Divinely contagious

Years ago, I asked legendary tabla player Zakir Hussain the secret to his ever-smiling face. The maestro smiled and asked me, 'Aapne Rafi Sahab ki tasveerein dekhi hain?' - have you seen pictures of Rafi Sahab? He explained that music, whether vocal or instrumental, acts as a tranquilliser, and people associated with it in any form have a smiling and relaxed demeanour. 'Isliye main hamesha muskurata hoon' - That's why I always smile, he said.

So true; music is divine. It humanises those who perform on stage and those who listen. It's pervasive and permeates our whole existence and consciousness. Famous psychoanalyst C G Jung believed individuals could relate to their higher selves through a heightened consciousness if they developed their inherent musical instincts. Sufis believe, 'aashiq-e-mausiqi npargoz murtakab jaram nemi shud', that a music lover never commits crime.

The great mystic Jalaluddin Rumi urged his disciples to laugh, dance and love music. That will make the whole existence musical and in sync with the cosmos. Music refines and polishes rough and corrugated edges of your life. It makes you human and endows you with humane attributes. To love music is to love life entirely and comprehensively. So, make the music a soulful muse of your life. Sing, and the world will sing with you because music is divinely contagious.