Welcoming the spring
SHYAMHARI CHAKRA
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The Rajarani music festival saw some wonderful performances.
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Photo: C.V. Subrahmanyam
Pandit Ulhas Kashalkar.
As dusk descended on the Bhubaneswar sky, the sprawling green lawns of the spectacular Rajarani temple played perfect host to the connoisseurs of classical music who assembled there for the fifth annual Rajarani music festival.
The Orissa state tourism department and the four-decade-old Bhubaneswar Music Circle collaborated in hosting the festival for which the 11th-century sculptural marvel served as the perfect backdrop.
The three-day event showcased some of the best and budding artistes of all the three classical music traditions of India - Hindustani, Carnatic and Orissa's own Odissi.
Following an invocatory Ganesh vandana by renowned singer Raghunath Panigrahi, better known as the better half of legendary Odissi danseuse Sanjukta Panigrahi, Odissi's best known music composer Ramahari Das set the mood of the evening with a bouquet of renditions, all based on spring, aptly.
Jawahar Mishra, who followed Das, transported the audience to trance with his mesmerising notes of raga Chandrakosh followed by a captivating Pahadi dhun.
The inaugural evening, however, belonged to the peerless Pandit Ulhas Kashalkar of Kolkata whose blessed voice has been a beautiful blending of the three "gayakees" of Gwalior, Agra and Jaipur gharanas of Hindustani music. With an exceptional tonal clarity, the stylised singer presented raga Kedar and Malcos while concluding with a thumri.
Bhopal-based Hindustani vocalist Shaswati Mandal Paul, grand daughter of late Pandit Balabhau Umdekar who was the court musician of the erstwhile Gwalior state, emerged as the find of the festival.
Performing with ιlan during the second evening, the young and immensely talented singer reminded us of stalwarts like Aruna Sairam, Sunanda Patnaik and Shubha Mudgal who are famous for their unique voice with an amazing range.
Shaswati seems all set to emerge as one of the future faces of Indian classical music for her complete command over her unique voice and a wide range of variations in her presentation.
Rudra Veena exponent Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar's son Ustad Baha'ud-din Dagar, who performed raga Chandrakosh followed by Mishra Bhairavi during the evening, has emerged out of his father's shadows as a real "ustad".
Still in his early 40's and having as long way to go, he has shown signs of a master with his maturity, creativity and confidence.
The concluding evening was disappointing for the audience as Mumbai-based Carnatic vocalist Vidushi Bombay Jayashri's concert was cancelled as her flight to the city got cancelled while her accompanying artistes reached by train.
Like Hindustani vocalist Harihara Ratha of Orissa who performed on the second evening, Odissi singer Mohapatra Minati Bhanja could not live up to expectations during the concluding evening despite being gifted with a golden voice.
While she appeared strained in singing without her usual spontaneity, the accompanying mardal and harmonium artistes failed to bring in the desired harmony with her renditions very often.
Mumbai-based young Hindustani vocalist Hema Upasani was the saving grace of the concluding evening for her neat renditions though she did not leave behind any impact on the audience.
The review would remain inconclusive without acknowledging the peerless performance of two wonderful percussionists - tabla player Kulamani Barik who accompanied flutist Jawahar and vocalist Hema and Benaras-based pakhawaj player Amit Shaani who supported the rudra veena recital.
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