Mahesh Kale Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Renowned Hindustani singer Mahesh Kale is all set to perform an Abhangwari concert in Hyderabad. In Marathi language, unbroken It means ‘without any obstruction’ and Wari It means a pilgrimage, the San Francisco-based singer and guru said in a phone interview. He is currently on an all-India tour with concerts in Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.
Music that connects | Photo credit: special arrangement
Mahesh Kale’s ‘Abhangwari’ is an annual show conceptualised to present the Abhang style dedicated to Lord Vitthal, and depicts through music the annual visit of thousands of pilgrims to Pandharpur in Maharashtra on the day of Ashadhi Ekadashi. The Hyderabad edition will be the third edition of this year’s all-India tour to popularise Abhang, an audio-visual presentation of traditional practices associated with the pilgrimage, accompanied by his singing. unbroken compositions and some of the compositions of his guru, the renowned Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki. “It is not just a concert, it is a well-planned presentation with a carefully written narrative and visual appeal.”
musical pilgrimage
File photo of Mahesh Kale during a musical concert | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Singing unbroken This season is very important as small groups of pilgrims travel on foot to Maharashtra and Karnataka. Sedan (palanquin) to Pandharpur, the abode of Lord Vitthal. They say that this holy journey starts 22 days before Ashadh Ekadashi. “These Sedan We meet at a halt before Pandharpur. Those who cannot walk the entire distance, walk a short distance and those who cannot walk at all, try to cook and feed the pilgrims as a service to the Lord,” says Mahesh, who wants to capture this enthusiasm through art and present it to those who are unable to perform the ‘wari’. He hopes, “This will give them the feeling of going on a musical pilgrimage.”
It has been a busy week since arriving in India (“Music gives the energy to travel”). Before starting the journey, he went to seek the blessings of Panduranga at Phaltan in Pandharpur. Although the singer has composed many Marathi songs, Abhangwari (that is also the name of the concert) is his first performance as a writer. “I wanted Lord Vithal to hear it before the rest of India.”
Mahesh Kale Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
For someone who follows an organic and spontaneous approach, does his music change according to the city and his audience? “When I go on stage, the first thing I do is greet the audience and feel their pulse like a doctor. I think I am able to diagnose and influence well through music. The audience may be different, but everyone comes to listen to the music. So there is one sense in the whole auditorium.”
Over the years, his art has “strengthened” because music is much more than just what it looks like. “Performing is just the tip of the iceberg. Creating, growing and sustaining interest in music cannot be done through concerts alone; that’s why I am very passionate about teaching,” says Mahesh, who teaches for about 10 to 12 hours a week.
Teaching music to music enthusiasts in about 15 countries is also part of the reform, an effort to build a worldwide audience. “Whenever my fellow musician friends travel, they find enthusiastic and knowledgeable audiences.
Mahesh, a National Award winner for Marathi film in 2015 and a recent recipient of the Bal Gandharva Guna Gaurav Puraskar 2024, says, “The idea of Abhangawari is to portray philosophy written in Marathi with universal appeal. I am looking forward to performing in front of different audiences in Hyderabad, Chennai and Bangalore. I have received a lot of love during my previous visits. I am back to return the love and get some more.”
Mahesh Kale’s Abhangwari concert will be presented by Tatva Arts, Hyderabad as part of the series Ashadha Lahari, 2nd Edition at Ravindra Bharati on July 19 at 7 pm. The tour will then be held in Chennai (July 20) and Bengaluru (July 21).
