Jayati Roy Choudhury at her residence in Ranchi.Picture by Hardeep Singh

As a child she was more into music than studies. And now too, music is the very basis of her life. Whether she?s performing or teaching, she puts her soul into it.

And through the years has carved out a niche for herself in classical music, urged on by a desire to reach perfection in a field which is not always exposed to the masses, more so in Ranchi.

Jayati Roy Choudhury started learning Hindustani classical music when she was eight years old, and today she is passing on this art, to which she devoted her life, to as many as 30 students at her music school ?Shruti Shree Sangeetalaya?, located at her residence at F.N. Gauri Apartments.

Beautiful strains of Nazrul geet, bhav sangeet and Rabindra sangeet, guides one to it as she and her students keep alive these traditional forms of music in a world where the definition of music is fast changing to read remixes and remixes of remixes.

Born in Calcutta and brought up in Ranchi, Jayati started learning classical music from Renuka Singh, who is known as Meera Bai at Yogda Satsang, Ranchi.

Later, she came under the tutelage of the late Jayram Singh of the Gwalior gharana, from whom she learnt music for several years.

While she was pursuing her love for music, she also completed her schooling from Loreto Convent and post graduation in anthropology from the Ranchi University, in 1975.

But music was where her mission lay. A ?Sangeet Praveen? (equivalent to masters degree) in Hindustani classical music from Prayag Sangeet Samiti, Jayati has been a B-high artist of All India Radio (AIR) under the Sugam Sangeet category. She also stood first in the all India competition in the classical music category in 1967.

Her music has taken her all over the country. Some of her memorable concerts include those given at Tansen Sangeet Sammelan (Calcutta), Sadarang Sangeet Sammelan (Calcutta) and Prayag Sangeet Sammelan (Allahabad).

She has been a regular performer in the city?s classical circle.

But she wanted to reach out to more people through her music, and pass it on to the newer generation, as well. In 1981, Jayati started her music school, which is at present affiliated to the Pracheen Kala Kendra, Chandigarh.

Teaching gives her a sense of satisfaction, she points out. ?The new generation is talented. Some of them like Rahul Mukherjee, Moumita Mitra, Saunak Maulik and Sampoorna Mohanty are quite talented, and I have great hopes from them,? she says.

She feels that the students are very promising and eager to learn but the music scenario in Ranchi, as far as classical music is concerned, is rather disappointing.

?Sometimes I feel that I would have done better had I been settled outside Ranchi. The scenario here is not very encouraging and one cannot do much here. There is not much exposure. A Sangeet Natak Akademi, which is a must for the advancement of classical arts, has not been set up here.

Moreover, there is not even a well-equipped auditorium where classical concerts can be organised,? she laments.

But these have not prevented her from doing what she can for the cause of music. Any opportunity she has got to further its cause, she has taken it up with enthusiasm.

?During one of my meetings with Inder Singh Namdhari, I requested him to take initiatives to build an auditorium, but I suppose he has not been able to do much in this regard. I really feel that the government should take steps to promote culture in this region, which is blessed with such a rich heritage of folk music and dance. More music competitions should be organised from time to time, so that bright artistes could be identified,? she says.

Jayati also regrets that the newer generation of students do not have the same level of respect for their teachers, as those earlier did.

She says: ?There is a need to revive the ?guru-shishyaparampara?. The kind of relationship between teacher and students, which was there till some years ago, is missing. I think parents are responsible for this unhealthy trend.?

She loves the music of Pandit Jasraj and she rues that the younger generation is not equipped to enjoy or appreciate this kind of music, anymore.

Guided by peer pressure to be more trendy and modern, they think it?s just western music that is cool.

?They want quick amusement, instant enjoyment. They do not have the time for serious stuff like classical music, which is time consuming. I am not against western music. In fact, any type of good music is welcome. But my point is that we should not forget our own music, which gives so much peace of mind, so much so that one forgets everything,? she adds.

She hopes more young people will come together revive the spirit of music, in its pure form. Like she has proved by her dedication, how cool classical too can be.

Navtan Kumar