The Indian Nightingale

By Kavita Charanji - The Daily Star - Dhaka, Bangladesh
Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Music can be a great healer for the dispirited or grieving.

Almost five years since she lost her well loved daughter Saumya in a senseless accident, Indian classical singer Shanti Sharma has discovered the therapeutic qualities of her medium.

"I see my daughter everywhere. My art has pulled me out of the morass of despair and given me solace. I have also learnt that though women are outwardly fragile, they possess great inner strength."

Shanti's vocal skills were much in evidence sometime back at a concert in New Delhi. The singer captivated the audience with her rendering of the traditional Raga Marwa and Raga Madhukauns.

The evening was dedicated to her late guru Amarnath ji on the occasion of his 86th birth anniversary. Shanta's depth and intensity was remarkable as she paid homage to her guru with the lyric Guru bin gyan na pawe.

A long standing teacher of Hindustani classical music at the Delhi-based cultural organisation Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra, Shanti's first visit to Bangladesh was organised by Chhayanat in 1993. Since then she has made three stopovers in Dhaka, once under the aegis of the Indian High Commission and twice at the invitation of the Bengal Foundation. The latter also released two of Shanta's CDs, titled Contemplation and Celebration respectively.

Her last visit to Dhaka was in August 2002 when she conducted a three- week workshop. Recalling her Dhaka sojourns, Shanti says, "Dhaka has so many talented classical singers and students who were keen to learn classical music from me. I really admire the versatility of Bangladeshi singers who can sing Tagore, Nazrul and classical equally well. One promising classical singer in my view is Khairul Anam Shakil."

Going down memory lane, she says that in 2002 she discovered that while many Bangladeshis were enthusiastic as listeners, the concert scene was not particularly lively. "This could be due to government policies. In India the government plays a big role in promoting classical music. Also there are numerous organisations which are key instruments in boosting this genre," says Shanti.

She adds, "The Bangladeshi students have a very respectful attitude to their guru and are dedicated to their art."

Acknowledged as one of the finest vocalists in India, Shanti is a classical singer from the Kirana and Indore gharanas. Blessed with a mellifluous voice and sensitivity, she has received intensive talim from master vocalists such as Shri Sangameshwar, Pandit Amarnath and Ustad Mashkoor Ali Khan.

Over the years she has frequently performed in music festivals in India. She is also the recipient of the Indira Gandhi Pridyarshini Award. A great support to her musical career, she says, is her husband Dinesh Sharma who runs a real estate business.

Lastly, Shanti hopes to make visits to California to conduct workshops, teach students and also give performances. Through her links with Sufi music, Shanti has attained equilibrium in her personal life.

"The Sufi philosophy propagates harmony and how to accept sorrow, grief and look at new possibilities of using one's gifts," she concludes.