In the musical vein
MANJARI SINHA
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The Pandit Raghunath Prasanna Smriti Samaroh held in New Delhi recently was a treat for lovers of music.
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Flautist Rajat Prasanna
There was a time when the front row of a concert hall was adorned with stalwarts like Ustad Faiyaz Khan, Pandit Onkarnath Thakur, Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, et al who came to hear and appreciate the art, but later this became a rare phenomenon. It was a heartening sight therefore, to see senior artistes like Vidushi Sharan Rani, Pandit Mani Prasad, Pandit Bhajan Sopori, Pandit Debu Chaudhuri, Ustad Iqbal Ahmad Khan, Pandit Anant Lal and Tabla Nawaz Faiyaz Khan to name a few, sitting in the first row when talented musicians paid their swaraanjali (musical tribute) to the memory of the late Pandit Raghunath Prasanna, a renowned flute and shehnai player, during the three-day Smriti Sangit Samaroh organised by the Kashi Sangit Sabha at Poora Sanskritik Kendra auditorium this past week.
Another remarkable feature of this three-day festival was the selection of artistes belonging to families where music has been nurtured for generations. As a result one almost felt as if music flowed in their veins, not blood. For instance, the festival took a flying start with the flute recital of young Rajat Prasanna, the grandson of Pandit Raghunath Prasanna. His detailed rendition of raga Bihagada with a detailed alap followed by a slow and a fast composition spoke highly of this gifted youngster and his rich lineage. Rajat concluded his flute recital with a melodious Poorbi dhun.
The tabla duet by Ustad Hashmat Ali Khan and his well-known gifted son and disciple Akram Khan was the main attraction of the inaugural evening. They played Teen tala showcasing the authentic quayeda, rela, peshkaara, gat and fard of the Ajrara gharana, which are rarely heard these days. They displayed the typical bait-baazi where one artiste would answer the intricacies of the other player just like `antaakshari'. Apart from the Ajrara gharana, they also played the specialties of Dilli, Farrukhabad and Lucknow baaj (styles). Kamaal Ahmad played a lovely lehra on the sarangi.
A FIESTA Sitar exponent Saeed Zafar Khan with his son Suhail
Training and practice
The next evening took off with a vocal recital by Amjad Ali Khan, son of Akhtar Nawas Khan of the Kirana gharana and the grandson of the famous sarangi player, Ustad Shakoor Khan. He is being groomed presently by Ustad Mashkoor Ali Khan, a resident guru at the ITC Sangeet Research Academy, Kolkata, who happens to be his maternal uncle. Amjad gave a good account of his taleem and riyaz (training and practice) through the detailed elaboration of raga Pooria Dhanashri with a bara and chhota khayal, and a lovely bandish in raga Bihag. He was accompanied on the harmonium by Dilshad Khan, on the sarangi by Ehsan Ali and on the tabla by Athar Hussain, whose tabla is heard on the news channel Aaj Tak as its signature tune.
Next came Abhay Rustam Sopori, who regaled the discerning audience with his superb santoor recital. The torchbearer of the famous Sufiana tradition of Srinagar, Abhay is the son of Pandit Bhajan Sopori. He is trained in both vocal and instrumental classical music under his grandfather and later learnt the intricacies of Sopori baaj from his illustrious father. That evening, he played a detailed alap, jod and jhala in raga Nand Kauns followed by two compositions in drut Ek tala and Teen tala respectively. On an instrument like the santoor, his gamak, meend and glides were remarkable, which is the stylistic specialty of the Sopori baaj. Sarit Das gave him commendable support on the tabla.
Pandit Pashupati Nath Mishra
The concluding evening started with a melodious sitar recital by Ustad Saeed Zafar Khan of the Dilli gharana. He was trained in the gayaki ang (the vocal technique) by his grandfather Ustad Chaand Khan and learnt the stylistic intricacies of the sitar from his father, Ustad Zafar Ahmad Khan. It was heartening to see that he is also extending the gharanedar taalim to his young son Suhail, who very efficiently assisted him during his masterly rendering of raga Yaman, right from the detailed alap, jod, jhaala to the Masitkhaani and Razakhaani gat compositions that followed in Teen tala. Saeed impressed not only with the extraordinary command over his instrument but also by the sensitive treatment of the raga. Akram Khan gave him superb accompaniment on the tabla.
The festival concluded with a lovely Charukeshi sung by Pandit Pashupati Nath Mishra of Varanasi. Groomed by his reputed uncle Pandit Mahadev Prasad Mishra, Pashupati Nath ji treated the audience also to some rare compositions of typical Banarasi flavour.
Amjad Ali Khan.
The festival was a great hit but for the complacent attitude reflected in late start and the erratic music system.
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