A meeting of melodies
MANJARI SINHA
|
Many a stalwart shared the platform with young artistes in New Delhi this past week for a nightlong "Jalsa".
|
THE MAESTROS AT PLAY L. Subramaniam.
Indian Music Academy (IMA) in association with Idea Cellular presented the finale of their 12-City Concert Series as an all-night music festival at New Delhi's historic Purana Qila this past week. An initiative of Art and Artistes for spreading and popularising Indian Music around the globe, the IMA - `a body of the musicians, for the musicians and by the musicians', was launched by the President APJ Abdul Kalam at NCPA, Mumbai, last year. The Academy promises the facility of medical aid to needy musicians and poets and already has more than 1200 members across the country who have served different genres of music professionally for a minimum of 10 years.
Musicians like Pandit Jasraj, Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia and Ustad Zakir Hussain came together to lend their support to the `Idea Jalsa' concert series held in 12 cities across the country. The initiative has given a platform to worthy young artistes along with doyens and has also made an impact on young audiences, bridging the gap between them and the artistes, with the interactive sessions that follow the performances. The 12th Idea Jalsa at Purana Qila presented L. Subramaniam (violin), Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia (flute) and Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma (santoor) preceded by the young and talented Kaushiki Chakravarti (vocal) and Selva Ganesh (kanjira). The overnight festival was scheduled to conclude with the vocal recital of Pandit Jasraj but he could not make it.
The evening took off with the vocal recital of the young and talented Kaushiki Chakravarti. Initiated into Hindustani classical music by her mother, Kaushiki had the rare privilege to be the youngest gandabandh shagird of Pandit Jnanprakash Ghosh. Later on, she became the disciple of her father Pandit Ajay Chakravarti, the leading light of the Patiala gharana. Her recitals are marked with a remarkable spontaneity and maturity far beyond her age. Gifted with a melodious and flexible voice, Kaushiki enthralled the audience with two compositions in raga Puria Kalyan and a dadra in Mishra Khamaj adorned with shades of ragas like Nand, Kedar, Hamir and Jaijaiwanti, et al. She had ace accompanying artistes like Sudhir Nayak on the harmonium and Kedar Pandit on the tabla.
Interactive session
During the interactive session, answering very honestly a question from a computer savvy rasika who asked why Kaushiki does not contribute to the electronic media such as the net if she can't perform frequently in Delhi, Kaushiki confessed that she was not good at it, and secondly, this would take away time from the much needed sadhana.
She won admirers not only by her singing but also by her eloquence while interacting with them in her lucid English.
Selva Ganesh on the kanjira, accompanied by N. Ramkrishna on the mridangam and V. Umashankar on the ghatam, hypnotised the audience right from the invocatory Shiv-Tandav stotra to the concluding crescendo of exquisite brilliance that won thunderous applause.
His poetic recitation of the mnemonics of the percussion instruments depicted the divine dance of Nataraja, the Lord of Chidambaram in all its splendour.
Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia.
The gradually receding maatraas in gopuchha or the vice versa designs of permutations and combinations were awesome.
The way he established a rapport with the audience using words like "tag dha, takita dha... ." and so on was mesmerising. The percussionists stole the show with their sheer brilliance.
L. Subramaniam along with his gifted son Ambi represented Carnatic music on his bewitching violin.
Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia's flute recital came next with his alluring elaboration of raga Dhaani, assisted on the flute by his capable disciple Sunil Avachat.
Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma concluded the nightlong festival with the early morning raga Basant-Mukhari on the santoor.
Vijay Ghate gave able tabla accompaniment to both the stalwarts.
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Friday Review
Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
Hyderabad
Thiruvananthapuram
