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The Music Room: A Memoir

3.79 of 5 stars 3.79 · rating details · 147 ratings · 20 reviews

When Namita is ten years old, her mother takes her to Kennedy Bridge, a seamy neighborhood in Bombay, home to hookers and dance girls. There, in a cramped one-room apartment lives Dhondutai, the last living disciple of two of the finest Indian classical singers of the twentieth century: the legendary Alladiya Khan and the great songbird Kesarbai Kerkar. Namita begins to le

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Hardcover, 320 pages

Published February 3rd 2009 by Thomas Dunne Books (first published 2007)

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Jul 11, 2012 Neha rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011, kwench

This book is more than a story – it’s a tribute from a student to its teacher, to the generations of musicians and their struggles to create, excel in the musical gems and pass them to the next generations through tough training and trust, the history of the rise of a classical music empire and inheritance, the anecdotes and inspiring stories which live by word of mouth, and surely it is the soul of music – so gentle and pure!! I read somewhere – there is no one who does not like music and if th...more

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Jan 24, 2013 Indiabookstore rated it 4 of 5 stars

In the ocean of life, sailing through the tides of incidents, accidents and change, the one thing which keeps the sail high and upright is perhaps music, the only thing that makes us feel closer to ourselves. Somehow, while reading The Music Room, this faith will get established in you. The book, as the name itself says, is a memoir. It is the tale of Namita’s musical education from her beloved teacher Dhondutai. Nevertheless, the story goes well beyond that depicting a marvellous bond between t...more In the ocean of life, sailing through the tides of incidents, accidents and change, the one thing which keeps the sail high and upright is perhaps music, the only thing that makes us feel closer to ourselves. Somehow, while reading The Music Room, this faith will get established in you. The book, as the name itself says, is a memoir. It is the tale of Namita’s musical education from her beloved teacher Dhondutai. Nevertheless, the story goes well beyond that depicting a marvellous bond between two people belonging to different generations but uniting at the courtyard of learning. A teacher is someone who moulds our life and shapes it for the better. So does Dhondutai. As little Namita enters the portals of her abode holding her mother’s hand there initiates an era in her life. The journey which Namita embarks on with her teacher since that day encompasses her knowledge, perceptions and also her outlook towards life. She sees the times before hers through her teacher’s eyes and then narrates it through her own. Moreover it is a journey paralleled with her growing up. Studded with the impeccable beauty of India’s rich musical heritage, the book unearths the secret of living with and living for music in its innumerable layers.

Dhondutai Kulkarni is a lesser known name of the renowned Jaipur Gharana and supposedly the last living icon of the same. Though not born with the silver spoon of the Khansahib lineage, she received the tutelage of Ustad Alladiya Khan and the melodious Kesarbai. Under their training and influence she becomes a protégé who dedicates her life to music. She does not seek a marriage or a family and opts out of every social norm to give her music the foremost importance. With the support of her father Ganpatrao, Dhondutai does fulfil her immense desire to learn. What inspires us the most is that, even in those ages of social divides and catastrophes there existed people who considered going above the petty boundaries which cripple our entity and liberate their own for the sake of their art. For art is one of those things which enlightens the soul. It is like that flame of hope which illuminates the dark corners of our inside, giving light to those rooms that have been pained for long before emancipating us from the clutches of worldly vices. Art is adoration, it is holy like the name of a sacred being and practising it requires unsullied devotion, honesty....

For the full review, visit IndiaBookStore.(less)

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Sep 07, 2012 Vibina Venugopal rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: tour

Before I go any further into the book I wanted to for few basics facts on Indian Classical music..Like the western music that goes with Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Ti Do., classical Indian goes with Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni Sa..The Indian classical music has two subgenres one being Hindustani music and the other Carnatic music., while the former is largely practiced in northern India the later is spread through Southern India...A distinct Raga (note) sung for a rhythmic tala forms the base of the Indian Cla...more Before I go any further into the book I wanted to for few basics facts on Indian Classical music..Like the western music that goes with Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Ti Do., classical Indian goes with Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni Sa..The Indian classical music has two subgenres one being Hindustani music and the other Carnatic music., while the former is largely practiced in northern India the later is spread through Southern India...A distinct Raga (note) sung for a rhythmic tala forms the base of the Indian Classical music...

