De Alaapians, a group of Hindustani music students from Chennai-based music school Alaap, have come together for an ensemble of Hindustani, Carnatic and Western classical vocals.
Over a decade ago, when Kuldeep Sagar, a classical singer, moved to Chennai, he found little scope for garnering listenership for Hindustani music. However, today in the city that has nurtured several carnatic vocalists, the Madhya Pradesh-based artiste, a student of Pandit Nandkishore Sharma, has carved a niche for the genre of music.
His school, Alaap Music Academy, has grown from a humble two students to close to 220 students across Chennai. It is affiliated to the Prayag University and the students are awarded a diploma or degree in music after an exam.
Taking his initiative to make the genre of music popular in the Chennai, Sagar’s band comprising his students, called De Alaapians, is gearing up for a unique mission — presenting classical vocals in all the formats of music namely Hindustani, carnatic and Western classical.
“We are currently working on our compositions and we hope to present a show sometime soon. Though I am not familiar with Carnatic music, most of my students have been trained in it. Their expertise will also help us pool in our own compositions and present a mix of all three in their classical element without folk or film influences,” he says.
Sagar adds that the concentration on vocals is what makes his band unique. “Instruments will be there too, but as mere accompaniments. The vocals will definitely be centre stage,” he says.
He has also been working towards promoting talent by offering a platform for them to perform on stage. ‘Make Me Sing’ is an initiative towards bringing in fresh talent from all age groups, starting from five to 70.
Apparently, Sagar had this spark of inspiration, thanks to the two women in his life. He smiles, “I got this idea from my wife and have been inspired by my mother, who was a very good singer. She never received any formal training in music. Though my father was a trained singer, when my mom sang, there was something about her voice and delivery. She always said that she would like to perform at least once. Going by that, I had this idea and thought if so much of bad music can get passed today as popular music, what about those who have the talent?”
He adds that though the performers don’t pursue music as professionals, it still gives them a chance to realise their long-nurtured dream of singing on stage, just to experience the joy of it. “It is also for all those who couldn’t pursue music formally for some reason or the other, but have a great interest in it, he adds.
So far, three editions of the event have taken place with enthusiastic participation from a broad spectrum of age groups.
‘Make Me Sing’ will be held at the Russian Cultural Centre on November 23. For details, contact 9840428195.