In a world driven by tempo and trends, there is one voice that stands melodiously tall — a voice that is not just trained but tempered in the fire of devotion, discipline, and centuries of tradition. That voice belongs to Anant Gundecha, a young torchbearer of Dhrupad in Hindustani classical music. He conducted the workshop Discover Your Voice – A Dhrupad Immersion, presented by the Parichay Arts Foundation, in Aaromale - Cafe & Creative Community, Filmnagar. Calm, driven, and assured in his craft, he chats with CE about Dhrupad, his tutelage under the renowned Gundecha Brothers, and more.
Anant brings a fresh approach and thought process to the realm of music. “Anybody can sing... I firmly believe that. The idea behind the Dhrupad workshop is to invite people with no musical background to simply sit for two hours on a Saturday and Sunday, and explore how they can begin to produce the right kind of voice. The goal is not to emphasise how difficult singing is, but to help participants realise that listening needs to become more sensitive,” he explains.
The singer belongs to the Dagar gharana of the Dhrupad style, which his father and uncle learned as first-generation Indian classical singers. Anant admits that his early teenage years were filled with rebellion, but as he grew out of that phase, he realised how special Dhrupad truly was. “Unlike other music, which I grew bored of after a few listens, I could listen to Dhrupad endlessly without losing interest,” he recalls.
In fact, the Gundecha Brothers established the Dhrupad Sansthan in Bhopal. It is a unique musical academy patterned after the ancient guru-shishya (teacher-disciple) tradition of education, which the young singer swears by. “When I attended one of the classes, I realised that the reason I am not getting bored is because it can be improvised — there is no fixed way to go about it. Every time you attempt a raag, you are searching for something new,” he shares, with eagerness in his voice.
So, what is Anant’s favourite raag? Initially hesitant to choose, he eventually relents, saying, “Raag Bhimpalasi, an early evening raag. It is still in my mind because I taught everyone this raag in the workshop.”
Anant is someone with a unique understanding of Hindustani classical music. While his knowledge comes from two Dhrupad stalwarts, he is aware of changing times and realities. As such, he urges aspiring singers in the tradition to first find a good guru. “That is the most important step. Next, completely surrender to what your guru advises. As students, we tend to carry some ego, questioning authority. But don’t question…simply imbibe,” he underscores.
At the same time, he highlights the gaps in the music space, saying, “Institutional support is needed to reach out to newer, younger audiences. When children are exposed to music early on, they are likely to embrace it with much more warmth as they grow older, correct? Ideally, each city should have five to six music circles that invite both local and visiting musicians. If artists consistently present good music, a good audience will naturally build over time.”
It’s simple — for Anant, music is what made him who he is today. “It has taught me many, many lessons, and I keep learning.”