Train your voice to reach new heights

The serious-looking Satro-han Maharaj, 42, of Arouca, who is one of the most qualified tutors of music and vocals in TT, has been spending long hours preparing scores of local artistes for the stage. Satrohan who studied music in India has since returned home to teach and propagate the art form. He remains one of the most sought after singers and musicians in the country. Speaking from his home in Arouca he said that anyone who has a talent to play music or sing a song should study the art form. “The ragas (scales according to East Indian music), are constructed in such a way that the vocal chords and the chords of the musical instruments are able to simultaneously carry the lowest note to the highest with ease,” he said.  Most times we listen to singers who are not able to carry the notes through and this is not fit for any stage, he added. He noted that while anyone can sing to make themselves happy or even to comfort a child, when it comes to the stage, the artistes must prepare themselves. “Often we see young singers who have wonderful voices but they cannot carry the high notes. It is not because they are incapable, but they have not trained their voices to reach the heights,” he said.

He noted that people of all walks of life, every creed and race, look to music to facilitate any event of the day. “The definition for music according to the Oxford dictionary is: a compilation of sounds to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion. The example given is the birdsong or the song of a stream. Therefore, one can see where music plays a great role in relaxing the minds and hearts of people everywhere,” he said. Among the musical instruments that Satrohan teaches are the keyboard, synthesiser, guitar, basuree (a wooden flute), and the English version of the flute. He teaches the singers to mellow their voices so as to accommodate the notes and ragas. Having learnt the art of singing, Satrohan goes even further to teach the singers the art of pronunciation of the Hindi word. “Pronunciation is very important in doing Hindi songs because a slightly different syllable can mean something totally different,” he said. He noted that anyone who intends to learn the art of music and song must spend many years learning the art in its original form. The East Indian songs are becoming more and more popular. Many of the young artistes in TT are now singing the Indian songs that come to the country through the Bollywood films. But Satrohan warns the younger singers who call themselves stars that they must study the music before attempting it. He has been able to compile 27 CDs of songs that he has been singing through the years in many countries of the world. He is also the leader of the orchestra, “Aashiqi” which is also based at his home. He also has his own recording studio at home. Having been in the art form for many years, he has been able to establish a striving institution for music and song at his home. “This way I am able to spend the long hours composing and experimenting with the various musical notes.” He is presently working on his new CD entitled, Sun Heri Yaadi which is translated to mean, Pleasant Memories. The songs on this CD include, “Ye Zindagi Hamaree,” “Bahe Akhiyo Se Dhar,” “Aye Dil Na Dhan,” “Laag Jha Laage,” and “Ham Se Ginte Saharey.”

Satrohan has been sacrificing his time as a performer to teach youngsters. He said that the music of India dates back thousands of years and there are no short cuts in learning this ancient art. “While soca music is very entertaining there is a need to learn the melodies even to sing a simple soca song. The words must flow into the music to make it acceptable,” he said. He loves the songs sung by the late Kishore Kumar who remains one of India’s greatest recording artistes. He skilfully ran his hands through a keyboard to sing the memorable tune, “Gunguroo Ki Taraa.” His voice filled the room as he took the notes of the song to the heights. He showed his skill in delivering this very difficult tune. It is wonderful to listen to him sing in the quiet of his studio in Arouca. He later sang the tunes, “Dil Aisa Kisse Mere Toraa” and “Koyee Hamdam Yaa Rahay.” Satrohan seems to be contented with himself and the way life is proceeding. He ended by saying, “Listen we can complain about a lot of things in life. But when you study the art, you live a more meaningful life. I look forward to coming into my studio and singing these beautiful songs that were made in India.”