Learnquest Baithak series will feature a special evening concert by one of the top Hindustani vocalists from India, Pandit Ulhas Kashalkar on Saturday, July 9 at 7pm at 125 Prospect St, Framingham, MA. (Doors will open at 6:30pm). Pandit Kashalkar had given a masterful afternoon performance at Learnquest Music Conference earlier this year. In the past few months, he has been singing to packed audiences in house concerts as well as in formal concert halls across several cities in the United States. According to Pandit Kashalkar, awareness and interest in Indian Classical music is spreading in the U.S.  In an interview to the author of this article several years back Pandit Kashalkar had said “I see many young people in my performances. Boston has made a name for itself like some other cities in the U.S such as New Jersey, Houston, San Francisco and Seattle for hosting high quality Indian Classical music concerts.”

Starting his journey to learn music at a very young age from his father, Shri N.D Kashalkar, Pandit Ulhas Kashalkar won a gold-medal at the post-graduation exam in music. His teachers have included Pandit Ram Marathe and Pandit Gajanan Bua Joshi, who was a talented violinist in addition to being a singer. “Pandit Gajanan Joshi practiced singing in styles of all three gharanas, Gwalior, Agra and Jaipur Gharanas and taught them to me. There is a wealth of possibility in the kind of music I have learned – there are different types of ornamentations as well as interplay with words and rhythm (layakaari). I try to follow the path that my Gurus have shown me.” said Pandit Kashalkar about his Gurus.

While many Indian classical music performers are considering adapting to the needs and demands of a new generation of music lovers, Pandit Kashalkar prefers to maintain the purity of tradition. He believes that while anyone can learn music, not all students of music wind up as effective performers. A faculty member at the prestigious ITC Sangeet Research Academy in Kolkatta since 1993, he is of the opinion that to be a good performer, one needs to have not only innate talent and a good Guru but one needs to put in countless hours of arduous practice. “I do want to please the audience of the new generation but it will not be at the expense of gimmicks. Classical Music has always been not so much for the masses but for select few people who take deep interest in it. I prefer the long and hard traditional music route to the easy route of achieving success as a performer.” said Pandit Kashalkar about the nature of Indian Classical Music.

Music lovers looking for pure Hindustani classical vocal music in an intimate setting can expect an excellent treat on the evening of Saturday, July 9 at 125 Prospect St, Framingham, MA. Pandit Ulhas Kashalkar will be accompanied by Shri. Suryaksha Deshpande on the tabla and Shri. Dattatreya Velankar on the harmonium. Advance purchase of tickets is highly recommended as limited tickets are available at www.learnquest.org/baithak  

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