Pandit Jasraj

Pandit Jasraj, the unparalleled doyen of North Indian Classical vocals, has a scholarship instituted by the University of Toronto in his name for deserving young Canadian students who wish to train in Indian music. Born into a family which 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 Motiramji. He then underwent intensive tutelage under his elder brother and guru, the late Sangeet Mahamahapadhyaya Pandit Maniramji. Endowed with a rich, soulful and sonorous voice which effortlessly traveses over all three and half octaves, Pandit Jasraj’s vocals are characterised by a blend of austere and opulent elements, projecting traditional music and an intense spiritual expression at once chaste and densly coloured. In this he has been guided by his spiritual guru, the late Maharana Shri Jaiwant Singhji of Sanand. Perfect diction, clarity of sur and command over all aspects of laya are other highlights of his music. He pays great attention to the choice of the composition and the words in it. This sensitivity together with his pure classical approach have given his music a lyrical quality which is the quintessence of the Mewati style of singing. 

His biggest contribution to Indian music is his concept of a novel jugalbandi based on the ancient system of moorchanas, between male and female vocalists, each singing their respective scales and different ragas at the same time. This has been so highly acclaimed that connoissures of music in Pune have named it Jasrangi Jugalbandi. Pandit Jasraj has been honoured by the Harvard University Art Museum in the US and has the Pandit Jasraj School of Music Foundation in Vancover and the Pandit Jasraj Academy of Music in New Jersey.