The second KR concert of the season featured a vocal and sitar jugalbandi. The vocalist was Janab Arshad Ali Khan, a prodigious talent hailing from Kirana gharana. On the sitar, another child prodigy who has made her mark as a front-ranking sitarist of current times, Vidhushi Sahana Banerjee. The veteran tabla maestro Pandit Subhen Chatterjee took the center stage. The artists commenced the concert with the “sandhi prakash” (sunset) raag Puriya Kalyan.
Since the format of vocal and sitar concerts are quite different, the audience was curious to hear as to how this concert will unfold. We were treated to a delightful middle ground. The artists explored the raag with a detailed aalap, bringing forth all the subtle nuances of the raag. Arshadji’s Kirana gayaki was on full display with his treatment of the swaras and meticulous attention to tuning. The poorvang (lower region) phrases capturing the pooriya ang and uttarang (upper region) the Kalyan ang.
Sahanaji made the sitar sing. This, despite the fact that her own sitar was damaged, and she had to play a borrowed sitar at a very short notice. Rampur Senia gharana’s Dhrupad ang contemplative aalap filled the cozy baithak space. Sahanaji’s treatment of Pooriya ang “Ma Re Ga” phrase brought involuntary “wah-wah”s from the discerning KR audience. The composition that followed was the teentaal bandish, “Baut Din Beetay”. Arshadji’s lightning speed taans and intricate sargam patterns alternating between two octaves were literally jaw-dropping. Sahanaji exploded on the sitar with power-packed, precise and electrifying taans. It indeed was an exciting jugalbandi!
Seated in the middle, the veteran tabla maestro Subhenji provided brilliant support without overpowering the duo. It was heartwarming to see the senior musician encourage the younger artists with a pat on the back and encouraging “wah”s. A tarana in drut laya came next. An interesting composition that started on the fifth matra (beat) of the teentaal cycle. The artists went back and forth in an engaging “sawaal jawaab” (question and answer) taans which wowed the audience. Next raag was Bihag. Again, the artists started with a long, unhurried aalap unfolding this beautiful, shringaar ras pradhan (romantic mood) raag.
The composition in Jhaptaal (10 beat cycle) “Chinta Na Karo Re '' starts with a Ga to Ni meend (slide) which Arshadji nailed with the traditional Kirana treatment. Sahanaji replied with intricate gayaki ang meends and the shruties of Bihag came to life quite like the “albeli sundar naar” (beautiful woman), which was the next composition in Bihag. The technical prowess of the artists was very evident as they rendered one magnificent taan after another with ease and aplomb. One can only imagine the countless hours of riyaaz that they go through. I was hoping to hear Sahanaji’s “jhala” (traditional fast paced conclusion on sitar) to round this off, but it looks like that was not the set format for the jugalbandi. We need to get these brilliant artists back as solo artists too to be able to hear all aspects of their music. Raag Miya ki Malhar was presented post interval as a tribute to the late Ustad Rashid Khan. Perhaps this morning’s relentless downpour is a result of last night’s Miya Ki Malhar. The composition “Aaye sab ghana” was presented in teentaal.
The treatment of the twin “Ni” swaras is said to generate the charged energy of bursting clouds which was demonstrated for us last night. The andolit (vibrating) “Ga” sung and played perfectly, ensured that the monsoons had arrived. A playful, romantic teentaal composition in Khamaj, “Koyaliya kook sunaye” came next. We were treated to melodic twists and turns and playful prayog (use) of vivadi (inherently dissonant) swars. The concert concluded with a serene Bhairavi. The composition in taal rupak (seven beat cycle), “Kab aaoge jiyara tore bina udhas”, tugged at the heartstrings. The unseasonably warm spring night brought warmth to our bodies while the music presented by these brilliant artists brought warmth to our hearts and souls. Looking forward to the next concert of the season. Until then my fellow KR members, let the April showers bring May flowers.
Geetha Raghu