"MUSIC IS PART OF MY SOUL" ---

Kinnar Ji in "oneness" with the sitar

(Editor's note: This article was published in the West Indian newspaper in New York - dated 8/24/13. No parts of this article can be reproduced without permission from the writer).

Internationally-acclaimed Sitar Exponent and Trained Indian Classical Musician Pandit Kinnar Seen

Indian classical music pulls at his heart beats. In fact, the very essence of his being pulsates with the rhythm of this magical musical genre. He has been playing and teaching Indian classical music with such passion and soulfulness for so long - that he has become the music, which he stated, “connects me to my people, regardless of which part they’re from; it’s part of our Indian identity.”

Meet Pandit Kinnar Kumar Seen! He is an internationally-acclaimed exponent of sitar and a trained Indian classical singer/musician who lives to play and teach music to anyone who is willing to learn this ancient art form. Despite the international fame, heaps of accolades and numerous awards, he remains the epitome of humility, extremely modest, full of devotion for his music and is blessed with a prayerful heart and a great family.

During a recent interview, when asked how important Indian classical music is to him, this easy-going music Guru simply replied that, “music is part of my soul.” Music is the “food for the soul” that he cannot sleep or live without, “I can’t even sleep if I don’t play music.”

Then, he added softly but matter-of-factly, “If I cannot play music, then let my God take me away because life without music is no life.” Through the medium of performances and teaching, he is trying to keep Indian classical music alive and vowed to continue, “For as long as I live.”

Unwittingly, he touched a chord in the inner core of himself unfathomable to many of us. You see, music runs extremely deep in his genetic make-up and his spiritual consciousness; so much so that, it is appropriate to say that as fragrance is to roses, Indian classical music is to Kinnar Seen.

So, how is he able to achieve this seeming subtle “oneness” so effortlessly with the music he plays, especially with the sitar, which he shares a very strong bond with?

“It’s not me or what I’ve achieved, but I must have come with these qualities; this is because of my sanskars,” he stated modestly, emphasizing that, “It’s my Dharma.”

MUSICAL BACKGROUND

Was it celestially blissful growing up in a home where the soothing sound of the sitar and scintillating beats of the tabla filled the atmosphere?

“It was normal going up in a musical family,” Kinnar Ji stated honestly, being the down-to- earth person that he is, and continued, “my father is my Guru,” however, he succinctly pointed out that it was not always easy studying under his father.

He grew up in Jalandhar, in the state of Punjab, North India, where he was exposed to the traditional Punjab Gharana style of music from a very tender age.


His father, Acharya Ji Lachman Singh Seen, is a legendary musician in India and is also very well-known on the international musical circuit. Acharya Ji Seen started Sangeet Vilas, a musical school in his home town, teaching Indian classical music, specializing in the sitar and tabla.



The Seen family is not only extra-ordinarily gifted musicians but also Raput landowners. Kinnar Ji came from a long line of ancestors who were also rulers for their state. His late mother, Shrimati Shakuntala Rani Seen, was very influential in him studying music and becoming the full fledged, versatile professional musician he is today.

“She is the reason I’m in music,” he credited his mother for his blessings.

Thus, the young Kinnar began his musical journey, studying under the guidance of his father, along with so many other students who were always coming to his home.

He went on to study at a private institution, the Guru Nanak Dev University, where he graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in English and a Master’s Degree in Music, majoring in Sitar in 1984. He also holds the title of Sangeet Visharad, which is equivalent to Master’s Degree in both tabla and singing that he holds in Bombay.

For his proficiencies in both vocal and tabla, he won seven gold medals in both regional and national competitions in India. He liked to participate in competitions for which he put in long hours of practice daily back then and even now he practices endlessly.

MOVE TO THE USA

He relocated to the USA over twenty-five years ago. What prompted the young Kinnar to move to the US and New York, in particular?

Kinnar Ji revealed that he traveled “almost half of the world,” but somehow, “New York always felt like home,” then he reasoned philosophically, “Anywhere I go, I’ve to work and live, then why not live where it felt like home?”

Asked if it was difficult to leave his parents, particularly his mother, for a foreign land, he replied that his father believed in the ancient Vedantic teaching, “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,” which literally means, “The whole world is a single family.” His mother was very supportive of his move.

Like majority of immigrants during their early years of assimilating life in the US, it was also challenging for Kinnar Ji. He had to work from jobs here and there to make ends meet.

TEACHING UNDER THE ANCIENT GURU SHISHYA SYSTEM

When did it dawn on him that he wanted to teach Indian classical music?

Well, in those early days, “I wasn’t thinking to teach music,” he related, as he was more into musical performances. Also, when he came to New York, initially, he was not ready to teach music when asked by a few parents.

