Shloka Chandavar- A Singer of great minds

INTRODUCTION

There is no other singer in the history of this blog where more than four peers unequivocally nominated a singer for a feature. Thanks to our dearest friends Swapnil Gore, Dipanwitha, Geetika Pant and our friend from the beginning Gyanuji for providing the necessary initial chaperoning. In fact, Shloka was someone who right away came hardheartedly supported the causes of this blog and helped bring this story of her music journey to all you guys.

Shloka is basically from Mumbai (Bombay). Her grandparents hail from Shirali a small town near Udupi in Karnataka from where they moved to settle down in Mumbai. Shloka’s parents all born and brought up in Mumbai itself. Growing up in Mumbai the city of dreamers and Bollywood Shloka had ample opportunities to learn music.

Her full name is Shloka Chandavar, and she is a full time researcher (witha a PhD in Particle Physics) currently working in the filed of Nuclear Physics at National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL) which is a part of the prestigious Michigan State University campus, East Lansing, MI.

What is your training in music?

“I started learning music with my guru Bhalachandra Patre from about eight years of age. This was mostly light music – Abhang (devotional poetry), film music and Marati Bhaav geet, etc. When I was around ten, I got the opportunity to sing a few times on AIR shows that aired Konkani songs.”

Growing up in Mumbai Shloka used to participate in cultural activities in school and college and took part in several Intra-school and Inter-collegiate singing competitions. “Although I have performed on stage in those days, I have been away from public performances for more than a decade now.” Shloka had been busy doing a PhD and very much a career focused researcher.

Shloka with her Dad on stage

Shloka continued talking about her basic training in classical music “I studied Hindustani classical (Jaipur Atrauli gharana) under the tutelage of Dhondutai Kulkarni for about 2.5 years from age ~13 to 16.” Although Shloka’s association with her was not very long, she is thankfully say that her guru’s teachings have stayed with her till today. Shloka says ” Those teachings still influences my singing a lot. The way to hit a note, the way to sing a taan, the way to emote (or not). Though I’m completely out of practice now, it come to me naturally from time to time.”

Atrauli Gharana

We can not go without talking about the Jaipur Atrauli Gharana here. It is founded by Alla Diya Khan and the most prominent proponent of this Gharana is Shruti Sadolikar Katkar born in mid 1900s. She is the daughter of Wamanrao Sadolikar of Kolhapur. She received her initial training from her father who himself was a student of Ustad Alla Diya Khan, the very founder of Jaipur Atrauli Gharana. She received her advanced training from Ustad Gulubhali. We have to add this beautiful singing by Shruthi Sadolikar here before we understand Shloka better. Here is a Hindustani gaayaki where she sings raag Yaman. Enjoy

Shloka continued to learn semi classical after a break of few years. “I have resumed some semi-classical and ghazal gaayaki from my guru Sunil Borgankar.”

Shloka says that it was him who encouraged her and showed how she can add her own flavor to songs, especially when singing ghazals.

“According to him, once you get familiar with a song, one should be able to add your own ‘manodharma’ to it – feel the song, and imagine up all other paths it could take. This has stayed with me till date.’

“When I hear something, I automatically envision other possible realms of the song, other directions it could flow in. One may be surprised what comes out because you yourself don’t know where you’re going with a song until the time you sing it.” Very profound thoughts indeed. Shloka is a singer “Bhaavana” and “Sarga shakthi.” What a way to go. Indeed without the above both we would not have had great compositions and great music composers in music.

Thoughts about Classical music

” For Shloka it looks like it is again the creativity of a classical singer is what fascinates her most. “The only restriction in Classical singing is that one have to sing the song by the order of notes of the raag. The Manodharma that comes out of the musician’s maturity is what Shloka is very attracted to. “A lot of the time, even no words. or even the tune that matters. There is a similar kind of freedom in Ghazal singing as well. There are these surprise element sometimes – one note can completely change the feel of a song.” So true and very happy to hear such profound thoughts from a young singer on Smule.

Music tastes

“My father, who also sings, and used to play a lot of records of Natyasangeet, Ghazals, Bhaav geet, and classical music when I was a child.” Shloka says the music that she heard growing up have tremendous effect on her listening tastes. She confess that although she like classical music a lot she hardly listen to pure classical music herself. “I just find myself choosing other forms of music a lot of the time; I like all kinds of music (except heavy metal). Among western music, I find jazz to be most closely related to Indian classical, and I really love the abstractness of it. The tune can go anywhere, and do anything.”

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Thoughts on Smule App

Smule has provided a tool to do my own experimentation. It is somehow important to me to, not just create, but also to send it out to the world, since I do not know how someone will perceive my interpretation of a song. I guess that’s part of being an experimentalist – not knowing what results your tests will yield.” The scientist in Shloka.

