For a distinct identity
MANJARI SINHA
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A symposium delved into the distinct features of Oriya music.
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The seminar sought to establish Odissi music as an independent system like the Hindustani and Carnatic genres.
The Odissi Research Centre (ORC), Bhubaneswar, organised a symposium on Odissi music during their Odissi Sandhya, a two-day event held recently at New Delhi’s Triveni auditorium recently.
Way back in the 1980s, the ORC had organised a festival in the Capital to establish Odissi music as an independent music system like the Hindustani and Carnatic genres. The symposium this time also voiced the same sentiments, but through practical d
emonstrations rather than arguing it in so many words.
In a well researched presentation Ramhari Das, Director, ORC, showcased Odissi music with its distinctive features. Discussing the logical development of theory and practice of Odissi music, Das elaborated on different forms like dhruvapadanga, champu, chhand, chautisa, pallavi, and ashtapadi, et al.
Three categories
He explained that on account of bhava or mood, the Odissi prabandha is divided into three main categories (angas): raaganga, bhaavanga and naatyanga. Raaganga follows all applications and principles of the raga, whereas in bhaavanga, the raga becomes secondary to bhava and in naatyanga, the tala or chhand takes prominence over raga and bhava.
Whether vocal or instrumental, Odissi music has three main characteristics, he said. First is the andolita gati, the vibrating pace. The second is its medium tempo which is neither very slow nor very fast, “Na drut na vilambit
”. The third is equal emphasis on raga and tala in accordance with the bhava or mood of the lyric.
Das demonstrated each point with his melodious singing. The raaganga was rendered in raga Kedar-Kamodi with a detailed delineation of the raga. He presented three bandishes (compositions) to explain the bhaavanga depicting differ
ent emotions. The naatyanga could be easily deciphered with the gait of Khemata tala, in a lovely composition with a folk flavour.
He apprised the audience with varieties like the champu and chokhi also. Champu, he said, was a combination of prose and poetry. He chose to sing Ka champu, ‘Ki haala re…’, out of the 34 champus starting with different letters of the alphabet. .Pandit Raghunath Panigrahi performed in the opening session of the symposium. Among the other artistes who sang or played during Odissi Sandhya, Bijoy Jena sang a composition of Vanmali Das in raga Varadi, which sounded almost like the Puria Dhanashri of Hindustani music. Sangita Panda gave an elaborate treatment to raga Mangal Kamodi with compositions parallel to the bara and chhota khayal of Hindustani music, followed by a dadra-lik
e piece in Pilu set to Khemata tala, sung in typical thumri style.
Keshab Chandra Raut sang raga Kamodi. He adorned the composition “Meena nayana…” with speed variations like dugun, tigun, chaugun, and a variety of sargam (note patterns) and aakar taans. Lata Ghosh and Sangita G
osain were the other vocalists who performed, but Sachidananda Das and Dhyaneshwar Sen received the loudest applause for their duet on the mardala.
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