I expected the book to be more to Namita Devidayal's account of music., though it is to an extend it is more about her teacher's dedication to music., though it turned out to be quite different...At ten Devidayal is dragged for music class much against her will by her mother....She is put off also due to the locality where Dhondutai lives surrounded by brothels, her walls outside home is all clattered by betel spit marks... The book explores on the relationship of Devidayal and Dhondutai and Dhondutai's relations with her teacher Kesarbhai Kerkar who happends to be a disciple of much accalaimed Alladiya Khan...Devidayal prefers for a swim upon music class but her mother drags her to Khondubhai Kulkarni..In those times in India it was customary for all girls to learn music to enrich marital skills (I still wonder why it was so)., though now children are taught music though not for the same reason anymore...Initially reluctant Devidayal slowly gets the hang of the classic music from her devoted teacher coming face to face with her dedication., Kulkarni stays single throughout her life for the sake of her love of music., she states one cannot have two masters as both demand too much....Devidayal also describes the true meaning of gharana and the difference between each gharana...Dhondutai was the only surviving child of the family hence she was named Kondu to cast off the evil...Dhondutai not only teaches the art of singing but full aspect of music, its history, music as an art., its tradition and cultural heritage...Devidayal keeps her life apart from it and concentrates more on the guru-shishya (teacher student) relation., somewhere along the memoir she mentions about her job and about her relations..There are beautiful anecdotes describing musical legends ..In a world that go by worldly possession and recognition there are few like Dhondutai and Keserbhai who live for the love of art without any kind of expectation., and this is that sets them apart from the regular crowd gaining respect...Another important fact is emphasized on clearly that no music can be learnt from books..There has to be a teacher who can guide you through., Dhondutai teaches Devidayal two important part of music one is breath control and another to throw voice., both she mastered from Jaipur gharana... Through everyday converstaion between Dhondutai and Devidayal the reader gets to bite sweetness of the knowledge of music....While Kesarbhai Kelkar was a legendary Hindustani singer of 20th century, passed on to Dhondutai and she stayed with her till her death in 1977...Though the book the depreciation of wealth for the singer as there are no more people around to appreciate the talent..Even Dhondutai is able to retain the success of Jaipur gharana that soared sky during the times of Alladiya Khan and Keserbhai Kelkar...Dhondutai's present house itself explains a lot about her finance ., yet she is content and happier than anyone Devidayal has come across..Her life is music and it stays that way until her death....Glimpses of Mumbai life is also scattered through like the travel is local trains, instant friendship among the passengers, the busy streets ., people rushing to get home and to work., slow modernising city....Devidayal writing is an absolute treat that keep you engrossed throughtout ..This book is a must read for all who wish to get a glimpse of Indian music and its heritage....(less)

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Mar 04, 2010 Anjali rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: india, indian-author, non-fiction, women-authors, read-in-2008

‘This book is a must for every musician and music lover!’ – Pandit Ravi Shankar says the front cover of the book and that was enough temptation for me to pick it up.

The book is about music and musicians. The main vein of the book is the life of Dhondutai Kulkarni, a highly regarded singer of the Jaipur gharana. Namita, the author, is a disciple of Dhondutai and this book is the singer’s life through the disciple’s eyes. The book begins with Namita meeting Dhondutai for the first time and being t...more ‘This book is a must for every musician and music lover!’ – Pandit Ravi Shankar says the front cover of the book and that was enough temptation for me to pick it up.

The book is about music and musicians. The main vein of the book is the life of Dhondutai Kulkarni, a highly regarded singer of the Jaipur gharana. Namita, the author, is a disciple of Dhondutai and this book is the singer’s life through the disciple’s eyes. The book begins with Namita meeting Dhondutai for the first time and being taken as a disciple. As Namita progresses in her musical journey, she unravels the life of her teacher.

While the majority of the book is dedicated to Dhondutai, Namita gives us a glimpse into the lives of Alladiya Khan, Bhurji Khan and Kesarbai Kerkar who all had been Dhondutai’s teachers at a point of time. The book doesn’t sound like a boring list of anecdotes and incidents. Namita intelligently weaves the present and the past and also manages to sneak in a thing or two about Indian music, its origin and its history. The latter happens to be my favorite part of the book.

Even for someone who is not interested in the singer as such, this book would still be fulfilling. It gives an overview of what a gharana is, how each gharana differs from the rest, the culture, and the much talked about arrogance of the singers. Namita even tries to justify why singers are short tempered!

