I sing for love and god, says Bhajan Samrat

Being the lone torchbearer of bhajans, Anup Jalota, 63, started his musical career as a chorus singer with All India Radio. In the 1977 Bollywood film Shirdi Ke Sai Baba, Jalota got his first singing break with two devotional solos. Chanting Sai Baba Bolo at a very high pitch, Jalota arrived in the middle of a song in which Mohammad Rafi rendered the mellow portions with Jani Babu, Asha Bhosle and Anuradha Paudwal. Since then, there has been no looking back. In a four decade-long career Jalota has delivered popular bhajans like Aisi Lagi Lagan, Chaand Angdaiyaan Le Raha Hai and Rang De Chunariya. “Singing bhajans is like chanting beautiful poetry. I sing for love and then for god who has created us. I put my heart and soul while singing and every time I sing a devotional song, the lyrics kindle emotions,” begins Jalota who treated the Chennai audience to some soulful renditions on April 22 at a charity event organised by Rajasthan Health Foundation (RHF). 

When not singing devotional songs and the occasional Bollywood track, Jalota explored his versatility in the rendition of ghazals. In a 2013 interview, Jalota had said, “one cannot survive on ghazals only,” when asked about the golden age of ghazals coming to an end with the demise of legends like Mehdi Hassan and Jagjit Singh. How hard is it to sustain as a ghazal and bhajan artist in today’s world? “One can survive in the genre if they really deliver good quality singing. If Mehdi Hassan saab and Jagjit Singh saab could do so well, then it is possible for us too,” he says confidently. He is also optimistic about the genre’s future. “There is a very good future for bhajans because there are many festivals like Janmashtami, Navarathri, etc. during which devotional music takes centrestage. But the same can’t be said about ghazals because the Urdu language stands as a barrier. So ghazal might be a little difficult to learn and propagate. Nevertheless, artists of my generation are trying to present easy ghazals so that people understand,” muses Jalota.

It is perhaps this barrier because of which many young talent, despite opting to sing ghazals and bhajans to showcase their singing prowess on platforms like reality shows, do not opt for a career in Jalota’s area of expertise. “Reality show singers are looking for shortcuts. Shortcuts give fame easily but they are not permanent. It is important to learn classical music in detail to shine. And it is no cakewalk,” he adds. 

Jalota’s contemporaries in mainstream music, be it singers or composers, have changed with time, infusing modern influences in their work. However, he says, he wouldn’t quite disturb the essence of his stream of music. “Devotional music is very pure. This is sung in the glory of god. I don’t think much experiment can be done because once we try to play with it, the quality will suffer, the devotion will suffer. So, I am trying to keep the tradition intact. Today’s music is very momentary, but our devotional music has survived for years and it will continue to flourish,” finishes Jalota, a Padma Shri recipient.