BENGALURU: Popular in several parts of north India, Patiala’s Ghazal singer Dr Kamalesh Inder Singh is visiting the south for the first time with a gig in the city.
“I’m excited to be performing in Bengaluru in front of a knowledgeable audience that appreciates such music. When that happens, the duration of the performance does not matter — we lose track of time,” says Singh, who lives in Chandigarh.
It’s no surprise that Singh took up music as a career, as he is the third generation in a family full of musicians. The grandson of a musician who was a Darbari singer in the court of Maharaja Bhupinder Singh, also known as the Maharaja of Patiala, Singh follows the Gharana style of singing and has also learnt the Punjab style. “Each place has a different style of Gharana, and I perform the Patiala and Agra styles,” says the 45-year-old.
Having trained since the age of 10 under the guidance of one of Patiala’s most famous musicians — his grandfather — he went on to complete his masters and PhD in music. He is currently part of the department of music at Chandigarh College, and has been training students for the past 25 years.
While Ghazals are his favourite, he also performs old film songs and devotional music. He recently performed in Australia, which was his first off-shore opportunity.
When asked about the challenges of being a Ghazal singer, he says, “I am lucky as I had the blessings from my father and his father. If someone wants to be a good artist, it requires practice, food, a good environment and a good guru to guide you through your journey,” he adds. The singer will be performing for ‘Kuch Ghazal Kuch Aur Geet’ at Jus’ Truffs, Jakkur, on June 23 at 7.30 pm.