The contemporary doyen of North Indian vocals, Sangeet Martand Pandit Jasraj was born into a family that has given to Indian music four generations of outstanding musicians. The Mewati maestro, Pandit Jasraj had his initial grooming in music under his father, the Late Pandit Moti Ramji. He then underwent intensive training under the tutelage of his older brother Sangeet Mahamahopadhyaya Pandit Maniram and with the spiritual influence of Maharaja Jaywant Singhji Waghela of Sanand, Pandit Jasraj began his vocal and spiritual journey.
The Maharaja, himself a gifted and scholarly musician of the Mewati Gharana, gently ushered Jasraj into the realm of devotion, preparing him for the sublime music he was ordained to create. Spiritual guru, Late Maharana Shri Jaywant Singhji of Sanand, another doyen of the Mewati gharana, has also guided him.
Panditji has received several titles and award such as Padma Bhushan, Surer Guru, Sangeet Martand, Sangeet Kala Ratna, Sangeet Natak Academy Award, Doctorate in Music by Vishwa Unnayan Sansad (West Bengal), Maharashtra Gaurav Puraskar, Dinanath Mangeshkar Award. Panditji has also been honoured by the Harvard University art museum in the U.S. Panditji’s greatest and most original contribution in the field of Indian music is his conception of an unique and novel jugalbandi based on the ancient system of moorchanas, between a male and a female vocalist, each singing in their respective scales and different ragas at the same time. This has been well acclaimed all over India and the connoisseurs of music in Pune named it ‘Jasrangi Jugalbandi’.
Panditji has conducted research in Haveli Sangeet, his mentor in this genre being Baba Shyam Manohar Goswami Maharaj. Not content to remain merely a performer, he has composed beautiful bandishes and popularized them. As a Guru, Panditji is unequalled, successfully imparting his knowledge and love of music to a number of disciples with the care and solicitude of a true teacher in the Indian tradition.