The language is simple yet effective. The author does not waste too much time in listing her own life incidents. She states as a matter of fact that ’she got married’ or ’she had a son’ and so on. She has no confusions about who the book is about.

The book is visually pleasing. It has a black cover page with a woman sitting with a tanpura with her back facing. I found this picture so captivating, I would sit and ogle at the tanpura, its intricacies and what not. I wish the author was more creative in coming up with a book title. The Music Room is too plain for such an enriching book.

I completely agree with Panditji that this book is a must for every music lover. I will also add that even if you are not a music lover, you might become one after reading this book.(less)

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Jun 12, 2012 Saisudha Acharya rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

Here is a book I wish I owned... and in recent months I have found very few books deserving of the ever so precious space on my burgeoning bookshelves.

The Music Room is really a perfect example of its genre, a memoir in its truest sense. It is about the relationship between a student and her music teacher and explores the world of Hindustani classical music which to me, and many other urban, culture-less youth is fairly alien.

I love it because firstly Devidayal writes well, so even if it were...more

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Nov 08, 2010 Lilyrose rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010-reads, everything-india, easy-good-reads, memories

Allow me to lapse into a little bit of nostalgia before I review this book. Like many Indian girls, it was customary for me too to learn Indian classical music right from a very young age. Though I love music, the rigid, packed schedule of school, music and home work meant that I was always reluctant to go to music class. But that wouldn't matter, since it was almost blasphemous to mention anything close to 'I hate music class'! Anyway, my Music teacher was always kind, lovely and patient with m...more Allow me to lapse into a little bit of nostalgia before I review this book. Like many Indian girls, it was customary for me too to learn Indian classical music right from a very young age. Though I love music, the rigid, packed schedule of school, music and home work meant that I was always reluctant to go to music class. But that wouldn't matter, since it was almost blasphemous to mention anything close to 'I hate music class'! Anyway, my Music teacher was always kind, lovely and patient with me, having seen many such reluctant learners.

Music is such an intrinsic part of most Indian families, that it is common to name their children after ragas (Don't we all know our Kalyanis, Ragamalikas and Sahanas?) Music here could be a refuge, a spiritual recourse or something that people love to talk, discuss and even debate, showing off their musical knowledge. If there is a girl learning music in the family, you can be assured that everyone who meets her will ask about the new Kriti she learnt, whether she's waking up early in the morning for voice culture exercises and if she made it to the recent Bombay Jayashri concert. Music, the great leveler of sorts, is a part of each and everyone I know here and this debut book of Namita Devidayal pays tribute to that universal language of music.

Devidayal uses her personal experiences with her Music Guru Dhondutai Kulkarni to trace the history of two of India's greatest singers: the legendary Alladiya Khan and his disciple Kesarbai Kerkar and their legacies and the kind of environment they lived in. The language is simple, engrossing and filled with small stories and anecdotes about these three great musicians and their lives, even as the concepts that are vital to Indian music, and indeed music as a whole, are explained.

The narrative, however, is not as simply structured as the language. It jumps into flashback mode quite a lot and often, abruptly. But that is no great fault, as the book is a page-turner that will appeal to just about anyone who loves music or likes to read about India. Devidayal deals with concepts surrounding music and its religious and social repercussions. Sometimes the book might read like a chapter from Theory of Indian Music or the like, but it only adds on to the reader experience, by helping them understand the concepts referred to in the book.

The final parts of the book were a bit of a dampener and it became a rather predictable ending, which is what stops this book from being more than just a good book, in my opinion. However, the good things far outweigh the negative points in this book. The relationship between little Namita and her teacher Dhondutai is so beautifully and realistically portrayed and it is hard not to care for them both.

Pandit Ravishankar is quoted in the gorgeous book cover, saying that this book is 'A must for every musician and music lover!'. That just about sums it up. Settle down comfortably and prepare for a trip down memory lane and a peek into the wonderful world of Indian music that has long enthralled people across the world, no matter what country, religion, gender or race they belong to. (less)

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Jun 17, 2009 Derek Emerson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009-books-read

I just finished The Music Room: A Memoir by Namita Devidayal, a book I recommend to all with any interest in music. Devidayal is trained as a classical singer in India but now works as a journalist. Her memoir takes us inside the culture surrounding classical music in India (not the same "classical music" usually thought of in Western culture) and focuses in particular on her teacher, Dhondutai.

