Artists performed many shades of Hindustani ragas in Swar Sangee held recently in Bangalore
Artists performed many shades of Hindustani ragas in Swar Sangee held recently in Bangalore
Saptak Bangalore had organized Swara Sanje, an evening of Hindustani music, which included concerts by violinist Durga Sharma and vocalist Arshad Ali Khan. The latter is a Kolkata-based descendant of the illustrious family of Ustad Abdul Karim Khan and Ustad Abdul Wahid Khan, the foremost exponent of the Kirana Gharana.
Durga Sharma’s delight with the strings was evident in her portrayal of Raag Bihaag. He discovered the khyal organ to suit his singing style, which led to many vocal modulations in his violin. He began with a meditative alap in a tala chakra (of 12 beats) vilambit in the ‘Purvanga Pradhan Bihag Raga’.
Durga weaves delicate patterns around the distinctive ‘ragwachak’ phrase, in myriad aesthetically pleasing combinations on Vaadi Gandhar and conversational Nishad notes, drawing the musings of this beautiful evening. The mood of the raga was brought out nicely through the elegant handling of pure and sharp middle notes.
Durga showed her mastery over the instrument in her solo violin, which is rare in Hindustani music today. He was trained under Pt. Ramesh Nadkarni, Supriya Bose and Pt. Shailendra Janardhan.
range of emotions
In the Tej Drut Teen Taal composition, the taanas traverse the gamut of ascents and descents with ease and precision, expressing innumerable bhavas and rasas. The druit composition was also a rhythmic delight, marked by breathtaking sapat, palat and allegorical stanzas enhanced by Sumit Naik’s tabla accompaniment, who impeccably transformed his improvisation. In Raga Desh Mein Ek Dhun, Durga weaves a series of gentle moods, while Bhajan Theka creates a grotesque effect.
Arshad Ali Khan, grandson of sarangi player Ustad Shakoor Khan and disciple of Ustad Mushkoor Ali Khan and his maternal uncle Ustad Mubarak Ali Khan, began with his prodigious singing resources late in the evening with Raga Purya Kalyan. The striking aspects of his Raagvistar in Vilambit Ektaal Khayal, ‘Par Karo Naiyya Mori’, were part of a quintessential Merukhand alap, the distinctive feature of Kirana Gaikki, where each swara is capable of horizontal expansion, with the clear impact of the sarangi and Went Instruments on the production of voices, melody and meanders.
Arshad Ali Khan | photo credit: special arrangement
Uddhaan stood out for its melodious vocals, faithfully following the salient features of the gharana, yet marked by individuality. Badat reveals the identity of Kirana Gaikki, adding each note in a progressive sequence, slowly and carefully building the raga.
Arshad Ali Khan’s bubbly tanki in a quick tarana composition in Tental (16 beats), consisting of chut taan, ulta-palt taan, gitkhidi, dugun taan and sargam taan.
Sarfaraz Khan on Sarangi and Rajendra Nakod on Tabla made the concert a melodious-rhythmic feast.
After Purya Kalyan, the singer moved on to Raga Kedar. Bandish in Madhyaalaya Tintaal, ‘Sagri Raina Tadpat Beeti’ dazzles with intricate alap sequences and the deployment of two mediums: pure and gentle, bringing to the fore the relatively obscure dimensions of this raga. His fast sargam in Chaturanga composition in fast Ektaal Pt. Rajendra Nakod’s Awesome Accompaniment,
On the request of the audience, Arshad Ali Khan sang the beautiful thumri, ‘Koiliya Sunave, Mujhe Birha Saatve’ in Mishra Khamaj. The subtlety with which he explored the nuances of Khamaj, the interplay of raga Jhinjhoti highlights the blend of poetry and music. Pt. Rajendra Nakod, again rose to the occasion, with brilliant phrases in lagi, making for a memorable finale.
The Bangalore-based critic is a trained musician.