AVTAR MOTA
Like Baba Alla-Ud-Din Khan of the Maihar Gharana of Hindustani Classical music, Ustaad Raamzan Joo could sing and also play upon many instruments like Santoor, Kashmiri Sitar ( Sehtar ), Tabla, Saz-e-Kashmir and Madham. All these instruments are vital in the Kashmiri Sufiyana orchestra. The combination of all these five instruments is known as ‘Panjhatheyari’. Ustaad Ramzan Joo was into spirituality simultaneously apart from being a wonderful Sufiana singer and instrumentalist.Born at Dana Mazaar, Safa Kadal, Srinagar, his ancestors ( who were also musicians ) are believed to have come to the Kashmir valley from Iran. Music was in his blood.He was known to be a perfectionist who never compromised with Sur, Taal and Lai. He would prefer singing before Sufi saints and disliked using Sufiana music for Hafiz Nagma. Ustaad Ramzan Joo learned the Sufiana music from his father Ustaad Wazir Joo, Uncle Ustaad Ameer Joo, his elder brother Ustaad Sidiq Joo( Sidh Joo ) and Ustaad Abdullah Shah . Quite often, both Ustaad Sidh Joo and Ustaad Ramzan Joo would perform together.
Both Sidh Joo and Ramzan Joo would also sing in the Darbaar of Maharaja Hari Singh who was a patron of music. They would also sing before saints and Sufis. It is said that Saint Gopinath Ji was also a lover of Sufiana music and as such Ustaad Ramzan Joo also performed before the saint. The Ustaad and his brother were possibly brought to Saint Gopi Nath Ji’s Ashram by Pandit Ved Lal Dhar Vakil, an ardent admirer of Ramzan Joo and his brother apart from being a Santoor player himself.
Ustaad Ramzan Joo is on record as having refused to sing in marriages. It is said that if he was convinced that the gathering had real connoisseurs of music, then and only then he would agree to perform. Ramzan Joo had a unique style of playing Shakal (commencement of the performance) and singing Nasr (a short poem without rhythm sung after Shakal).
He belonged to the Saaznawaz Gharana of Valley’s Sufiana music . The legacy of this Gharana is being currently carried forward by his grandchildren. Padamshri Ustaad Ghulam Mohammad Saaznawaz happened to be his son and disciple.
To get a soulful feel of the music created by Saaznawaz Gharana, I would suggest my readers to listen to Padam-shri Ghulam Mohammad Saaznawaz’s composition,”
Bozu myan zaar,
Zaarai paar ,
Awaara karthas”
“( Listen to my woes,
Listen to the agony ,
An aimless wanderer
I have been rendered in this love” )
Autar Mota is a noted writer and columnist
