Padma Vibhushan Pandit Jasraj passes away

Pandit Jasraj Picture Courtesy: Mid-day Archives

Indian classical vocalist Pandit Jasraj passed away in New Jersey, USA on Monday, his family said. Pandit Jasraj was 90. His music career spanned over 80 years and in his illustrious career, he had been bestowed with multiple awards and recognitions, including Padma Shri, Padma Bhusan and Padma Vibhushan for his contribution to Indian music. His teachings transcended boundaries and reached countries like the United States and Canada.

His training as a vocalist began at an early age and for his immense contribution to the world of music, he was awarded the Padma Shri in 1975, the Padma Bhushan in 1990, Bharat Ratna Bhimsen Joshi Classical Music Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013, and Marwar Sangeet Ratna Award in 2014. In the year 2000, Pandit Jasraj was conferred the Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian honour.

Prime minister Narendra Modi condoled the demise of Pandit Jasraj on his official Twitter handle. The PM said that the passing away of Pandit Jasraj left a deep void in the Indian cultural sphere. He praised the classical maestro for his outstanding renditions and stated that Pandit Jasraj also made a mark as an exceptional mentor to several other vocalists.

Here's what PM Modi posted on Twitter:

Pandit Jasraj was a force to reckon with in the country's music space. The artiste extradonaire even had a minor planet named after him in 2019.

"In different stages of life, one plays different roles - early in life, you are only learning, later you are practicing hard, after which you start performing a lot, and then comes a stage where you are imparting your knowledge. I feel fortunate that all these stages in my life have remained constant and evolving. For instance, while I teach, I am learning a lot. Every individual has something to give (to) another. The student in me has always been a constant and active part of my musical journey and has kept me always hungry to learn," Pandit Jasraj told IANS in an interview once.

A rich career behind him, with his performances of classical and semi-classical vocals becoming albums and film soundtracks, he felt fortunate to belong to a generation which had and continued to witness exciting times in classical music.

Born in 1930, the exponent had seen the evolution from pre-Independence era, from Maharajas as the biggest patrons of classical music to the 1950s and 1960s when All India Radio was pivotal in shaping one's career.

Pandit Jasraj turned 90 on January 28, 2020.

With inupts from IANS.

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