When none other than Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkarji, refers to you as the ideal light music teacher there is reason to rejoice. Vikas Bhatawadekar, over the last three decades, has trained over 600 students in Mumbai and Gujarat, many of whom today are professional performers and playback singers. A bottomless well of music scholarship Vikas has gone on to score the music for over 50 theatricals, and TV serials, with icons like Suresh Wadkar, Ravindra Sathe, Swapnil Bandodkar vocalizing his creations.
A man who has traversed the journey from a learner to a performer to a revered music guru, Vikas was also given the honor to guide singers Roop Kumar Rathod, Sonu Nigam, Jagjit Singh ji and of course, Lata Mangeshkar ji for late Madan Mohan’s film Veer Zara.
A true music ambassador passing his in-depth musical acumen to the next generation Vikas Bhatawadekar, has in a long sit-down with Khanak offered invaluable advice for every serious music learner and enthusiast.
Q) How did your journey in music commence?
A) I began as a Ghazal singer after listening to the incredible Maestros Mehdi Hassan, Ghulam Ali, Hussain Bux and of course, the divine Lata Mangeshkar. This was in the late 80s. I soon begin composing music for plays. This was all organic. I had never learnt music formally, but had soaked in these institutions of music by repeated listening. The influence of my father Kamalakar Bhatawadekar, a classical flautist and a student of the Sitar Maestro Ustad Vilayat Khan, also gave me a direction to pursue my music.
Q) How did the idea of taking up music as a teacher come up?
A) It so happened that one of my ghazal performances was attended by Meena Khardikar, Lataji’s youngest sister’s children who liked my singing and compositions. Meena Tai was also impressed when I met her. She went on to tell me that the what’s what in the music industry at the time was all about version recordings. There were hardly any original compositions being created (in the 90’s) and that I would also benefit if I take up teaching music as a career move. She guided me very well and also gave me my first student. She had remarked that I should start teaching music so that I could learn music better. This was something that appealed to me from within and I continued to explore and innovate on the basis and created my own basic vocal exercises.
Q) What is your focus on when you take up a student?
A) There are various factors involved in learning light music that need to be worked upon. It could be the diction, the throw, the ideal pitch, the overall range, and other factors. It is when all these factors come together that a good or a great singer is created. It is these factors that need to be chiseled as one goes by the timeless flow of music in which there are several peaks and valleys.
Q) There are many who want to be on the performing stage at the earliest and in the case of light music want to learn more songs to impress. What is your take on this?
A)The simple thing is that unless you learn to sing one song masterfully or at least to the best of your ability, it is futile to try and attempt other songs. If as a learner you understand the deeper nuances of any one ghazal or film song of Lata Mangeshkarji or Mehdi Hassan you can go far. Trying to learn singing at a fast speed can be counter-productive. If they are serious about learning music, they have to understand this.
Please elaborate…
I would like to say that learning light music is not only about learning a song it is about learning what is needed to be a good light music singer. Like while learning classical music the emphasis is on attaining perfect sur, light music also emphasizes on attaining the perfect sur. A song is much beyond Rhythm, words and being in tune. It is about the approach towards the singing. An effective melody can be rendered in perfect tune but without any feeling. A good singer will always sound pleasing to the ear. This is very important according to me.
Q) You have also taught many children. How is it different from teaching an adult?
Children can be easily diverted. They need to be handled differently and brought out of their shell. I have to talk to them and gradually bring them into the groove.
Arousing their interest by tweaking the lyrics often works. Ideally, a child, if they have the interest, will be looking forward to meet the teacher. It should not be only about I am the student and he is the teacher so I am here approach.
Q) How do you involve them in the finer and deeper aspects of music learning?
A) Terms like voice culture, voice modulation breathing techniques etc. need to be brought in gradually as the child’s mind is raw in the early stages. It is only by the time they reach the 9th and 10th class that they get serious about singing and their pursuit to excel begins.
Q) What about the professional or performing singers who learn from you?
A) Many of the professional singers are used to a particular kind of singing and unless trained otherwise they fail to adapt to the style needed for the song. When you hear an excellent rendering rather than copying the song or the voice of the singer it would be wiser to copy the approach of the singer. This can be a major difference. It could be the difference between a good and ordinary rendering brought in by a myopic approach by the singer.
Q) There are many complex melodies difficult to master. How does one imbibe those?
A) The thing I learned with experience is to break down the song by which I mean render the melody at a Vilambit (Slower) tempo. The nuances will show up as you do it repeatedly. A Guru has to offer this knowledge to the learner. The thought of learning in front of a guru has merit also because he is present to right your faulty understanding of music.
Q) What is the proper breathing technique for a singer?
A) The idea is to deeply inhale and while exhaling one has to sing the Swara. It is a technique that works wonders.
Q) What kind of a teacher should a new learner choose?
A) I will say what Ustad Zakir Hussain had said. He had said: Always choose a guru who can give you time. If the Guru is too busy with their career it would be difficult for him to give you the best of his attention
Q) What is your view on a good student?
A) A good student is someone who never gets complacent with their learning process. The curiosity to learn keeps them excited. A few singers who have turned professional continue to be serious about every bit of their performance including making last minute notes about a song they have already rendered several times. This is very good to see. The student should also be sure of why he is learning from this and not any other Guru. I’ve experienced that it is easier to teach a fresh learner than an experienced one.
Q) What is your understanding of a good song rendering or performance?
A) The idea is that the performance should be well rounded. It is to take away the sharpness from the singing. It is when the three the throat, the brain and the heart come together in the most effective manner that the performance stands out. The singer enjoys his singing and also emits the vibes that reach the listeners. It is important for the singer, on every occasion, to sing with a clean slate which means that he or she has to forget that they know the song and sing it out of memory.
Many experienced singers with their particular style and voice culture often find it challenging to sing straight notes adding unnecessary complications to the original classic. This also scatters the original creation and should be avoided.
Q) What do you think is the key ingredient to becoming a good singer?
A) The effort or the Riyaz the learner puts in eventually makes a better singer. It is a very important ingredient of the singer’s growth training. Proper practice makes perfect. How far a singer goes purely depends on the effort they put. Music learning is a gradual process. Following the Guru without variation is a good way to begin. This process is about getting the ear trained. This is one of the earliest stages, yet takes time. As a student you reach a point where music learning is a patience game.
Vibhav Rao