CULTURE

Akbar Sami: from dancer to DJ

The Jalwa fame top notch DJ Akbar Sami was in the city recently to entertain the members of Sutlej Club with his latest remixes. It was his second visit to the city, first time he was invited to perform for a private party. The Ludhianvis were "not unknown" to him.

As he said, "I have great expectations from the Ludhiana people. I had gone to perform at Chandigarh in July and the response was tremendous. I would definitely like to have such type of response. An artist feels encouraged if he gets appreciation and the credit of my work lies in enjoyment by the people".

His entrance into the world of DJs was accidental and he never took any training for it. "If destiny provides you a chance then nobody can stop you", he remarked. Akbar disclosed that he used to dance for a club. "One day the DJ did not turn up and he was offered a chance to show his talent. The people appreciated it talent and I entered into this world".

Jalwa was his first remix. Jalwa, according to him, was produced seven years back and it was a great success. "I have produced four cassettes till date. In all my albums there is a variety of different styles of music like Latino, progressive house with Punjabi numbers added to them", he said. Akbar has a "non-musical" background, he remarked with a bit of laughter.

He had a deep interest in music from his childhood. "Right from my childhood I had great love for music. When my mother used to give me shower, I used to bang the bucket. Then I started learning tabla but that was not my cup of tea. I turned towards choreography and dance", he disclosed. When asked about his marriage plans, he retorted with a naughty smile, "Well I plan to get married by the end of the year". And when asked about the girl, he said, "I promise I will not marry a boy".

Akbar will be presenting his two DJs very soon in Mumbai, who will include one singer also. Summing up the evolution of the culture of musical remix, he said "one should not restrict himself to a limited style of music but should opt for new changes".

— Shivani Bhakoo

Chitarkar: poet of amity and sweetness

Running into the 76th year of his life, Ajaib Chitarkar has been radiating youthful exuberance through his verses. His imagery takes one to a worderland of challenging, patriotic, passionate, integrative and revolutionary ideas. The mythological Balram carried his plough through barran and arid deserts. The Yamuna followed him and watered the parched land, transforming visible sterility into a variegated verdant vista. Likewise, with his pen Chitarkar produces a crop of ideas which, in turn, transform the world into a livable cosmos. Through his poetry he decimates blight, creates beauty and heralds amity and sweetness.

Chitarkar has made the world of poetry richer with more than a dozen of his books. Among these the two collections of ghazals — Awazan de Rang and Nagme da Libas — were published in 1976 and 1982. Zakhmi Khyal de Chehra, and Pehli Kiran appeared in 1980 and 1985. Awazan de Rang got him a prize from the Punjab Languages Department.

Chitarkar personifies wounded susceptibilities but he does not let defeatism overcome his aspiration. The following lines constitute his self-portrait:

Main mushakat da lahu haan, main haan mehnat da dukhaant,

Main haan sangharsh da jeewan, main haan ik sagar ashant,

Pard zara gahu naal mainu, je miley tainu ikaant,

Main biayean di kahani, attna di dastan,

Main samme de maiz te haan khol ke rakhi kitab.

Here and there Chitarkar strikes optimistic notes. He chisels out violence, dispels blight, and ushers in a cool, comforting breeze. He proclaims:

Eh kalakh di je parlo aayee hai, taan tal vi sakdi hai.

He shatters the shackles of the tradition: How impressive are these lines:

Toon ehna de lug pichhe, kad ku tak turda rehenga,

Tej bulla ayega, hond ehna di uda lai jayega.

Chitarkar’s ‘Rang di Basti’ reminds us of the ‘Solitude of Alaxander Selkirk who wrote:

O Solitude, where are thy charms,

That sages have seen in they face,

Better dwell in the midst of alarms,

Than reign in this horrible place!

In the same tone Chitarkar sings:

Rang di basti hai kehdi, raag de kithe gran hai,

Raushni da shehr kidhar, aj koi mainu sujhao,

Bol, nighe bol di, mainu koi ungli phrao,

Chup da jangal niari ja reha,

mainu bachao.

His poem ‘Teri Berukhi Ton’ juxtaposes him by the Urdu poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz, as is apparent in this verse:

Iss teri berukhi ton, main keon nirash hoyan,

Main keon udas hoyan, oh dekh door sahven,

Soohi dumel uttey, badrang badlan chon,

Ik kiran jaag uthhi, lishkor magh ke phutti, nirjind kalkhan chon.

Ajaib Chitarkar was born in Ghawaddi village near Ludhiana. He was so deeply inspired by the scintillating verses penned by his father, who was a kavishar, that he took to writing verses during the early days of his youth. During the days of his formal education at Malwa Khalsa High School, Ludhiana, he came in contact with Sahir Ludhianvi. While Sahir went to Bombay, Chitarkar joined Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana, as an artist in 1962. After retirement in 1987, Chitarkar has been devoting his time towards enriching the field of poetry as well as painting. Recently he was honoured by the Punjab Arts Council, Chandigarh, for his contribution to poetry and painting.

— J.S. Bedi