Friday Review
Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
Hyderabad
Thiruvananthapuram
In memory of Begum
|
The recent Jamal-e-Begum Akhtar festival in New Delhi evoked the richness of ghazal.
|
Photo: R.V. Moorthy
REMEMBERING AMMI Rita Ganguly pays respect to Begum Akhtar.
Time cannot stale the fragrance of Begum Akhtar’s music, giving the ghazal an international place, thanks to her feel for great poetry sung with classical richness in a voice which, evoking pain or joy, struck a chord in every listener’s
heart. Kaladharmi Bagh – a wing of Kaladharmi led by Begum’s disciple Rita Ganguly – mounted Jamal-e-Begum Akhtar at the India International Centre in New Delhi, heralding a glittering start to centenary celebrations of the Begum. This is to end with an International Ghazal Festival in 2014. A large number of people relished the four-day focus on the ghazal, the supplementary bonus being Farooque Sheikh’s inimitable introductions substantiated by Rita Ganguly’s informative interventions.
Screening of a Begum Akhtar film designed by Ganguly, and conferring the Bagh award on Pakistani poet Ahmed Faraz of “Ranjish hi Sahi” fame, with a lifetime achievement award for Ustad Sultan Khan (sarangi) who accompanied Begum Akhtar in all her performances (his Maru Bihag made a fine festival finale) formed the other highlights. As for the performance part with its international representation, the most interesting was the very young group from Iran (courtesy Indian Council for Cultural Research) bringing back the historical beginnings of ghazal gayaki with Makam singing in this country. Led by Ustad Clavash Borhani, the involved, spirited singing of works of Jami and Hafiz, was reminiscent of the old pre-Akhtari records with the verses sung without percussion – instrumental accompaniment being the Tar, Kamaichha and drum. Significantly, flagging off the festival was Kamaicha playing, with lusty singing without mikes from Rajasthan, highlighting the Indo-Iran link in Hindustani classical.
Young talent too
Kaladharmi enterprisingly, in the starting slot each evening, featured young talent (one of them a youngster from the slums) all being groomed by Bagh for ghazal singing – namely Deepa, Sadana and Sumita Dutta. Pakistan’s Tina Sani was unmatched in her style and poise, the full beauty of the poetry caught in her renditions, melodic (limited raga variations) but without musical flourishes distracting the richness of verse. Ably supported by India’s Ghulam Ali (sarangi) and Shamsher (tabla), she had two harmonium players from Pakistan.
Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s “Mere Dil Mere Musafir” drew rapturous applause. The best of Janab Sani Zubayer from Bangladesh (restrained with his ustad in the audience) rendering compositions in the Patiala technique was in the Nazam in Bangla ‘Jo Chhona Korecha Aadi” with which Begum Akhtar stole the heart of Bengal. Stirring up old Begum memories was Anoop Jalota’s “Aie mohabbat tere anjam pe rona aaya”. It was a rather subdued Pankaj Udhas, and if the talented Pandit Vithal Rao from Hyderabad did not grip the gathering with his singing, it was because of a selection of nondescript ghazals. May be the Iranian troupe’s earlier vitality, by contrast, made him less vibrant. Rita Ganguly herself took the floor starting with “Ahako chahiye” followed by Amir Qazalbash’s “Zulmat ke tala tumse ubhar kyon nahi jate” and her favourite Momin Khan’s “Woh jo hamme tumme qaraar tha...” In full form, she prompted poet Ahmed Faraz who lost the thread of his own verse reciting, “Tere qareeb aake badi uljhano mein hoon, Main dushmano mein hoon ki tere dosto mein hoon”. The audience went home filled with the rasa of the ghazal.
LEELA VENKATARAMAN
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Friday Review
Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
Hyderabad
Thiruvananthapuram
|
