Rekha does her mentors proud and how!
C.L. DAS
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At Swar Vistaar, Rekha Ratnam and Nishindra Kinjalk were worthy of note.
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PROMISING Vocalist Rekha Ratnam performing at Swar-Vistaar.
In the new era of classical vocal music, models and ideals seem to be changing. A new crop of vocalists with a clear inclination towards the singing styles of Vidushi Kishori Amonkar and Prabha Atre and others of their ilk has emerged. These up and coming vocalists have moulded their music after these luminaries, imbibing their tone and texture of singing.
One had a chance to listen to one such promising vocalist of the Kirana gharana, Rekha Ratnam, at the 10-day classical music and dance festival Swar Vistaar, held recently in Patna. Rekha is privileged to have started her vocal music training under the veteran Dhrupad singer of Bihar, Pandit Ramchatur Mallik. Later she received extensive training of khayal singing from Ustad Irshad Khan of the Kirana gharana at the Indira Kala Music University, Khairagarh (Chhattisgarh).
Rekha has also done her M. Music from the Prayag Sangeet Samiti, Allahabad. An M.A. and a doctorate in Hindi literature from the Patna University, she has also received a fellowship from the Human Resources Department, Government of India. Her vocal presentation reminds one of an imaginative combination of tonal quality, singing pattern and designs in phrases of both Kishori Amonkar and Prabha Atre.
Deep impact
In the music session under review, Rekha presented a khayal in the raga Jog. The swaras of the raga were delineated extensively in the alap. The melody had certain typical phrases reflecting the beauty of both sharp and flat Gandhar in the aaroh and avaroh, Ni Pa Ga or the Pa Ni Pa Ma Ga, and the artiste displayed them artistically. The tonal quality had clear affinity with the two luminaries. She also displayed sensitivity to the notes and their nuances, leaving a deep impact on the mind.
It was followed by madhya and drut laya (medium and fast tempo) compositions. In the fast tempo composition, she presented some brilliant taans and short tihais. Rekha concluded her vocal recital with a melodious bhajan, "Main to Girdhar ke ghar jaaun". She was given excellent accompaniment on the tabla by Ravi Shankar Singh, a young talent of the Farrukhabad gharana. He has learnt tabla from Malhar Ghosh, son and disciple of Pandit Gyan Ghosh of Kolkata.
Another performance was a sitar recital by Nishindra Kinjalk. A disciple of the eminent vichitra veena player Pandit Gopal Krishna, he also learnt sitar from Pandit Umashankar Mishra, one of the senior disciples of the internationally acclaimed Pandit Ravi Shankar. He presented alap, jod and gats in the raga Keervani. He concluded his recital with a Bhairavi dhun.
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