Rajeshwar Singh Raju
“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.
Musical training is a more potent instrument than any other, because rhythm and harmony find their way into the inward places of the soul.”
Said Plato, an eminent ancient Greek Philosopher.
No one can deny the fact that music plays a vital role in our life. It has become an integral part of our culture and civilization. To excel in music requires tiresome efforts, dedication and devotion from the core of heart, honesty towards the efforts and proper training from a capable teacher. But even after years of hard work one gets closer to sing a song in own language to somewhat satisfaction. It may be said in other words also that it is not easy to sing in a single language but when one sings with such an ease in so many languages with all perfection, what may be said ? Yes, God gifted.
She is God gifted. She has proved her worth as a prolific singer in Dogri, Kashmiri, Pahari, Gojri, Sanskrit, Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, Persian, Bangla, Tamil, Telugu and Kannad etc. It is her sheer talent to perform with all perfection in so many languages that she is rightly called Lata Mangeshkar of J & K, nightingale of Kashmir for captivating voice, Queen of melody for sweetness and for expertise as Mallika-E-Ghazal also.
She is Kailash Mehra, a versatile singer of soil. She was born in the family of Dhani Ram Mehra and Maya Devi, a Dogra family. Right from her early childhood she was interested in music. She started seeking initial training in classical music during her schooling at an age of just 10 from Pt. Swaroop Nath Saproo, who used to teach music at Devki Arya Putri Pathshalla, Arya Samaj School , Srinagar. When she grew up , she was blessed to pursue further training in classical music from Pt.Shambu Nath Sopori , known as father of music of Sufiana Gharana in Jammu and Kashmir. Thereafter she was trained in techniques and voice modulation in singing light music by Santoor Maestro Padmashri Pt. Bhajan Sopori. She was carved as an outstanding singer and thereafter started captivating the music lovers with every performance thus gaining name and fame at an early age.
While advancing ahead firmly on the path of music, she was dedicated to her studies as well. She completed her Master’s in Music (vocal) from Prayag Sangeet Samiti, Allahabad in 1975 and obtained Masters of Arts (Vocal) from Punjab University, Chandigarh in 1985. She has served as a Professor of Music, Head of Department at Government M.A.M (PG) College Jammu after having served as an instructor of music in J & K Academy of Art, Culture & Languages. It’s only her hard work, immense talent and blessings of her Gurus that she has given so much to Kashmiri and Dogri languages as a versatile singer that she has become a house hold name in J & K. She has been placed in the highest category of television and radio artists by All India Radio and Doordarshan.
Kailash Mehra has a belonging to the region and feels proud of her rich cultural traditions. She says that she is blessed to have two mother tongues. As she was born in a Dogra family, her first mother tongue is Dogri but was married to Vijay Sadhu in a Kashmiri family, so Kashmiri language became her 2nd mother tongue. She has enriched these languages with her delightful singing. She says that she is blessed to have got best of both Dogri and Kashmiri cultures and both are just like her two eyes through which she looks at the divine and offers prayers through her songs. Singing in Kashmiri and Dogri gives me immense satisfaction and a feeling of proud daughter of soil, she says with all excitement.
It’s a proud feeling and quite a lesson to others when she discloses that she has grown up in Kashmir but her father had instructed his family members that they may learn any language they wish to but will have to talk to each other only in Dogri at home. It resulted that despite passing maximum of time at Kashmir, she is so fluent in Dogri also. It shows her affection for mother tongue.
About the problems faced by female artists, she says that it is not so easy to work as an artist unless you get support from your family. She is lucky that her husband and mother-in-law have always extended full co-operation so that she could perform and mark a distinct position in art arena. She is in fact indebted to her family for the same.
For her colossal contribution in the field of music, she has been honoured by different Government and Non-Government organizations from time to time. The major ones include prestigious J & K State Award in Performing Arts-2010, Best Teacher Master Karam Chand Award-2008, Sharda Samman-2009, Laleshwari Award-2007, Mallika-E-Ghazal Award by Jammu Samaj Vikas Sanstha-1993, Sher-e-Kashmir Sheikh Mohd Abdullah Award by SAMAPA-2012, Recognized for Life Time Achievement and contributions to Kashmiri Culture and Music by California Senate ,Congress of United States, House of Representatives, Washington DC-2012, Proclaimed the day of June 13th to be Kailash Mehra Sadhu Day by Acting Council President of the city of Fresno, California-2012, Life time Achievement by Sharika Foundation Canada-2012, KOA of USA and Canada honour for dedication to community services for contribution towards preserving Kashmiri Art and Music and for valuable contributions towards Folk Music and its promotion-2003 & 2006, Awarded by All India Radio Srinagar for Ustad Mohmmad Tibat-Ullah-Bakal-Award-2013 and Golden Jubilee Celebration Award-1998, Honoured by Bakshi Memorial Committee for services rendered in enriching the variegated cultural traditions-1987 & 2011 and many others.
About connection of music to soul, let me quote Khalil Gibran, an eminent Lebanese-American philosopher, who says, “Music is the language of the spirit. It opens the secret of life bringing peace, abolishing strife.” It’s a fact because music has a connection with soul and can be realized quite often. The swings in moods under the spell of different kinds of music proves the impact. But music does lead the listener as well as the creator to experience such a good feel that can’t be explained in words. It’s a feel that is experienced. Kailash Mehra says that music is not merely a hobby for her but she is so much connected to it emotionally that it’s in her blood. She admits that although she has sung variety of songs but whenever she sings folk music it creates another world for her and she is completely lost in it. At that time she is not singing herself but she is just a medium and some pious forces are inspiring her to perform.
A big leap from live recording to track system has changed music world entirely. She is of the opinion that singing is not merely singing a song, but it is to experience something extraordinary which becomes possible only when you get accompanied by instrumentalists and technicians recording the performances. It’s a great feel that gives you inner satisfaction. Although she says that moving on with the time is the necessity of profession also but there is no doubt that the ecstasy that the artists derive from live singing is missing and so is the dedication and devotion like being witnessed during ancient old Guru-Shishya Parampara.
Now-a-days everyone seems in a hurry to establish in music arena and for it they look for shortcuts. Kailash Mehra says that there is no short cut in any creative field. If you look for the same and encash it owing to your financial strength or nepotism, it is only for a short period but you cannot survive for long. It’s only your talent and continuous hard work under the guidance of a good teacher that pays in the long run. Those who are really prepared to go for it, should give a second thought also because first thought always instigates and second one has some maturity.
Let me conclude with what Kailash Mehra, an inspiration for many aspirants said, ” Love the music, feel it, it is in your nerves and connected to soul. Get connected to roots, our own music which is our cultural existence too. Let us preserve and promote it.”
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