Two-day Swar Samrat festival was dedicated to a legend

The one centesimal yr start anniversary of Ustad Ali Akbar Khan is being celebrated international. In Delhi previous this week, a two-day festival targeted solely on the more youthful technology. It opened to a glorious get started with the 26-year-old Gandhar Deshpande, in his first ever classical live performance in Delhi. Disciple of Pt. Ram Deshpande, Gandhar’s making a song taste is an amalgamation of types, apparently introduced along with his personal novel musical ideas. At one level, he used an instrumentalists methodology – making a song a few notes of the ‘mukhra’, then improvising, then repeating the bottom music. This created a glorious sense of recall, to attract his target audience maximum successfully. In addition, he introduced bizarre Ragas, which he shared after the live performance, is a technique he intends to observe. He mentioned “everyone sings the same common Ragas; I prefer to take the challenge of singing ragas that are become rare.”

Starting with the Jaipur Attrauli gharana favorite ‘jod raga;’ Raga Lalita Gauri, Gandhar arrested one from the inception along with his assured dealing with. His sense of percentage in live performance presentation would put many a veteran to disgrace; one would actually time when he would transfer on, musically talking. The perfection of his voice within the prime notes was admirable.

The 2d Raga was one no longer heard by way of this author, Raga Deepak Kedara, even though Gandhar shared it used to be sung in Maharashtra until the Nineteen Fifties or so. Interestingly, Gandhar felt the use of the identify Deepak didn’t refer to the Raga; as prevalent Raga Deepak as its recognized in some spaces has a other notice construction, which his Raga Deepak Kedara didn’t surround. However, in a extra historic custom, Raga Deepak has the notes of Kalyan, and was probably the most 6 major Ragas from which all different Ragas evolved, so Gandhar’s Deepak Kedara may just smartly were an outdated becoming a member of of those two Ragas. (by the way, Raga Deepak was made extinct intentionally by way of the ustads of the time, round mid nineteenth century, as its impact was mentioned to be maleficent.) Definitely a singer to be careful for, Gandhar was expertly accompanied at the tabla by way of Mumbai based totally younger Ishan Ghosh, and Delhi’s Dr Vinay Mishra on harmonium.

Kaushik Mukherjee at the sarod, performs within the lineage of Ustad Ali Akbar Khan; he’s a disciple of Pt Tejendra Narayan Mazumdar. His Raga Jhinjhoti was whole; in flip reposeful, ‘laya’ pushed, with flashes of ‘bolkaari” (stroke paintings). One hopes to listen extra of this worthy musician; he has an bizarre really feel for track. He was accompanied splendidly at the tabla by way of Debjit Patitundi, ready disciple of past due Pt Subhankar Bannerji.

On the second one day, the wonderkid of tabla, Punjab gharana’s 28 yr outdated Yashwant Vaishnav’s tabla solo stole the show. Accompanied at the harmonium by way of Nilay Salve, Yashwant’s presentation in ‘teen taal’ was merely breathtaking for his readability of strokes and precision. Perhaps a tad over extended, at greater than an hour, the younger maestro deservedly gained a spontaneous status ovation. One admired the varied repertoire he performed, together with compositions from masters of Farrukhabad, (Ustad Amir Hussain Khan) Lucknow, (Ustad Wajid Hussain) Ajjrara (Ustad Habibudin Khan) as well as after all to his personal gharana – Guru Pt Yogesh Samsi, Pt Sushil Kumar Jain, Ustad Alla Rakha, and Ustad Zakir Hussain.

The Mohan Brothers, sitarist Lakshya and sarodist Aayush performed the seasonal Raga Mian Ki Malhar, adopted by way of Raga Manjh Khamach. Always attention-grabbing to listen a ‘jugalbandi’, the duo had been completely in sync musically. They had been accompanied by way of the very intuitive tabla ‘sangat’ of Ishan Ghosh, who additionally himself performs the sitar.

Arshad Ali Khan.
| Photo Credit: Subhadeep Dey

Kirana gharana’s Ustad Arshad Ali Khan is now Kolkata based totally, however was firstly from Delhi. Creating a glorious ‘maahaul’, he sang the seasonal Raga Megh, sombre, planned and majestic. In his ‘drut ek taal bandish’, he astounded his target audience along with his large quantity of obviously enunciated rapid ‘taans’, together with one that he impressively accomplished in each octaves. His Tilak Kamod was a pride, true blue, Raga sensible. The concluding Raga Gaur Malhar featured an bizarre composition the place the stressed, tormented ‘tappa’ taste portion of the ‘antara’ used suitable lyrics ‘jiya ghabaraaye’ maximum successfully. Ustad Murad Ali Khan accompanied him fantastically at the sarangi, Debjit at the tabla. Truly this live performance was a becoming finale to a glorious festival.