MUMBAI: New generation vocalist Jashan Bhumkar was recently featured as a young talent in the world of classical music in AIR’s talk show “Yuva Tarang”. During an exclusive interview with radioandmusic, the singer shares his love for different kinds of genres, his musical journey, how he started singing, upcoming plans for 2021 and evolve in the lifelong journey.

Jashan’s background in classical music gives him an edge when he sings other styles of music, and on the other hand equally, exposing himself to different genres of music in recent time has definitely enhanced the effectiveness and tunefulness of my classical renditions.

What inspired you to love classical music more than pop?

At this stage, I have a lot of admiration and love for all kinds of music. In the last few years, I have tried my best to deeply study different genres including ghazal, semi-classical music, devotional music and most recently, pop. In my childhood however, the scenario was a bit different; ever since I can remember, I had a natural inclination towards classical music. Even as a 5-year-old child, whilst being exposed to all kinds of music in my surroundings, I was naturally drawn towards classical tunes. I was too young to explain what was going on, but some chords somewhere inside me always got plucked listening to the pure notes of classical music. I thus began at the age of 5, a rigorous journey of learning classical music in the traditional Guru-Shishya Parampara, eventually learning under Gaansaraswati Smt. Kishori Amonkar. My guru, herself a purist and an institution in the world of classical music, pushed me to not limit myself to just one style, and rather develop versatility as a singer. In her words, she advised me “you should sing a particular style because you want to, by choice, not because you are limited and that is the only thing you can sing”.

Was it your background that you picked up singing as you career option or was it something else?

While I would say I was born to sing, it would not possibly have become a reality without my environment. Though there are no trained singers in my immediate family, and as such no one listened much to classical music either, overall, my parents and grandparents were all die-hard art lovers. So, I grew up in a household where art and artists were respected, and taking the time and space to pursue an art form was highly encouraged.

Over time I have also learnt to create a productive and music-oriented environment for myself. I spent 5 formative teenage years of my life for my education abroad (in the USA and the UK); whilst there I did many thematic concerts to try and spread more awareness about Indian music. This helped keep me on my toes with Riyaz, and kept me connected to my roots while away from home. Given the chaotic life of Mumbai, in order to be efficient with my time, I often do my Riyaz now in the car while stuck in terrible traffic jams!

What are your upcoming plans for 2021 for your music?

I am very excited for 2021 and have many wonderful plans for my music. There were a lot of things I was working on since months, and in some cases, years, and the lockdown gave me the space, bandwidth and opportunity to tie a lot of things together. This year is definitely going to be a milestone year, where I will finally be putting out there and releasing a lot of music ranging different genres. To start with, this month, I am releasing my interpretations of two very loved songs, one Marathi and another an Urdu Ghazal. I also recently experimented with a completely new style – jazz – and have sung the title track of a regional play that has won multiple awards from Zee Marathi; that track will be out soon too. In due course during the year, one-by-one, I hope to put out some beautiful original songs, most in Hindi and also some in Marathi. Some of the songs have already been recorded, and some are work-in-progress. All of this music spans a variety of genres; some are soulful, love songs with a commercial base but a classical touch; some are out-and-out pop tracks, and some are interpretations of ghazals and other traditional Indian semi-classical compositions that are so close to my heart.

Is there any new thing you wish to focus on in 2021 and any old thing you wish to leave behind in 2020?

Art is a process and as artists, we are constantly evolving in this lifelong journey! Though I come with solid musical training, the process of learning is endless and I am amazed at how many new things I learn every day. Every visit to the studio and every rehearsal is laden with so many new insights, whether it is to do with technique or expression. I look forward in 2021 to developing further and stronger ways to express myself through my music. I also wish to experiment with singing in other languages!