Brilliant sarod player

I read a very moving article in Gujarati by Soli Kapadia on Zarine Daruwalla: "Sarod Samragnyi Vidushi Zarine Daruwallani Chirvidaya (Farewell to the learned queen of sarod players)” in the February 2015 issue of Navneet Samarpan, a Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan publication. It is a moving tribute to the world famous sarod player Zarine Daruwalla Sharma of the Agra Gharana who passed away a few months ago.
She was not only a brilliant sarod player but also a wonderful human being, humble and unassuming though she had studied under some of the greatest teachers. Honored with the Sangeet Natak Akademi’s award, Maharashtra Gaurav Puraskar, Dadasaheb Phalke Award, etc, she was very versatile and even made a name for herself in the film world.
Her rendering of Raga Chandranandan (a composite raga) left the audience at the Nehru Centre spellbound, recalled Kapadia. "It was as if the gods and goddesses had come down to earth to hear her.”
When Kapadia asked about her riyaz, she told him, "When I sit down to practice in the mornings there is only myself, my sarod and God.” No one was allowed to disturb her riyaz, to interfere in her communion with her maker.
Kapadia is saddened that the Parsi community has largely neglected to honor Parsi artistes and exponents of music other than Western. To honor a great artiste like Daruwalla he urges Parsis to announce a "Vidushi Zarine Daruwalla Award.”

ABAN MUKHERJI
mukherji.aban@gmail.com