Delightful music fest
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The Music Circle-Festival featured a fine blend of local and outside talent.
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Kadri Gopalnath wove magic on the saxophone.
LIMITING ENTRY for a classical programme in Bhubaneswar may not be a good idea as was evident at the Bhubaneswar Music Circle-Festival 2005, at Rabinda Mandap .
This despite the fact that the festival featured artistes like Shubha Mudgal, Kadri Gopalnath and . Mangalampalli Balamurlikrishna over three days. The organisers had two artistes on each evening, one of the two being local.
The festival opened with Mohini Mohan Pattnaik presenting a flute recital.
He began with raag `Bhupali' and ended it with a sweet `dhun'. Then the redoubtable Shubha Mudgal took the stage. She started with raag `Maru Bihag' which was followed by raag `Chhayanat.' the concluding pieces were a couple of `thumris.'
Shubha's emotion-packed `Raatiyan Beet Gayi' moved the audience to spontaneous applause. The second evening featured Chittranjan Pani, a Hindustani vocalist, based in Bhubaneswar. Pani began with raag `Marwa,'went on to raag `Madhuvanti' and concluded with a bhajan.
Kadri Gopalnath on the saxophone wove magic. Beginning. his flawless rendition of `Hansadhwani' set to adi taal and `Kalyan Basant' in six beats, sent the audience into raptures.
The final evening featured young Sangita Panda, who presented Odissi music. It was followed by a scintillating performance by noted vocalist, M Balamuralikrishna, whose presentations of ragas, Rabindra sangeet, devotional songs and thillana guaranteed a pulsating finish to the colourful festival.
While it is a good idea to give scope to local musicians time constraint was a major factor in pruning their performances of the build-up that is necessary in classical music.
Superstitions debunked
Natya Chetana's version of "Rebati' proved the classic story is relevant today.
`Natya Chetana' in taking up the short story `Rebati' considered as the first short story in Oriya has proved that the masterpiece by Fakir Mohan Senapati is still relevant today.
The story talks about the eponymous heroine who falls a victim to the social stigma and opposition to women's education. But she rebels and underscores the need for women's empowerment through education. There is her grandmother steeped in superstition-ranged against her liberated mind.
Sujata, of Natya Chetana, directed the play and did the central role. Sujata's portrayal was marked by total involvement with her character. In typical `Natya Chetana' style of intimate theatrics, the play had minimal, but innovative props, lots of action, music and vigorous body language. A monstrous figure in red garb symbolising death, decay and blind beliefs jumping around and stalking victims was great for visual impact.
The play ended on a positive note with even the superstitious grandmother getting reformed by Rebati's modern thoughts. Championing women's emancipation from the shackles of ignorance and illiteracy, the one- hour play previewed at Bhubaneswar was the highlight of the People's Theatre Festival at Khurda recently.
The `Natya Chetana' troupe would take it round villages spreading awareness about an issue that has much significance even today.
BIBHUTI MISHRA
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