Kumar Saurabh: Performing Live Since Age 4!
Kumar Saurabh, a 24-year-old pursuing MBA in Amity-Patna, is a guitarist and passionate about Sufi ghazals. He was born to a family of musicians and has received training in sound mixing and sound designing. His parents, Mrs. Rupa and Mr. Sitaram Singh are both ghazal singers. His father is accredited by the Govt. of India to be a top-grade ghazal singer. Like his father, Saurabh too is recognized by the Govt. of India as a guitarist, on a B-Grade level.
This four-year-old who had performed at Dalton Ganj and also grabbed a lead role in Omi, a documentary film by Sumit and Shaw Edmond, is now a part of the prestigious Indian People’s Theatre Association (IPTA) for the past 15 years. He is a guitarist with the Sri. Sri. Ravishankar’s Art Of Living and represented his state and has played at concerts in Kolkata and Bodh Gaya. He also got a chance to give his performance at Sangeeth Natak Academy, in which Lata Mangeshkar is a part of. He has played for ghazal albums as well, such as Gulaab Ka Mausam and Dil Toh Badnam Hai. He and his father, who is blind but gifted with a melodious voice, were honored with a chance to play for the inaugural ceremony of Doordarshan Bihar’s broadcast launch. Saurabh has not only performed but also judged musical concerts at youth festivals in Darbhanga. Through his music, he connects to all generations by means of different mediums and platforms–when he was invited by Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM to reprised rock versions of classical retro hits, his performance received an amazing response.
He is currently teaching guitar to young music aspirants and has plans on pursuing a Ph.D. in English Literature after the completion of his MBA.
Describe your journey into music?
I started my career in singing at an event of IPTA. I was four years old then. It was the first time I gave a live performance in front of thousands of people. I began learning from my father, who is a ghazal singer. I always had a marked interest in guitar and used to learn ‘Sa Re Ga Ma’ of guitar from a dad who had knowledge about the instrument. After participating in many school and interschool competitions, I was confident enough to go up the stage and sing to the masses. I bought books and watched videos to hone my skill. I then learned and played guitar on my own. I would go with my dad to various events and play guitar there. Subsequently, to improve my skill, I went to my Guru Sri. Madhu Mukharji is India’s best music arranger and learned to play the guitar properly.
How have your parents guided you into the stream?
My father is a ghazal singer, so I guess music is in my blood. My father was the first to recognize my talent. He eventually taught me and mentored me until I became ‘Sangeet Prabhakar’—a graduate title in classical music. He also helped me in learning a bit of western music as well.
Please share who your idol is, when it comes to music and in life.
No doubt, my dad is my idol not just because he is my father, but also because of the way he struggled and looked after the family. My father is the eldest son born into a family of farmers. The passion and devotion he has always had for the family and for music are incredible. This ultimately resulted in his success.
Did you face any struggle to get recognized for your skill?
I never had a trained guitar teacher in the beginning. I had to learn it on my own.
What kind of music do you like to listen to?
Anything that has a melody is of my kind. Its something I prefer listening to. I don’t prefer hard rock or metal songs. I feel soulful songs are soothing and prefer to listen to them. ‘Abhi mujhme kahin’ from the movie Agnipath is one of my favorite songs. I got a very good response from my college mates when I performed this song.
Your fondest performances?
That would be the first stage performance with my father. I was 14 years old and it was a great opportunity to perform with Bihar’s top-graded ghazal singer. I also learned the difference between playing music casually against playing it live professionally.
Will music always be a part of the plan or do you see your priorities changing after MBA?
Music is my life while a MBA degree can source my income.
What would be your word of advice for beginners in the field?
Guitar gods like Joe Satriani and Kirk Hammett started with the basics of music. So I suggest beginners learn the fundamentals rather than jumping directly into metal or hard rock. Do not go with any particular genre of music, instead try to learn how music works and how to compose it
Note: This is an article by Betsy T from Campazine, currently featured on Simple Insights.
