Dance, table and vocalist, a 'pandit' at 13 Anuratn Rai
"When you grow up in a house with an environment deeply rooted in music, life beyond that ceases to exist. So, music truly is my soul," says the 24-year-old rising star of Indian Classical music, Anuratn Rai.
One of the leading young classical vocalists today, Anuratn began his stage journey at the age of three. He comes from a strong lineage of the Seniya Maihar gharana, and received his training from his father Acharya Pandit Anupam Rai who, like him, is known for his prowess in vocals as well as dance.
Young Anuratna too started this journey with dance, vocals and tabla, and with time built his style in the Rampur Sahaswan gharana, in addition to his root lineage.
What makes his art stand out is the ability to learn from all of these influences, carry them forward and present them in his own unique way. According to Anuratn, the root of his musical fluidity comes from his exposure to an array of musical expressions and especially, dance.
"After a few years when I began to think of taking up music professionally, I slowly had to distance myself from performances of dance and tabla. I wanted to be known for my vocals. But, that didn't mean I gave them up. I continued and somewhere my love for those two art-forms continued to blossom and find expression through my vocals," he says.
From the first solo-performance at the age of eight, to earning the position of the youngest vocalist, kathak dancer and tabla player in India in the Limca Book of Records at the age of nine, to even winning a rare honour of 'Pandit' and 'Kishore Sangeet Martand' at the age of 13, Anuratn's reputation as a vocal artist has only grown over the years, helping him find prominence both in India and overseas.
In 2019, he came across the HCL Digital Concerts, and instantly signed up for it. "When I got to know about the concept, I was extremely impressed. This effort by a corporation to connect the masses to our roots is absolutely fabulous so I didn't wait and applied immediately. I wanted to be a part of this!" he says. The singer then performed at the HCL Digital Concerts in February 2020.
"I hope such exposure brings me more opportunities to perform and take Indian classical music to all corners of India and the world", Anuratn adds.
HCL Digital Concerts is a platform meant to identify aspiring musicians and provide them with opportunities to showcase their talent through digital as well as physical music concerts.
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