Dhrupad in all its majesty
JYOTI NAIR BELLIAPPA
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Musicians displayed great tradition at the three-day festival.
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Photos: R. Ragu
VETERANS IN FULL FLOW: Fahimuddin Khan Dagar
Prakriti Foundation presented an offering of Dhrupad for the second consecutive year, for three days from March 30. The exalted gharana traditions embodied in Ustad Fahimuddin Khan Dagar's rigorous gayaki date back to1470 and are believed to have been introduced by the celebrated Raja Man Singh of Gwalior. It used to be said that only a man with the strength of five buffaloes could sing Dhrupad.
Delineating an exacting and demanding Dagar style in a deep sonorous voice encompassing about three octaves, the Ustad exhibited great dignity in executing the `nom tom' aalap. He began slowly, exploring and cultivating the lower regions of the scale in great depth, then rising in the scale of the raga, picking up pace developing the four sections of asthai, antara, sanchari and abhog envisioning a heightened state of being through the portrait of Hamsadhwani and concluding the evocation with characteristic Om Nad Brahma.
Abundance of meends
The composition in praise of Goddess Saraswati, Durga and Kali was rendered in Kedar, with extensive use of boltaans like `Akhand Roop Bhagwan'.
This had an abundance of meends accompanied by the vibrant beating of the pakhawaj of Pravin Arya in chautaal.
Chanderkauns and tarana in Sohni showcased a perfect tradition where the listener and the performer both experienced a full portrait in sound simultaneously.
Dhruba Ghosh.
Pt. Dhruba Ghosh combined both the gayaki and tanterkari traditions of Ali Akbar Khan Sahib of Maihar gharana and Bundu Khan Sahib of Rampur court, and played with rare abandon and passion on the Sarangi, closest to the human voice that embodied a great musical tradition.
Beginning in raga Puriya Kalyan, Pt. Ghosh invested the phrases with pathos and then with longing, devotion and meditation, through mild and sharp strokes culminating in a fiery moment of surrender.
The piece in Manjh Khamaj was a romantic interlude and his impromptu breaking into a song was much appreciated. To complete the circle, the Sarangi pulled at the heartstrings announcing dawn, and reproducing the sound of the chirping of the birds.
It was an unusual performance where the Sarangi could be mistaken for both the sarod and the flute. There were many moments to rejoice when Satyaji, with his extraordinary musical tradition, drew tabla strokes coinciding with the melodic climax in the composition, creating a burst of energy.
The last but not the least was Pt. Pushpraj Koshti's recital on the sur bahar, also presenting the Dhrupad style.
Pushpraj Koshti.
The sur bahaar is an improved model of the rudra veena and close to sitar but with a thick baj string.
Beginning with Yaman, Panditji exhibited long sweeping meends, in aalap. He rendered the gat and the taans immaculately spanning the three octaves, with greater emphasis in the kharaj in keeping with the dhrupad tradition.
Raga Basant in chautaal was endearing, being both meditative and serene. Finally, Amrit Varshini in shul taal of ten beats was an enchanting experience, with ample use of gamakas and layakari. Akhilesh Gundecha played majestically on the pakhawaj.
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