Amarjeet

A 50-years-old artist from Mathura, Amarjeet has been learning music traditionally through their rich family heritage of percussionists playing Braj Lok Geet. Even though he has no educational qualification, from a very young age, he started playing the nakkara, drawing inspiration from his ancestors. He has been working hard towards achieving mastery in his craft and pursues it with soaring passion. He considers Ramesh Nagar Ji as his guru and mentor and speaks very highly of their teaching and achievements in the field of music. He adds, “Whatever I am today is only because of him, his contribution to my life is immense, and my life will always be indebted to his kindness and wisdom that he shared with me”. Having an innate talent and a rich ancestral heritage of musicians, Amarjeet picked up the art of singing and playing percussion instruments. When he was a child, he would imitate his father and thus accepted the nakkara and never stopped learning. He is a Dholak player, singer, and Nakkara player, who has performed in several locations within the state and the country. He has received love and appreciation in many stages and festivals for his exuberant performing skills and pulled off brilliant performances at Faridabad, Barely, and all across the districts in Uttar Pradesh and have dazzled the crowds. He regards all his performances as memorable. Amarjeet Ji says “ We are artists, and we live for this excitement of performing on stage, and we enjoy every bit of it. If we stop enjoying our performances, then it will make no point.” He has also done studio recording for a nautanki & Lok geet album. He lives in a family of 7 people with his wife, two sons, three daughters. Thus, he has been pursuing music to make ends meet. He charges 500-2000 rupees per performance, but it may differ season and session-wise. With a lot of emphases, he says, “The gift that we have is our source of earning, so finance will always be part of this devotion. Music is in our heritage, even my son is into it. We only understand music, and I strongly feel our musical progenitors will continue even in the coming generations”.

• Braj
• Uttar Pradesh