We sang together for 57 years, for whom should I sing now?
The past two years have been really hard. Humanity has been troubled by the pandemic and now there are newer variants of the virus. No one knows what the future holds. Personally, I have suffered a huge loss in the passing away of my elder brother, Pandit Rajan Mishra. He was not just my elder brother, but also my Guru. His going away has left a huge vacuum in my life — we sang together for 57 years, carrying the weight of a 350-year-old tradition of music. I miss him badly and often wonder for whom should I sing now?
But then, his teachings come to mind. I know he would want me to continue to sing. He would always tell me, “I am with you, always.” And, somehow, I feel his presence, guiding me. It is difficult, but I am continuing to perform. God is great. He makes the impossible possible. His sons, Ritesh and Rajneesh, are successful singers. My son Swaraansh is younger; he is a lyricist-composer and has now started singing with me. They are taking our legacy forward, as are our many disciples. We have always believed in sharing the music we inherited, and have been teaching for decades now. I hope we all are able to continue singing until our last breath.
Today, I look back with gratitude at the support we got from our elders and audience. Both of us started our journey in khayal gayaki by offering musical haazri in the temples of Varanasi, at the age of six to seven years. As children, we sang first, followed by older children, and then the established artistes. This was a great opportunity and learning experience. In our family, there was always a rich maahaul of music. We were really lucky to be surrounded by music all the time.
When Rajanji finished his post-graduation, both of us came to Delhi. Our mission was to sing for passion, not as a profession, and definitely not at the cost of compromising on our music for popularity. We planned to accept only select concerts, but destiny had other plans. In 1974, we sang at the celebrated Sawai Gandharva in Pune and at Bhaini Sahib in Ludhiana for Satguru Sri Jagjit Singh ji Maharaj. He blessed us as long as he lived. People say Rajanji was a cashier in a shop and it was Satguruji who made it possible for us to sing professionally. However, this is not true. Satguruji was a saint and blessed and encouraged us always. But, by God’s grace, we were already on this path of music when we first came in contact with him. Of course, we always had his blessings.
Akashvani also brought us immense popularity throughout the country.
To come back to the present, artistes have suffered a lot during this pandemic, with absolutely no means of sustenance. No one came to our aid. Nobody took up for us — neither the media, nor the Central or state governments. All of us were so immersed in our own troubles that we forgot to ask about each other. Even relatives were wary of calling up, afraid that the other might ask for help. An unfortunate time indeed. It has really been tough, but we should remember that our Maker is there for us.
I hope humanity heeds the lesson. The more we tamper with Mother Nature, the more we will suffer. Problems like the pandemic arise only when there is imbalance. I appeal to the readers to protect Nature, make the environment in your homes nurturing, loving and healthy.
The writer is the younger of the Mishra duo (As told to Shailaja Khanna)
