Connecting Art with Psyche: Vidushi Malini Rajurkar

Background

Vidushi Malini Rajurkar is an exponent of Gwalior Gharana, which, extending right back to Miya Tansen, is considered to be the oldest ‘khayaal’ Gharana in Indian classical music. 

Malini Rajurkar Ji was born in Ajmer, Rajasthan, to parents who were ardent lovers of music. Her acumen for music was apparent from a very young age in the music classes held in her school.

Childhood and Marriage
She studied in Savitri Girl’s High School and College in Ajmer where she also taught Mathematics for three years after graduation. During her tenure, she was awarded a three-year scholarship, which she used to complete her Sangeet Nipun at Ajmer Music College, where she studied under the guidance of Govindrao Rajurkar and later went on to marry his nephew Vasantrao Rajurkar.

Malini Ji moved to Hyderabad after her marriage and still continues to live there. Her role as a wife and daughter-in-law was very dear to her and she made sure that she fulfilled her duties well. 

Significant contributions
Even though her training has been in the Gwalior ‘Gaayaki’, she was greatly influenced by various masters and often employed several styles in her singing. Keeping her music firmly rooted in the Gharana Parampara, she has evolved her own style of singing that reflects her prowess and musical ability. Her command over ‘Taal’ or rhythm and masterful play with it, could be attributed to her being a mathematician and her extremely strong technical abilities and fast calculations that translate to complex note patterns or taans. 

Malini Ji is considered to be the Queen of Tappas. Tappa is usually a semi-classical composition that derives its roots from Folk music of the Punjab and Sindh region. Her iconic rendition of it in Raag Kaafi stands out for its dancing notes and fluid taans. 

Lifetime journey
Malini Ji has often expressed the need, as an artist, for continuous introspection. She says that one must always be aware of one’s inadequacies and constantly try to identify and work upon them. Only then can you call yourself an artist. One needs to be vulnerable and transparent with oneself for the true elevation of their art. Your transparency as a person is directly proportional to that of your music. Another quality that she maintains, that a good artist must possess, is the absence of ego. If you feel that you have made a mistake, you need to be able to ask for forgiveness; this will only make you a better person in turn. 

She firmly believes in the simultaneous cultivation of her music and her listeners. Not falling for dilution or changes in order to suit the listener’s taste, she prefers that her audience accept her for her own unique singing style. 

She has always been the same both on and off stage. Malini Ji has no qualms about being authentic to who she is and has no airs whatsoever. 

To be a good musician, Malini Ji feels that you must be able to respect the thoughts and mental space of your fellow artists and vice-versa. Only then will real music blossom in performance. This, however, is not easy and needs each person to let go of their ego and be vulnerable. 

Famous concerts
Malini Ji’s first concert in 1964 was in Raag Yaman Kalyan, a blissful evening raag. Since then, she has performed all over the world including the US, UK, Canada, and the Middle East. 

Vidushi Malini Rajurkar has performed at various prestigious music festivals across India:

1. Gunidas Sammelan (Mumbai)
2. Tansen Samaroh (Gwalior)
3. Sawai Gandharva Festival (Pune)
4. Shankar Lal Festival (Delhi)

She is known for her unpredictability in her explorations of a Raag.

Gurus
Malini Ji got introduced to classical music through her first guru, Pandit Govindrao Rajurkar, who was one of the foremost disciples of Rajabhaiyya Poonchwale of the Gwalior Gharana. 

Another maestro who had a major influence on her singing was Pt. Kumar Gandharva. 

Legacy
Malini Ji hasn’t taught music to students in a regular and systemic way over a long period of time as other traditional Gurus did. However, she has never turned away anyone who has had a real penchant for learning something from her. 

Interview References: 

1. Smt.Malini Rajurkar Classic Speech Part1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMXl0OcYBnI
2. Smt.Malini Rajurkar Classic Speech Part2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fhq9m_UcG5k

References: 

1. Contributors, M. (2020, February 01). Malini Rajurkar. Retrieved October 09, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malini_Rajurkar
2. Contributors, M. (2020, October 03). Gwalior gharana. Retrieved October 10, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwalior_gharana
3. WeGotGuru. (2017, May 14). Malini Rajurkar : Nightingale of Gwalior. Retrieved October 10, 2020, from https://wegotguru.wordpress.com/2017/05/14/malini-rajurkar-nightingale-of-gwalior/