Carnival of Soul

When it comes to traditional raagdari, soulful ghazals and Sufi renditions, Pooja Gaitonde is a name to reckon with.

She began rather young. At 10, her mother got her to learn classical music and simultaneously also light music from Shri Vikas Bhatwadekar. “It was when my Sir heard my voice, he said it is more suitable for the genre of Ghazals and Sufi and since then, there has been no looking back. With the grace of Almighty my passion turned into my profession,” she says.

For Pooja, Sufi music and kalaams are all about spirituality. She explains, “There is a misconception among common people that in Sufi the word ‘maula’ is mandatory. Sufi is not about religion. ‘God is one’ forms the base. The rhythmic essence, the lyrical richness and the soulful connect of Sufi music is what attract me to this genre.”

The singer is inspired by greats like Mohammed Rafi, Ustad Mehdi Hassan, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Abida Parveen. And when you ask her why, she explains, “Despite being technically perfect, these legends do not let the technicalities overpower the soul of the song. Their soul-connect, singing and depth of melody is what touches me most.”

Pooja believes that music can never be good or bad. “Music is what that touches the soul and that is subjective, and can be different for everyone — some might like retro, some might like jazz or some maybe into EDM,” she signs off.