Lokhandwala Complex in Mumbai, located at Andheri West, is a nesting ground for innumerable talented young guys and gals who want to make a mark for themselves in the scintillating world of entertainment. There are many singers who await a good big break in their career, but continue to work towards their dreams filled with grit and determination.

At the same time there are those that have established alternate careers, and who want to showcase their talent in the field of music towards fueling their passion, achieving self-fulfilment and in the process carving a niche for themselves. One such young and dashing singer was recently introduced in a musical gathering at the Juhu Gymkhana Club in Mumbai. He is Mahesh Rao, Vice-President with a leading Multinational Market Research firm, a Mangalorean - Konkani native from Hyderabad.

Mahesh belongs to a family of Carnatic musicians and his family has patronized Classical music since decades. Hailing from a music oriented family, the seeds were sown at a very early age. He started learning classical vocals when he was 7 years old and further went on to learning Classical violin. He learnt from very accomplished gurus and members of his family, in addition to receiving classroom training of the violin, which sharpens recognition of sounds and enhances knowledge of the purity of each musical note. It is his extensive listening of old recordings and attendance of live concerts of great maestros belonging to both Carnatic and Hindustani music styles, that has been a big source of learning and inspiration.

After a long stint in the corporate world, he has decided to get back to dedicating his efforts towards learning Hindustani vocals and western guitar. Besides Indian Classical and Folk music, which helps him connect with his inner self and offers a sense of purpose, he also loves fusion, sufi, qawwali, ghazals, bhajans, as well as the soulful compositions of Bollywood music. He thinks one lifetime is too short to learn, leave alone master any form of rendition. Indian music teaches sur, taal and ras which helps appreciate other forms as well, because world, over music is about these three elements, only the expression is different.

Asked how much success does a vocalist derive due to extensive study of Classical music? He states, “There are lots of factors that determine success. We have quite a few examples of accomplished singers who have not had any formal training in music as such. We also have examples of those despite having immense talent; loads of training and knowledge of music, don’t get opportunities. And there are also those whose standards of success are very different and unconventional, but are nowhere related to fame or money. In my view, Classical music helps develop an appreciation of sur, taal and ras which hold relevance in commercial Music too.It gives a sense of discipline and makes you humble”

For a singer to survive in the competitive world of today, every genre is relevant, and honing one's talent is a never ending tryst. Mahesh Rao has one special quality which makes him stand out in the crowd. It is his immense humility and soft spokeness. Jamming with friends or singing at Karaoke joints is a pastime, as his dream is to be a star performer at music concerts and also make his foray into playback singing.

After a hard day's work he comes home to his bachelor pad and before you know it, he is calmly seated with his tanpura humming a latest Bollywood number by popular singers like Sonu Nigam and Arijit or some golden oldies by Kishore Kumar and Mohd Rafi, or blasting out a classical 'Taan'. This is his euphoria, the soothing balm to his ever busy Virgo mind.

n  By Subhashini Swar