and Marathi very carefully. It is my sons' biggest dream to meet her. She has gifted them a specially signed picture, and that's their most precious possession.

Shankar's elder son has already released a Bhajan album Gajaraj Adhiraj while the younger is all set to be heard singing in Nikhil Advani's animation film Delhi Safari. Like the father, son Shivam is a diehard Lata Mangeshkar fan and is currently studying the Niightingale's singing style in the minutest detail to be able to grasp the nuances of classical Hindustani sangeet.

Shankar's boy has taken Lataji's advice to aspiring singers to learn the classical style of music very seriously.

Says the proud father, As Lataji's advised right now it's just learn learn and learn for my boys. I just want them to invest in the most important thing called knowledge and musicality. And by God's grace my sons have the wisdom to understand the importance of proper grounding in music.

read more...

Shankar Mahadevan launches first digital talent hunt

Composer Shankar Mahadevan Friday launched the first mobile and internet-based singing talent hunt - "MOBisur" - which allows participation from any part of the country.

They can connect through their mobile phones or internet and the winners will get an opportunity to record an album with Shankar and prize money of Rs.5, 00, 000.

T-series is the official music partner for the talent hunt.

"The thought was to give every Indian an opportunity to participate in a unique contest to try and reach the pinnacle of musical genius...This is first of its kind initiative and opens new doors to a diverse mix of talent across India. By using digital media to leverage the talent in the country, MOBisur has set a new benchmark for talent hunts, " Shankar said in a statement.

Also present at the launch here was T-Series boss Bhushan Kumar.

"It gives us immense pleasure to be able to bring new talent in to the industry...We are looking forward to releasing an album composed by Shankar Mahadevan for the winner of the hunt, " said Kumar.

read more...