Music lost its charm in the shifting years of the Indian music industry when it was experimenting with different genres and tastes, attuned to the Bollywood dhinchak. Still, classical music has stoically stood out on its own and is making waves in the city thanks to doyens like Padmashree Pandit Umakant Gundecha, who was here for his performance. In a candid chat with CE, he shares his view on how classical music has evolved over the years.
It all began with a heart-melting performance at the Rangbhoomi space at Gachibowli and Kaushik Dhwanee music and dance school over the past weekend. When asked about his performance at Hyderabad, Pandit Umakant says he immensely enjoyed the two-day event organised by Kaushik Dhwanee. Pandit Umakant has travelled across various countries and represented Indian classical music everywhere. He feels that people in Hyderabad listen to classical music with much love. “The people of Hyderabad have exquisite taste in classical music, they love Dhrupad,” he says.
“Since the time of kings and queens, this place has had a massive culture of classical music. There is a history of classical music culture in Hyderabad, and that culture is continuing. Corporates have also been helping classical music to grow by encouraging a lot of classical musicians.”
Regarding the growth of classical music worldwide, he says that Indian classical music is flourishing. All age groups enjoy listening to classical music concerts.
When asked about the future of classical music, he says, “There are a lot of Indian classical musicians or artistes around the world. I have travelled to around 35 countries worldwide, and there is a demand for Indian classical music there. Like Ustad Zakir Hussain and Pandit Ravi Shanker, I too have promoted Indian classical music overseas.”
Moving forward and giving out a message to all the young budding artists, he says, “Dhrupad is the grammar for Indian classical music. I would say that people should learn it no matter the theme they pursue. With Dhrupad, you can make yourself happy, and any song they compose can flourish with classical richness.”
Classical music has stoically stood out on its own and is making waves in the city thanks to doyens like Padmashree Pandit Umakant Gundecha. In a candid chat with CE, he shares his view on how classical music has evolved over the years.