Swara Sampada is a Mumbai, India
based organization of music lovers started on 23 February 2003. It consists of families from diverse backgrounds having one
thing in common: the love of quality music and the desire to sing it. Most of them have earlier not sung on stage, or if they
have, could not continue due to various obstacles. Swara Sampada provides them a platform to start their singing, or restart
it, as the case maybe. It provides an atmosphere of positive vibrations amongst its members wherein the positive is accented
upon, while helping the individual overcome his musical faults and personality shortcomings, so that he can legitimately graduate
to become a quality singer in his own right.
Biography Swara Sampada is a unique musical experiment because
it seeks to convert bathroom singers into living room singers, and living room singers into stage singers. Usually a student
of music learns diligently from a guru, does his riyaz, seeks to present his talent to audiences and get their appreciation.
Swara Sampada believes that while this is alright, only a few very talented, or very persistent, become quality singers this
way. The rest either give up, or become appreciative audiences for the talented few. While this suits the talented few very
well, and appears to suit the rest too, Swara Sampada believes this is at the cost of one’s own musical development.
Music, and singing, may not be as difficult as they are made out to be. If there is persistence, an atmosphere of sincere
appreciation, and a fellowship of likeminded individuals wanting to rekindle their desire to learn music, almost everyone
can sing, or at least become good appreciators of quality music.
When this experiment was launched, a number of well-intentioned
doubted whether it could ever happen, for it seemed to go against most established canons of music. Three years of patient
experimentation seem to prove the original premise right: that singing is possible for most, if not everyone, provided the
atmosphere is right, and the musical soul is awakened.
Swara Sampada has flowered under the benign guidance of its
President and other Office Bearers, who work tirelessly to see this dream become a reality. The spirit of comraderie and bonhomie
amongst its members has to be seen to be believed. The magic of Swara Sampada lies in the feeling of musical accomplishment
which a member experiences not only when he masters a song, but when his co-member does the same. For Swara Sampadites are
generous with their applause and reluctant with their disapprovals.
All Swara Sampadites take an oath that they will
be dedicated to understanding the Science of Music and the Art of Singing.
The Swara Sampada Sourcebook on Music (ISBN
81-901406-2-0) has been published by the organisation in February 2005. It is an essential companion for all aspiring singers
and connoisseurs of music. It is meant to guide and inspire potential singers, and demystify some commonly held beliefs. It
takes the reader step by step through the process of becoming a singer and shares some secrets held closely by good singers,
but seldom available to others. |