American Desi
18
INDIA IN NEW YORK FEBRUARY 14, 2014
At 70, Sarojben Gundani
wrapped up her life in
India and moved to
New Jersey. She brought
only one thing with her
on her new journey —
her music.
Text and Photograph:
Paresh Gandhi
Sarojben Gundani conducts
music classes and performs.
I
t takes a lot of courage to abandon a
familiar land.
There, you were surrounded by
your family.
Your neighbors knew you.
You knew your surroundings like the
back of your hand.
The food you ate as an adult was the
same traditional meal your mother would
make for you.
There, you were a star, propelled to popular heights on the wings of your talent.
It takes courage to abandon all that and
move to a new land. To, in many ways,
start over.
Five years ago, at the age of 70, this is
exactly what well-known singer, radio
artiste and music teacher Sarojben
Gundani did.
She wrapped up her life in India and
moved to New Jersey in order to spend
time with her children and grandchildren.
It is a decision she does not regret.
“America taught me to live youthfully, to
dedicate more time to myself and do what
I love — music.”
Her eyes filmed with the sheen of memory, Saroj recalls, “I was born in Chotlia (a
small town, known for its Mata Chamunda
temple), Gujarat, but we lived in Mumbai.
My mother sang traditional bhajans and
folks songs.”
When her mother fell seriously ill, the
family moved to Ahmedabad.
It was a turning point for young Saroj,
who was showing immense talent as a
singer. She was just four years old when
she participated in a children’s program.
Three years later, she acted and sang in
the Gujarati film, Vevisham, and her first
gramophone record was released by the
popular music company, His Master’s
Voice.
She continued to train in classical music
under the late Kalidas Joshi and was barely 13 when she passed the Sangeet
Visharad with a gold medal.
“In those days, we married early,” she
says with a smile. Saroj was married to
Joshi’s son, Shashikant Gundani.
“My husband was a violinist and a radio
and HMV artiste,” she says proudly. Her
training in music continued after marriage; she was schooled by both her fatherin-law and her husband and passed the
Sangeet Alankar.
Following in her husband’s footsteps,
Living life,
on a song!
Saroj started her career as a radio artiste
in 1954; she specialised in sugam sangeet
(light classical vocal) and folk music.
All India Radio would organize concerts
at Mumbai, Delhi, Lucknow, Allahabad,
Ahmedabad, Baroda, Rajot and Bhuj
where she was a regular participant.
By 1960, she was signed on as an HMV
artiste and has 58 albums to her credit.
She also participated in music programs
on India’s national television channel,
Doordarshan, and lent her voice to several
Gujarati films.
Many of her songs remain popular and
are part of the rich repository of Gujarati
santvani, bhajan, folk and sugam sangeet.
Saroj’s children — Punita, Janak, Dipak
and Sonal — have inherited their parents’s
talent.
Dipak, with whom she lives, began playing the tabla at the age of eight. Today, he
is a professional musician proficient in the
tabla, sarod and electronic drum pads.
Sonal — who, like Dipak, lives in New
Jersey — has a Sangeet Visharad and is
blessed with a beautiful voice.
Punita, wh