On a string and a prayer

Renu Jain, a disciple of Pandit Ravi Shankar, will be playing meditative music on her sitar tonight. We sit with her before you decide to take a seat

Renu Jain, a disciple of Pandit Ravi Shankar, will be playing meditative music on her sitar tonight. We sit with her before you decide to take a seat

Regardless of all the overindulgence in club, house and discotheque styles, classical compositions have always been appreciated by the city's cultural connoisseurs.

That's what keeps sitarist Renu Jain upbeat about "her kind of music." As she gets ready for her performance tonight, we settle for au00a0 conversation. Excerpts.

What's the playlist for tonight?
Since the theme of my performance is meditation, I will play an evening raga, which will be followed by another dhun.

Does limited audience bring down your spirits?
I've never experienced that, because there is huge audience for classical music in the
country.

Do you endorse western influence on classical music?
Moulding one form of music into another is okay. It's like modern art the same subject, but with a difference. People, however, need to understand the genre of music they listen too. That's why I always conduct a talk before my performance, especially abroad.

How should youngsters today take up this art?
It's great that youngsters nowadays are taking a keen interest in music, and learning instruments, but even to learn western music, you need to know your basics, which lie in the raagas and the taals. So it is very important that they learn classical music to understand the nuances first.

Finally, what does your music signify?
It is an amalgamation of my individual thoughts. I always perform for a cause, and even though I am inspired by stalwarts like Pandit Ravi Shankar, I create my own kind of music which gives me deep creative satisfaction. Since it comes from the heart, I hope it benefits my listeners, too.

Watch Renu perform tonight at Epicentre, Gurgaon
Time: 7:30 pm
Ring: 2715000
Entry: Free

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