Musical exponents take us through an offbeat instrument called Esraj

Sukanta Roy, Alexandre Jurain with the esraj and Akash Trivedi before Friday’s show. Pic/Pradeep Dhivar

What connects the martial prowess of the tenth Sikh guru, Guru Gobind Singh, to the peaceful solitude of Rabindranath Tagore? The answer lies in the sound of an instrument named esraj. Hosted by Alliance Francaise, Alexandre Jurain brought the instrument to Mumbai with a performance that drew us to its story.

A spiritual history

The esraj is a modern iteration of the Punjabi dilruba, which according to popular lore was invented by the 10th Sikh guru, Guru Gobind Singh. "The dilruba itself evolved from the taus, an older and heavier instrument," Jurain tells us. The French musician began learning esraj at Santiniketan 20 years ago. "I always wanted to learn a bowing instrument. But when I came to India, and Santiniketan, I was drawn to the esraj. I loved it," the 46-year-old admits.

Dhanashree Diwane

Bengali connect

Jurain's tryst with Santiniketan is not surprising since the instrument was introduced there by Tagore himself. Fascinated by its sound, the poet appointed Asheshchandra Bandopadhyay who taught students. Later, Ranadhir Roy brought forth the latest evolution of the instrument in the 1970s.

Jurain says, "Roy changed it. He opened the soundbox, and made the instrument larger, which changed the playing technique." Roy's innovation, he points out, transformed the esraj from a folk accompaniment to an independent sound.

Arshad Khan with the esraj

Sukanta Roy, vocalist at Friday's performance, shares, "While learning Rabindra Sangeet, I knew of the smaller esraj as an accompaniment. The newer one [esraj] has a voice of its own, and transforms into a vocalist."

The form of the esraj

Mumbaikar Dhanashree Diwane is among the few in the city familiar with the instrument. Her family owns the 98-year-old Haribhau Vishwanath Musical Industries in Girgaum that retails esraj in the city. "In India, every region has an instrument that becomes its forte," she says, explaining the instrument's popularity in Bengal and Punjab. Such is the low demand that the store does not sell more than three or four esrajs in a year, she shares.

"The demand is low because it has a higher learning curve. The frets and multiple strings present many complex permutations to learn. Then, there is the bowing. It can be physically cumbersome to start with," she asserts.

In the new age

Jurain and Roy's performance at the Mumbai University (Kalina) yesterday was an example of the instrument's versatility. Jurain reveals that the composition, Azarak, was created from influences from Hindustani classical ragas and Western classical forms. "With Azarak, the esraj is not just an accompaniment on stage. It becomes another voice," he reiterates.

Among the more popular proponents of the instrument is Arshad Khan. Having learned from his father, Ustad Allauddin Khan, the musician has brought the esraj to Hindi cinema songs such as Noor e khuda by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and Maanjha by Amit Trivedi, and now teaches others. "It is a difficult instrument since it is a challenge to shape its sound," he says. Khan remarks that his style is closer to the sarangi.

Lack of popularity

For Diwane, the lack of esraj's popularity is down to its challenging nature, as well as absence of exponents. Khan adds, "Very few people play it for popular music. It is taught in Santiniketan, but they insist on playing classical or Rabindrasangeet on it." The musician also laments that it is difficult to find students dedicated enough to learn the complex instrument.

Bengal is also where Diwane gets the instruments crafted, before assembling and finishing it in the city. The craft of creation is almost a traditional secret, she says.

Yet, with fewer students and low visibility, the instrument needs cherishing before it vanishes. "But, if you were to look at 300 years in the larger scheme of
India's classical music history, the esraj is still young," Diwane notes optimistically.