Gayatri Asokan is a Young achiever profiled by Young Kerala. Gayatri has been a Kerala state award winner in 2003. Gayatri is a trained hindustani classical singer who has carved her owned niche and respectability within Kerala. She is closely associated with the Art of Living foundation. Yk was keen to have her as our ambassador. We admire her unconventional thinking for a Kerala person who would have normally pursued MBBS like her parents. She chose an alternate career, persevered to excel in her area of work. Gayatri is a person Young Kerala admires – love and passion for a chosen career path. The outcome and scale of success has only begun.
Q. Did you have any Role models ? Who were they and what role did they play ?
A. Sri Sri Ravisankar, Lataji, Shankar Mahadevan, Kishori Amonkar, quiet a few of them! I feel happy when I meet them now. Great souls can inspire and teach you great values. I absolute cherish those moments.
Having role models have given me the courage and vision to do what I wanted to do in life.
Q. What was the boldest decision you made when you set on the current path.
A. Going to Pune. Definitely going to Pune to learn hindustani music! It was an alien genre of music for me. I had to unlearn whatever I was familiar in Carnatic music. The language was different, the circle of musicians, everything was new. Reorienting myself to the new environment was challenging.
Q. Do you worry about mob misbehaving at a concert. If they did would that affect your confidence for the next show?
A. I dont worry about anything before a concert. I just keep my mind fresh and peaceful. The mob culture has definitely improved in Kerala. No one really bothers you. Yes, there are exceptions. In some colleges, we face unruly, attention seeking young audiences. It doesnt affect me. It’s part of our job to manage them.
Q. Who were your mentors when you started out? Some one who provided you with the initial guidance and money.
A. My parents. They gave me unconditional support. My guru Sri Sri Ravisankar, who believed in my talent more than anybody else and encouraged me to try to out new things like fusion music. He is amazing. Late Philip Francis, tablist was my friend who introduced me to hindustani music and my playback career. My music teachers Pandit Vinayak Torvi and Shubha Joshi for moulding my voice. They taught me music is spirtiuality. My friend Vinod ji who gives me incessant source of wisdom and guidance.
Q. At various stages you will need different types of mentors. Have you ever directly sought a mentorship?
A. Mentors just happen to me! One just had to be wise enough to identify them. Yes, I have sought mentorship in Vinayak Torvi and Shubha Joshi.
Q. Are you a mentor now ? What do you enjoy about mentoring some one ?
A. Yes I help music aspirants. It gives me a lot of happiness and fulfilment to help some one younger. I suggest the right Guru for them, a lot of other things including the right technique of practice.
Q. Lot of young people do not receive parental support. What role do your parents play in your life now, obviously we know they played a big role then.
A. I feel sorry for youngsters who dont receive parental support. I have never experienced such a problem in my entire life. My parents are my biggest pillars of strength. They gave me the freedom to pursue what I love. I am just blessed to be an offspring of such evolved souls. Hope Young Kerala can help in these cases.
Q. Have you thought of kids who grow up without parents as a first line of defense ? The kids on the margin?
A. Yes. I do a lot work for them through NGOs like the Art of Living.
Q. As a female artiste from traditional Kerala, the community comes up with irritating questions. How do you handle these?
A. Community no longer troubles me – now that I am doing well. Infact they are proud to be associated with me. People talking negatively is anyway beyond my control. But no body interferes in our life. Luckily!
Q. How important is Self esteem to keep your mental balance. How do you go about doing this ?
A. Yes self esteem is very important to keep you sane. Meditation, healthy life style, good company, all these are major contributing factors. More than anything, the belief that a Divine power loves me unconditionally makes me confident.
Q. Do you like elephants in temples ? We saw them disrupt your singing at Ernakulam temple. A few days later they killed a few human beings! Are you not scared that these wild animals will run into your stage shows ?
A. Good question. I like elephants, but not in temples. I am a vegetarian and it was a conscious decision which I took 14 years back. I am performing in koodalmanikyam temple in April 2009. Last year my concert had to be cancelled because an elephant went beserk and killed 3 people. I tried persuading them to stop this practice, in fact just a week before. But nobody listens, hope some one does something about it.
Q. Why do celebrities call their Seniors Chetta, Chechi and Sir. Why not Mr. Mrs. Or Padmashri and the like.
A. Yeah … its funny … well this is India! We are an emotional bunch of people . But I don’t like being called Miss too. I just prefer being called Gayatri.
Q. How tech savvy are you? Do fans email you? Are you on Blackberry and Twitter ? Do you know that you can actually hook up with Anoushka Shankar on facebook? Do you think it would have been possible 10 years back ?
A. I am not tech savvy, but can survive. I need to improve my PR. I know a lot of celebrities like Anoushka and Ehsaan are on face book. Social networking is a very good trend. I am not into Facebook or Orkut … my orkut account has been misused more than once. So I just gave up using it. I have a website www.gayatriasokan.info which has my programme schedules. Yes, my listeners mail me and I reply to all of them. A few of them have helped me lot by providing me with fantastic audio CDs. They come to my concerts too.
Q. Kerala has a great ecosystem for beat n break music (adipoli), mentorship is not hard in artistic fields. Your genre is not very popular here. Have you considered relocating ?
A. Who said I do only classical? I do filmy shows where I sing adi poli and dance too. I absolutely enjoy doing it. There is an audience for every kind of music here. Kerala is brilliant. Look at Bollywood award functions. They dont have live music .. Its just jhatka matka dances. We are way ahead. Singers are loved and respected here and we all perform in high profile shows here. Isnt that a good thing?
Q. You get a various requests as a celebrity. Why do you want to associate with Yk.
A. I think every body must have some sense of social responsibility. I love my Country and serving for any cause to the betterment of the society is welcome. Especially empowering youth..
Q. Thank you for your support and time. Will you get a few of your celeb friends to join our Facebook and Orkut Groups ?
A. Sure, I can persuade my celeb friends.
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