Shloka is someone who take a lot of time to listen and respond to her joins “I sincerely thank every one who have been listening to me, encouraged, and inspired me so far. I would also like to invite criticism since this is very important for any real progress.”

How music play part in your life?

“Starting to sing again has transformed my life, and I really appreciate the people on this platform who sing their hearts out just for the joy of it. I have met a lot of people here, and I’m so grateful to a whole world of singers and listeners brought by the Smule app. I love and enjoy collaborating with other singers who have their own individual styles. I’ve learnt much from interacting with them, not just about music, but also sometimes their take on life, which of course, seeps into the music.” Profound, an artists’ way of expression is his art itself.

What is music to you?

“I can’t really define what music means to me. For me, music is in everything… in the existence of the world, and in the meaning of life”

Who are your favorite singers?

Some of my favorite singers are Hariharan, Shankar Mahadevan, Vasantrao Deshpande, Ashwini Bhide Deshpande, Veena Sahasrabuddhe,

From the western music Angela McCluskey, Melody Gardot. These are just a few names, there are many, and I couldn’t possibly name all of them.

Angela McCluskey

When we were ready to part it felt like there is so much more to know about this young musician. May be like the depth of signing of Angela we can find all that secrets in her singing by listening to her. Let us see this highly collaborative highly experimental singer with out delay.

Here let us listen to her Khamoshiyaan. Which other song one can pick to show a singer who says her singing is an experimentation in feel and possibilities of imaginations. Here is Shloka as she said in her interview, trying all that in her music. Sure listen this. Classic signature of an artist.

Shloka joins Dipanwita a phenomenal singer from West Bengal. This is a join of Shloka on Dip’s invite. Dip as a friend we know normally do not pick new songs but for a change let us see these two friends try this Papon’s recent hit from movie Sui Daaga Song: Chaav Laaga Singers: Papon, Ronkini Gupta Music: Anu Malik Lyrics: Varun Grover. It is a beautiful melody made in recent times. Give a listen. Sometime Amazing is not enough to describe the beauty of these two singers.

Here is another classic made by Nithish Bhaskaran, an amazing talent we featured here. Shloka joins him on his invite of Song Name – Luka Chuppi Album – Rang De Basanti, Singer – Lata Mangeshkar, Lyrics – Prasoon Joshi Music Composer – A.R. Rahman. Again soop singing and absolute pleasure to add this here. Amazingly perfect. All classic.

What can be more prefect than this with Swapnil our dearest friend and huge support of the causes of this effort to nurture good music from India. Swapnil and his never ending enthusiasm for good music and the highest standards of music critiques had been our backbone for a while now and really appreciate every bit of help rendered for running this here. Here Shloka and Swapnil sing a language that is foreign to both but love for all type of music from various regions of India makes them sing this Bengali song. Beautiful and beyond. Have you heard the original if not listen here

Another friend from Uttrakhand Geetika Pant a former Idol India top contestant joins Shloka Namak Isque Hua. Geetika at her best and this is beyond our words here. Beautiful and beyond. Film – Omkara Music – Vishal Bhardwaj. It is a so called item number, what a composition and music direction. Vishal fans here all the more. Enjoy this classic created here by these two singers. Absolute professionalism.

Song Patakha Guddi with Nisha Susan a new singer for the blog. Commendable singing. Shloka as always is superb and perfect in this one as well. Enjoy. Song: Pataka Guddi Singer: Sultana and Jyoti Nooran Music: A.R Rahman Lyrics: Irshad Kamil Movie: Highway. What is unique is Shloka’s taste and choices of songs is very adorable. Beautiful song, enjoy this one in her more beautiful voice.

Ghoomer and what else could be apt for Shloka to be imaginative.

Kya Yahi Pyaar Hai’ with Abir Chowdhury, the song is added to show how Shloka sing every genre with such conviction and authority. Give a listen.

END NOTES

When we finish telling this beautiful story through Shloka’s own words, and when we hear that she likes Angela MacCulsky’s music, this is what we think about it. Angela’s music takes everyone to a world of singing that is purely imaginative and here each song we picked clearly showed Shloka’s ability to use her imagination, that is out there for others to like it or hate it. It is indeed what Shloka is all about. She is here to tell everyone that she is an individualistic singer with a serious mind for her music.

We like to extend our warmest best wishes in everything that she does, let it be Particle Physics or be Ghazals or Semiclassic music; let all be in Shloka’s own individualistic style. And that will create an audience for that world where she can imagine her own world for others to enjoy too.

Here is her Smule profile. Go visit her and follow her and encourage this singer. We can not go off here without adding two more videos of singers that Shloka said she likes. Melody Gardot and her singing is really mesmerizing. Shloka who found simile in smooth Jazz and India’s semi-classical and music of content is the reason why we wanted to feature her story here. It is an hour long music concert of Melody embedded here. When time permits give a listen and you will sure slip into the groove of Smooth Jaazz. Enjoy.