The strength of the book lies in the first part where we not only learn about her reluctant training (...more

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Jul 05, 2010 Rashmi rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010

The only think I would say about the book is ‘I loved it’! The story is about Dhondutai Kulkarni a highly regarded singer of Jaipur Gharana. The book begins with Namita as a girl meeting Dhondutai the first time and the book continues with the author’s musical journey with Dhondutai. The book also gives an excellent view the history of Hindustani Music, the Guru-Shishya parampara and the relations formed by music (musical sister-brother relationship).

The language is very easy to understand. I wa...more

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Dec 13, 2010 Rachna rated it 5 of 5 stars

As someone who has dedicated my life to classical Indian dance (Kathak), I found this to be a fascinating account of the traditional guru/shishya (one-on-one guru to disciplie) tradition of India. This is a very special relationship that is integral to the passing down of classical Indian music, dance, etc. Devidayal has a beautiful way of interlacing her own story with expansive historical research of the courts of India, the inner culture of classical musicians, the pain and injustices that ma...more

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May 14, 2009 Shaya rated it 4 of 5 stars

The book is a memoir of the author’s musical journey. It is dedicated to her teacher Dhondutai who was the only surviving student of the famous Jaipur Gharana. .
Her narrative is simple and she takes us back in time, gives us a glimpse of the Jaipur Gharana and it musical greats, Alladiya Khan and Kesarbai.
Those exposed to classical Indian music will be able to appreciate this better. A good read.

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Mar 03, 2009 Jenny J rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: memoir, read-in-2009

This memoir about a young woman growing up as a musician in India has opened my eyes to the world of Indian classical music. It must be difficult to write about music, to describe sounds and melodies in words, but Ms. Devidayal certainly succeeded, with beautiful prose. I kept running to the Web to hear what the various instruments and ragas sounded like, and I learned so much.

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Dec 07, 2011 Mary rated it 1 of 5 stars

Interesting book about Indian music and studying it. The author does not put much of herself or her family in to this "memoir". The stories about her teachers and their lives are the best parts of the book. A bit dry. Sometimes difficult to understand the terminology. Also names of people could be confusing.

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Dec 25, 2011 Robert rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: musicians

Shelves: india

Fantastic memoir if you are interested in Indian music. Not a great story, nor terrifically written - but a fascinating read due to how much I learned. Shared it with a musician friend and he too was enthralled. Recommended for musicians.

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May 04, 2009 John Parker rated it 3 of 5 stars

This memoir provides an interesting picture of the Indiam classical music traditions, but it may be somewhat unappealing for those without an interest in music or India. The cultural barriers that help to move the story forward are not exclusive to the sub-continent. The main character strives to balance her gifts with the desires and attainments of a "normal life."

Readers seeking a detailed view of the Indian culture will not be disappointed. Cultural references are well explained and even cont...more

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Jan 30, 2013 Harshad Lamrood rated it 5 of 5 stars

this book takes you to a Guru Shisshya Parampara of Indian Classical music , the Jaipur Style ( Gharana Parampara ) is very well said .

inspirational book for Music students..

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Feb 23, 2009 Ed rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: classical-music, cultural-criticism

What do you know about Indian classical music? Me neither. This critically-acclaimed memoir changed that. You learn much culturally-significant data along the way, with stories stretching across a hundred years of direct musical lineage, and eons of Indian lore. I still can't "hear" in my head when the author talks about notes and ragas...but that's what CDs & the Internet are for.
I usually shy away from memoirs because they tend to bore me, but this is one such example that held me in its g...more

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Nov 04, 2012 Samarpita rated it 4 of 5 stars

My review: http://sankshvet.blogspot.in/2012/11/...

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Jan 06, 2013 Mridula rated it 5 of 5 stars

LOVED this book! If you've learned Indian classical music or even if you're just a lover, you should read this book. I implore you.

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Sep 16, 2012 Avitash rated it 5 of 5 stars

Awesome book for both music as well as non music lovers

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Aug 18, 2009 Bindubcomcast.net rated it 4 of 5 stars

You will enjoy reading this book if you like "musical" books such as, An Equal Music and Silent Raaga.

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Jun 12, 2012 Basav rated it 4 of 5 stars

Great book.

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May 21, 2013 Meera Sundar rated it 4 of 5 stars

May 17, 2013 Revati Kulkarni marked it as to-read

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May 08, 2013 Sneha rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Music lovers, esp. those who like Indian Classical Music

May 04, 2013 Kripa Shetty rated it 4 of 5 stars

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