However, because he practiced music so much for his performances, the transition to teaching the music became quite easy. In the end, he gave in and taught a few children.

“But, then I teach a few kids, I see the changes I made in their lives and I thought, if I can do this, it’s all worth it. That’s when I decided to teach music. I stopped all my bad habits,” he stated truthfully, reminiscing down memory lane during the early days of his teaching career. These days, teaching this sacred music has become a deep passion of his.

According to Kinnar Ji, parents from the West Indian Diaspora were very supportive of his new venture. Many Guyanese and Trinidadian parents were very enthusiastic to have such a knowledgeable individual teach their children singing, harmonium and tabla. In those early days, he conducted classes at the children’s homes.

Kinnar Ji conducting a singing class

“People from Guyana and Trinidad asked me to teach their kids. Kalicharran met me and asked me to teach his kids. Pandit Jadonath also brought several people.” Finally, the word was out that Kinnar Ji started teaching music. Soon, he started getting kids from both West Indian and Indian parents.

In time, he met his future wife, the beautiful Shrimati Payal Seen, in New York and they took the vivah sanskar. They have been happily married for over twenty years. Payal Ji is an accomplished singer, an expert on the harmonium and very well versed on the tabla.

Eventually, they continued the rich tradition started by Kinnar Ji’s father and opened up their own musical school, Sangeet Vilas, with branches in Long Island and Queens, which has been in operation for over two decades now.

Kinnar Ji runs his musical school under the ancient Indian traditional Guru Shishya system. He is Guru and Payal Ji is Guruma to all their students, who are asked to wear traditional Indian attires to all classes. As music teachers, they treat all their students as family and emphasize the importance of strong family values in classes. They protect their students and provide a very nurturing, caring and stress-free learning environment.

Payal Ji at her best

They are very hardworking, dedicated and selfless teachers who pour their hearts and souls into teaching this ancient art form to their students, who come from all walks of life, young and old and from different cultures. They implement a strict code of discipline during classes and teach music in the traditional Indian raags style, such as, Kalyaan, Khamaaj, Kafi, Bhairav, Bhairavi and Todi, among others. Kinnar Ji teaches the sitar, vocal and tabla and Payal Ji teaches vocal and harmonium classes.

A large percentage of their students consist of young American West Indians who are leading professional singers and tabla players in their mandirs and community at large – compliments to this dynamic musical duo. Hundreds of students have passed through their expert tutelage to date since they started teaching music.

What is the most rewarding moment for Kinnar Ji as a music teacher?



Payal Ji conducting a class

“When the kids perform and make a difference in society, I see myself in them,” he responded with deep feeling, and continued with a sense of immense joy, “my heart becomes overwhelmed when the kids practice and go to temples and play their music.”

He likes to pass on this music to others as it brings “inner peace” to him knowing that he has made a difference in their lives, adding, on a more serious note, “music is part of their identity, part of them, so I feel satisfy when I pass it on to them.”

HIS INSPIRATION

Everyone needs inspiration from time to time, correct? So, what inspires Kinnar Ji?

“Nature, the trees, birds, those folks who have no hands, no legs but still never quits. Manju Mehta, who has no index finger, yet she plays the sitar so very well.” Mehta is an international sitarist from India. Then, there is that special bird that created a nest on one of his trees at home. Super storm Sandy came and gone but the nest was still there! His dog chased the poor thing non-stop, but the brave bird never quits.

The philosophy of never quitting, hard work, dedication and perseverance has made Kinnar Ji into a sitar maestro and a singer of the highest caliber. He plays the harmonium and tabla with such skillful dexterity as if his fingers have minds and eyes of their own. His performances are aesthetically appealing and always hold audiences mesmerized and riveted to their seats.

CHARITY WORKS

He has done endless charity shows all over the world and continues to perform for charity, because “it’s important to give back to the community,” as it is people from the society who have given their generous support to him over the years. A few years ago, he and Payal Ji went to Guyana to teach throughout the country, under the patronage of Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha. Guyana and the Guyanese people are close to his heart.

Kinnar Ji is the recipient of many awards; he was awarded in the USA, Canada, and India. Recently, he received a Medal of Honor from the Nassau County of New York State for his contribution towards the development of music. This means a lot to him.

He has also scored music for a few films. He is the music director for “FootPaths of Our Indentured Ancestors,” which is a documentary based on the East Indian Indentured history in British Guiana and is being produced by a group of overseas-based Guyanese.

He lives quietly with his wife and two children, Tasur and Nadni, in Long Island, New York. For further information on music classes, he can be reached at 646-504-7008 or 516-515-7034 or visit the website: www.sangeetvilas.com. (Bina Mahabir)