BENGALURU:A popular Hindustani Classical vocalist, Pandit Parameshwar Hegde feels that gharana evolved just four or five generations back, and is not at all related to music performances. History tells us that the names of gharanas such as Jaipur, Gwalior, Agra, Kirana and others have been named after popular musicians from those places who created a particular style of singing, and their students followed them apparently.
Gharana can be explained through an example. Kannada is the same, but the style of speaking the language differs from place to place. Likewise, Yaman is one raag and is rendered in different styles by different musicians and the reason behind this is the gharanas the musicians belong to. Hegde, proficient in singing Dasara Pada, Vachana, Hindi Bhajans and classical music, started his musical training at the tender age of nine. His father, Govinda Hegde, wrote and directed plays, and there were musicians who stayed at his place for more than a month for rehearsals. This inspired Hegde to take up music classes along with two of his elder sisters. He took his first music lessons from Pandit SM Bhat, later on from Pandit Chandrshekhar Puranik Mutt and from the veteran Pandit Basavaraj Rajguru. His mother Pranati Hegde also supported her children in this.
Hegde has created music scores for few Kannada movies and plays. A-graded artist on All India Radio, Hegde has been featured in several national broadcasts. Now a resident of Bengaluru, he has rendered many concerts locally, and has also travelled on concert tours abroad, to the US, Canada, United Kingdom and the Gulf countries. “Music is eternal, and cannot be bound by any precepts. It is an art form that touches the souls. A musician should not be rendering a concert by giving utmost importance to the shastras or precept of it. If he/she does so, it would be rendering of a grammar rather than pure music. If a musician has to perform on a stage, he/she has to first enjoy his/her own music, else the audience will not enjoy it. When Pandit Bhimsen Joshi rendered his concerts, within few minutes, he would grab the attention of the audience,” says Hegde.
Talking about the guru-shishya paramapara, the veteran feels that the best method of learning music is this way, as the students focus more on music with this kind of learning. Teachers in guru-shishya parampara always taught them whenever they were in the mood to teach their students. But of late, teaching has been more liberal. Hegde runs a school in Rajarajeshwari Nagar called Parameshwar Hegde Music Academy, where he has been following guru-shishya parampara for seven years. Rajguru Smruti, a public charitable trust, is established in memory of his guru Pandit Basavaraj Rajguru. The trust’s objective is to promote and develop Indian classical arts and Hindustani music in particular.
“There is no shortcut to become a successful musician apart from regular practice or riyaz. Not every concert can be successful for a musician. Certain factors such as physical exertion, food and the environment also affect a performance. Every concert is a learning experience, and growth does not happen without quest,” he says.