Meet Kaviraj Singh

Kaviraj Singh is a santoor-player and vocalist, specialising in improvised music in the north Indian classical style.

He’s playing at Pembroke Auditorium on Thursday 13 November – so to explain more about the santoor and the traditions that inspire him, we asked Kaviraj a few questions.

What are your first memories of hearing music?
That’s a tough one as I was very fortunate to have been surrounded by music from birth, but the sounds of my Dad’s sitar and Mum’s singing would have been the first music I heard along with the many recordings of master musicians from the Indian classical musical traditions.

How did you start to make music – what instruments did you try?
I’ve been told that I’ve always been singing from a young age, humming melodies around the house, but my formal learning of vocal music wasn’t till around age 6 along with the santoor and tabla. I had actually started to learn the tabla in my primary school as Indian music was being taught in schools in Leeds, where I grew up, via the music services and peripatetic music teaching – thanks in large part to my parents’ contributions. I started the santoor in the basement of the old College of Music in Leeds where my Dad was lecturing. Memories of the steps leading down to a room and a closet where all of the instrument were stored are still very vivid.

What attracted you to the santoor?
The santoor is not a very common instrument with only two young professionals playing in the UK, including myself. It was the efforts of my Dad who had wanted to offer the santoor as an option to learn alongside the sitar, tabla and vocal music. Although not a santoor-player himself he had learnt a little of the technique and had started teaching, previously in Leicester and then in Leeds when we moved in 1991, where other students were already learning. I had seen the instrument as a kid and was drawn to its shape, and had been attracted to the sound so decided to try it out and continued.

Who has been the biggest musical inspiration in your life?
After my parents I would have to say my Ustad [musical expert], Ustad Harjinderpal Singh and Guru, Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty. Alongside their teaching of music, the life lessons which have shaped my upbringing have been invaluable.

What influences your improvisations, both vocal and on the santoor?
Numbers, patterns and shapes are a large part of the influences with improvising on the santoor. Exploring the rhythmical intricacies of our music are what set the santoor apart from other string instruments of India. With the voice I would say it’s the many types of vocal music we have in South Asia that influences me the most, from sufi qawwali to the deep-rooted classical music of khayal singing.

CMF audiences will remember tabla-player Harkiret Bahra [pictured above] from his appearance with sitar-player Jasdeep Singh Degun in 2024. What do you each bring to the performance and how do you communicate during the music?
The energy between musicians onstage is heavily influenced by the chemistry off stage. Harkiret and I have known each other for around 20 years and have a great relationship which I feel helps in the teamwork on stage. Communication during the music can be done via subtle gestures of the head or eye contact where each of us know the rough shape and trajectory of the music but need to synchronise with each other. Some communication is done via the music itself – points of musical cadences will tell the other what to expect and how to build with each other.

What do you enjoy listening to outside of classical Indian music?

I enjoy listening to all types of music, from hip hop and reggae to jazz and classical music. I’ve recently been listening to music by Debussy for harp.

Who would you most like to collaborate with on a project?

I would have loved to have collaborated with the late Ustad Zakir Hussain who was master musician specialising in tabla. His collaborations with Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, my Ustad’s Guru (Teacher’s teacher), are incredible and to have had an opportunity to share that magic would have been amazing. Although a collaboration with Stevie Wonder would also be equally magical.

What is your biggest non-musical talent?
I’d have to say fixing things, I’ve always been taking things apart to see how they work and then I’d put them back together for fun. I’m the first port of call for many when something needs fixing. I also repair instruments and was lucky enough to be featured on The Repair Shop [pictured above] on the BBC a few years ago where I repaired a sitar.