Few people know that the legendary vocalist, Pandit Jasraj was a tabla player in his youth and even at one time, accompanied the sitar stalwart, the late Pandit Ravi Shankar. His heart however persuaded him to become a vocalist and he pursued his desire with passion and whole-hearted commitment. Today, at the age of 88, Pandit Jasraj continues to delight audiences with his unblemished voice and matchless musical sensibility. He has performed all over the world, won numerous awards and titles, published scores of music albums and has groomed several star Hindustani musicians. Whether the musical genre is Dhrupad, Khyal, Tarana, Haveli Sangeet or Bhajan, Pandit Jasraj’s rich imagination and the emotional appeal of his musical renditions have always touched the hearts of music lovers.

A fourth generation vocalist of the Mewati Gharana, Pandit Jasraj’s grand father, Shri. Nathulalji, father, the late Pandit Motiram and elder brother, the late Pandit Maniram were vocalists of the same Gharana. Pandit Jasraj has added a large number of devotional compositions to the gharana’s existing rich repertoire of compositions.

Music lovers will be able to celebrate 25 years of Indian classical music and dance at a MITHAS (MIT Heritage of SouthEast Asia) anniversary event with Pandit Jasraj’s performance. The music performance is scheduled to be held on Saturday, May 19 at 7pm at MIT’s Kresge Auditorium. Tickets can be purchased at http://www.mithas.org/Events/S18_Jasraj_EventInfo.html.