While the entire nation is extremely up-to-date about the controversy amid which Padmaavat was released last week, few know the story of Chintoo Singh Wasir and how director Sanjay Leela Bhansali got inspired by his music.
Chintoo, who creates soulful music with his rare musical instrument called the ‘rabab’, says, “I recorded the music for a song in Padmaavat. Upon listening to the audio, Sanjay Leela Bhansali invited me and heard me live. He decided that my playing of this rare instrument must reach out to people all over the world and filmed me playing the rabab in the song. I feel very proud that the instrument is getting recognition worldwide.” The musician was in Hyderabad recently to participate in the Hyderabad Literary Festival as a guest artiste for the band, Bombay Bairag’s session.
Recalling his tryst with music that started at an early age, Chintoo describes, “Music was always in my family. My father Mohinderjeet Singh has been a well-known music composer and I always heard music at home apart from taking lessons. I accompanied my father on the guitar in many programmes. Later, I learnt the violin and vocal singing before getting inspired by the story of Bhai Mardana playing the rabab for Guru Nanak Dev.”
Chintoo adds that his musical journey has been a long one. “I have had the fortune of accompanying great stalwarts like Mehdi Hassan, Jagjit Singh, Ghulam Ali, Anoop Jalota, Pankaj Udhas and Ajay Pohankar. For me, inspiration has come even from the West. I have always enjoyed listening to the music of B.B. King, Eric Clapton and George Benson,” he shares.
Life is never easy for a professional musician. And for Chintoo, it was no different. He shares, “There are always phases in life which test your passion. A phase of electronic music and disc jockeys came when live music and live performers hardly got deserving opportunities. But things are again looking bright for live musicians. I have been time and again signed for background scores and playing music in Hindi films though.”
Chintoo also reveals that whenever he gets an opportunity, he sings the songs of renowned Sufi saints Baba Bulleh Shah, Baba Fareed, Hazrat Amir Khusrau and Sultan Bahu. “For me, singing Sufi songs and playing soothing music on the rabab is a very soulful combination,” feels Chintoo. He continues, “Many times, when I perform abroad, most of the foreign audiences do not understand the lyrics of the songs. But for them, it is a form of meditation and they always have a beautiful experience. Music has no language. It takes them to another world altogether and this power lies very much in Indian culture.” Chintoo feels happy that many youngsters are coming forward to learn the rabab, the earliest origin of which goes back to Central Afghanisthan. However, “This augurs well for the future of an instrument which is mostly played in few remote areas of Kashmir,” he concludes.
