Mesmerising shehnai recital
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Shailesh Bhagwat's shehnai recital was a superb display of technical excellence.
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It is often said that classical music concert gains momentum as time ticks by if the artiste is of an excellent calibre.
Well, it is not hyperbolic to state that Shailesh Bhagwat is more than a top-class instrumentalist and his shehnai recital could keep the audience glued to their seats on a mid-summer noon!
The viewers sat mesmerised to the tunes of Bhairav and Bhilawal, oblivious of the surroundings.
After all, he is none other than Ustad Bismillah Khan's foremost pupil and that were evident right from the word go.
In keeping with the convention, the maestro opened his recital with the ceremonious Bhairav.
The shehnai being a natty instrument made for an aesthetic appeal too in Bhagwat's dexterous playing. The soulful Bhairav wound its way through the nuances of its framework reaching great heights as it gained impetus with the artiste's technical display.
Emotive element
Bhagwat's style is uniformly soothing, soft and flows smoothly with the emotive element dominating the raga, which is a rarity in Hindustani music (since form and not content is the basic criteria).
Be it the Bhairav, Bhilawal or the Desi (all with the Shadj pancham bhav), the thumri or the Goonz uti shehnai, Bhagwat could impart a sweetness to the raga that seemed to come straight from his heart.
He regaled the audience with a thumri and on request took up a popular piece of the Goonj uti shehnai which seemed to reverberate through the air, drowning one and all in its melodic charm.
The shehnai no longer seemed a wind instrument being blown into a tune, it seemed to have been bestowed with the gift of speech.
The song looked less played than sung and that too with a clarity that is difficult to envisage.
Pathetic acoustics
The Sunday morning recital was Shailesh Bhagwat's magic melody that echoed in everybody's ears long after it was over. Ustad Javed on the tabla was rhythmic perfection, while Vikas Pardesi on the harmonium was inaudible at times.
The acoustics were going for a toss now and then in the open hall, which should be the last place to hold a classical instrumental concert. Mahua Mukherjee gave a vocal recital in the short break with the wind-instrument. She took up Bhilaskhani Thodi (Aakiyan bhar aaye) lacing it with beautiful bhol tans and akaar tans.
The timbre and reach of her sonorous voice was admirable. Though a budding artiste, she wound through the tough techniques of the raaga with confidence, unveiling the fine distinctions with seasoned familiarity. She made the break a welcome affair.
The programme was organised by Surmandal at Pingali Venkatram Reddy Hall, Hyderabad.
Ranee Kumar
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