The Mesmeriser

Pandit Jasraj was a favourite with audiences at concerts and music festivals but his most enduring contribution may have been to pull khyal away from the markers associated with gharana

- Partho Datta

Attending a concert by Jasraj was always an experience to savour. Convention dictated that the doyen of Hindustani vocalists command the prime slot, which was usually late in the evening after other musicians had concluded. As the buzz grew, the audience profile changed with a rush of younger people filling the auditorium. Jasraj appeared on stage in flamboyant silks— lately in bright and orange hues. Hugging a swarmandal, he always began with a trademark prayer, Mangalam Bhagwan Vishnu, invoking a devotional hush among the audience before transiting effortlessly to exploring a raga.

One never stopped marvelling at Jasraj’s melodic range and the mesmeric quality of his voice—which became more resonant as he grew older. Hindustani ragas usually span one and a half octaves; Jasraj traversed three, holding notes in the difficult lower octave with ease, stunning the audience with his breath control. Over the years, critics grew wary but the audience loved it and revelled in his vocal prowess.

Jasraj always ended with a bhajan, avoiding genres like thumri and dadra. The request from the adoring crowd was usually Om Namo Bhagwate