Source

PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA, May 4, 2005: Popular bhajan singer Anup Jalota has been performing to packed houses in South Africa, strengthening his belief that interest in Indian culture is growing among the diaspora here. Jalota, who Sunday evening led more than a thousand devout Gujarati Hindus here in reciting the last of 108 chants of the “Hanuman Chalisa,” said he was impressed by the positive change in the Indian community since his previous visits here. “Something that is very significant is that people understand Hindi more than before because there is a lot of cultural activity from India,” Jalota, who also sings ghazals, told IANS. The singer had also performed to packed houses in Durban, Johannesburg and in neighboring Botswana for evenings of ghazal and bhajan renditions.



“There are teachers who are teaching the language, dance and music and this is affecting the efforts of people to help preserve the culture here. This change is very welcome.” Jalota called on Indian artistes to support this initiative. “We should come here more often. I don’t mean the pop music from India because I don’t think the pop culture from India can help in any way, but the music that people want to see preserved for their children; that kind of music artistes from India should come out here to support.”



Commenting on his style of singing, Jalota said it was based on making something easy to understand. “If we have to sing very difficult poetry for them they will not be able to understand it. So the kind of bhajans I sing makes it so easy for them to understand it. The same with ghazals. If we sing Ghalib for them or Mir for them, it will not be easy for them to understand. “We should consider their young age and the demands of today’s world and sing for them accordingly.”

Post Views: 622