Mrs. Kumkum Sanyal, a Hindustani vocalist has been a Boston area resident for almost a decade. She has won recognition not only as a versatile performer but has made her mark as a teacher who trains with rigor and sets high expectations for her students. Several of her students presented Classical and Semi-Classical music at Hindustani session of the December 2007 H-K concert organized by Dr. Suresh Mathur. Mrs. Sanyal spoke to Lokvani about her life as an artist performing Hindustani music and teaching the art form to Boston area residents.

 Where were you born and brought up? Did you start singing and taking lessons early in life?
I was born and brought up in Chakdaha, a town not far from Kolkata in West Bengal.  I started singing and learning music at the age of five, and started performing when I was eight.  I remember when I was 12, my teachers entered me in a statewide Khayaal competition that included adults, and I won the Gold Medal.  In our area, I was considered to be a child prodigy (I am not sure what the exact criteria for a prodigy are).  I won many state and national competitions with first prizes.  My Guru used to take me to these prestigious competitions.  Eventually the excitement of winning wore out and I went into a deeper and more contemplative state of music.

Could you please give examples of values that your parents and teachers instilled in you that you use to this day?
My parents placed a strong emphasis on their children receiving good education and instilled in us strong moral values.  My mother was a vocalist and father a flutist.  My mom spotted my talent in singing and did her best to ensure proper training for me.  My parents also wanted me to strive for perfection.  My teachers used to encourage me to stretch myself to go as far as possible, and to this date I cherish their influence and try to pass it on to my students.  Through out my musical life I have been a performing artist, and I also teach my student the art of performance according to their level.

Please tell us about your teachers and their teaching style. Did you learn in Guru-shishya tradition?

I first started learning from Shri Amalendu Pal and continued with him for many years.  I also learned for years from Pandit Vishmadev Bhaolttacharyya.  Later on, while living in Bangalore I received training and guidance from Pandit Vinayak Torvi, and continued with him for several years.  In the end, in Khayaal singing, I follow closely the Gwalior and Kirana styles and my Thumri singing reflects mostly the Patiala style.  I should add that I have evolved my own style through experimenting with and synthesizing several different Gharanas of music, while maintaining the purity.  I believe that to be a performing artist, one has to have his or her own creative expression.

My childhood teacher, Shri Amalendu Pal, would occasionally take me with him to Kolkata in addition to traveling from there to teach me.  I would often spend weeks in his house with his family and learn music in the Guru-shishya tradition.

You are a versatile artist who sings several musical forms such as Khyaal, Thumri, Dadra, Bhajan, Taraana etc.. Which form interests you the most and what is it about the musical form that draws your attention and attracts you to it?

I feel most attracted to Khayaal partly because of the endless possibilities this form offers for an artist to be creative and improvise within each raga structure.  The singer can immerse in and carry the listeners to an immeasurable depth.  I think that one lifetime is not enough to achieve perfection in Khayaal singing.  I also find this to be the most meditative form of music and I try to bring out the Bhava, while maintaining the skillful application and purity that the raga demands. 
 I should add that I also immensely enjoy singing Thumri (and Dadra), which requires no less skills than Khayaal.  One also needs the natural ability to spontaneously apply these skills in a unique way that would evoke the emotions of romance, joy and pathos that these forms of music are supposed to manifest.

You have composed taraanas and bhajans. Where does the inspiration to create something come from? From an object, a person, a poem or from a melody?

Inspiration for composing for different forms of music comes from different sources, but there is a deep component of soul-searching in all of this.  For example, inspiration for composing tarana comes for me from the pure joy of creative exploration and application.  Sometimes ideas for various applications of a raga comes to me in the quiet of night and I would not be able to sleep until I have finished composing.  Composing music for Bhajans is inspired primarily by the lyrics.

• You have some commercial audio recordings to your credit? Can you tell us about them?

 My recordings that have been commercially released include Khayaals, Taranas, Thumris, Dadras Bhajans, and Bengali raga based songs.  Several of them were released from India but are available here through my web site www.kumkumsanyal.com, and also from a couple of on-line stores in the U.S.  I will have a new CD with Khayal, Tarana and Bhajan released soon.  

Could you describe your daily routine as an artist?

I devote a couple of hours a day to my own music.  For a good part of the day and the evening, I give “Talim” to my students.  This typically ranges from six to eight hours.  I am also deeply committed to my family and have turned down many traveling assignments for family reasons.  To give you an example, Padmabhusan Prabha Atreji told me that I should live in India and give performances all the time as other professional musicians there do.  I told her that I love my family too much and will not be able to do that at the cost of neglecting them.  However, I do give limited concerts in India.  This year I was honored by and accepted Prabhaji’s invitation and performed a full 3-hour concert at her Gurukul in Pune.  I was touched by the learned audience’s and music critics’ reactions.  Among many comments, one experienced critic told me that my rendering of the raga Jog was the purest he had ever heard.
 

 When did you start teaching music? Do you use any of the techniques that you observed your teachers use when you were studying music with them?

I started teaching music in 1990 in Pennsylvania (where I lived then), and in 1991 I opened a school in the Maryland-Washington D.C. area.  I moved to Massachussetts in late 1998, and started teaching in this area almost right away.
 I emphasize to my students that the most important thing for learning any form of music is to have command over the notes.  Another important element is to sing in correct laya.  I apply in my teaching a valuable advice from my teachers that learning to sing one raga correctly is much more important in the long run than learning a lot of them but not to have command over any (i.e., “quality over quantity”).  I believe that my advanced students are executing in their presentations this teaching of mine.
 I also want to spread appreciation of Hindustani music through demonstrative teaching in this community.

What are your thoughts on fusion music – combining Hindustani music with sounds of western instruments?
I have nothing against fusion music, and a harmonious combination of the two forms can help to initiate more of Western audience to Indian classical music.  In fact, on one occasion, I gave my voice to a fusion recording with an Emmy winning Boston Pops pianist.   He would love to do similar things again and I have ideas for classical-based collaboration there.

How do you see the future of Hindustani Music in the Boston area and all over the world?

I am very encouraged by the level of interest and activities in Hindustani music in the Boston area.  However, I am concerned about the steady erosion in the culture of Indian classical music in India.  I am saddened by the near extinction of Sarangi and Shehnai.  These are such beautiful instrument in terms of flow and depth.

Any upcoming concerts that you would like readers to know about?

A few of my students will perform at the Sarva Dev Mandir on January 1st.
I am very selective about giving concerts myself, although there are certain causes for which I like to contribute by giving performances.  There will be a couple of concerts in this area in the spring of 2008, and possibly others outside of the New England area.

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