Where melody reigned
ANJANA RAJAN
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The Hindu Friday Review November Fest began on a note of euphoria and ended with ecstasy.
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PHOTOS: S.R. RAGHUNATHAN
JUST MUSIC Indian Ocean band members Susmit Sen ,Amit Kilam, Rahul Ram and Asheem Chakravarty.
The Hindu Friday Review November Fest that ended this past Sunday in Chennai emphasised that it takes a partnership to create a star: the artiste and the enthusiastic fan. Together the two take a performer to heady heights. Chennai is renowned for its dedicated audiences. They come in droves, stay put long hours, cutting across age groups to give a hearing to diverse forms of music, asking for encores after 10.30 p.m. Yes, they sometimes also walk out in the middle, bring coffee into the auditorium and are notorious for talking — and walking — through the percussion solo of a classical concert. But perhaps their most significant achievement, especially vis-à-vis Delhi, is that they pay handsomely for tickets to the concerts.
The festival began with a concert of geets and ghazals by Ghazal Queen Farida Khanum, whose first visit to Chennai since she moved as a young girl to Pakistan at Partition was laced with all the drama and emotion that could be expected of such events. Not only did the denizens of the capital of Carnatic music queue up for entry, swoon to old memories, forgive her for the ravages of age and time, and recognise all her famous songs, they also gave her a standing ovation, asked for autographs and had even brought along memorabilia like an LP record and a photo album documenting significant events in her career.
Indian Ocean
Comparisons being as inevitable as they are odious, the band Indian Ocean began its evening at a distinct disadvantage. Playing on the third evening of the festival after Farida Khanum and the Signum Quartet, one of Germany's best-reputed string quartets, Indian Ocean's task of winning over an audience whose expectations were already heady was an unenviable one. But in their unassuming way, they just got down to making music. Singing their familiar numbers, like "Hille Le", "Kya Maloom", "Kandisa" and others less often heard, they emerged winners hands down.
Indian Ocean is known as a fusion band that blends Rock with Reggae, raga music and folk, but fusion was the flavour of the festival, if a term with such varied sources can be called a flavour.
Global Conversation, with Hindustani violinist Kala Ramnath and Jazz saxophonist George Brooks at the helm, represented fusion of a different kind, combining the talents of bassist Kai Eckhart, tabla player Satyajit Talwalkar, drummer Mukul Dongre and keyboard player Rinku Rajput.
Moods of melody
Aruna Sairam.
Then there was the brand of fusion created by Balamuralikrishna and Ajoy Chakrabarty. Representing Carnatic and Hindustani vocal music respectively, they reminded listeners forcefully that music is just music, by forging a unique style that brought out the strength of pure notes without harping on the differences between the two styles, stressing instead on the mood that melody invokes. Balamuralikrishna singing a Bengali song in unison with Chakrabarty, and the latter singing Carnatic kritis with him, epitomised this splendid fusion. That Chakrabarty has been learning Carnatic music from the doyen, and has done over 60 concerts with him in the past, were significant factors in the success of the concert.
Fusion of a different kind emerged at the mridangam-tabla jugalbandi by Vidwan Umayalpuram Sivaraman and Pandit Ram Kumar Mishra, embellished by two stalwarts of melody, chitra veena maestro Ravikiran and Mohan veena exponent Pandit Vishwamohan Bhatt.
Chennai, known for its erudite listeners, is also known for its unostentatious presentation. Its most prestigious venue is not necessarily the most plush, and the grandest show is not always most pleasing to the eye. In this respect, The Hindu Friday Review Fest breaks new ground with a different stage set for every concert and subtle light designing.
A significant feature of this year's Fest was the inclusion of allied activities like discussions on important issues related to classical dance and music. One such session was led by Sudharani Raghupathy and another by Priyadarshini Govind. A film on Sanjay Subrahmanyam made by Prasanna Ramaswamy was also premiered, followed the next day by an informal exchange led by the veteran singer.
The Fest was a fitting curtain raiser to the Chennai music season.
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