Kaushiki Chakraborty performing at the Kailasa Music Trust event at Chowdaiah Memorial Hall in Bengaluru. | Photo courtesy: Special Arrangement
Recently, a musical festival ‘Acharya Devo Bhava’ was organised by the Kailas Music Trust at the Chowdaiah Memorial Hall in Bangalore to celebrate the birth centenary of Acharya Bimalendu Mukherjee. Two renowned Hindustani musicians, Anupama Bhagwat and Kaushiki Chakraborty, paid tribute to the Acharya.
Anupama, one of the most prominent disciples of Acharya Bimalendu Mukherjee and an exponent of the Imdadkhani/Etawah gharana, chose the evening raga Shyam Kalyan for her solo sitar recital. She built up the raga through an elaborate and meditative alaap. She embellished her raga vistas with meends, emphasising the Kalyan and Kamod anga, delicately drawing out the gandhar swara that distinguishes it from raga Shuddha-Sarang in the prelude to the ‘anibaddha’ alaap section before the gat.
Anupama’s improvisational abilities can be clearly seen in the development of this raga through the rhythmic patterns of alaap and jod and the fast jhalas. In the gat section, Anupama chose a vilambit (slow tempo) composition for careful exploration in teen taal. She was ably accompanied by Meghashyam Keshav on the tabla. The deep inner quality of their music, devoid of any artificiality, was a refreshing experience.
Sitarist Anupama Bhagwat. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
After a vilambit teen taal composition, Anupama showcased her intense taans in drut teen taal, building to a resonant climax.
Popular Hindustani singer Kaushiki Chakraborty began her recital late in the evening with Ragashri. In her vilambit khayal composition ‘Sakala Sukh Devo Kartar’, Kaushiki began with a soulful alaap, which was further enhanced by the subtle accompaniment provided by Murad Ali Khan on sarangi and Tanmay Devchake on Samvadini.
Murad Ali provided excellent accompaniment on sarangi | Photo Courtesy: The Hindu Archives
Kaushiki’s voice conveyed all three octaves with ease. Her success in the development of this Shringar Pradhan Raga, which has a closeness to Ragas like Bageshri and Malgunji, was remarkable. Equipped with a vast repertoire of bandishes, Kaushiki showcased her talent by presenting a bouquet of three drut bandishes in Ragashri: ‘Kar Phool Sohe Virajan Par, Chanda Sohe Amal Gagan Par’ (Teen Taal), ‘Jao Jao Giridhari’ (Rupak Taal) and ‘Sundar Naveli Naar’ (Ekvai Taal) with sargams featuring vibrant fast taankari. The vilambit presentation contrasted beautifully with the drut presentations.
Young table artist Ishaan Ghosh impresses everyone with his energetic performance | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Young tabla artist Ishan Ghosh impressed the audience with his fiery performance. Be it Teen or Rupak or Ekvai taal, Ishan was in his element playing Tihai. He created fascinating rhythmic patterns with his exploration and variations of taals.
Kaushiki then proved her talent in singing Bol Banaav Thumri with a touching rendition of ‘Jiya Mora Na Lage Bairi Balamwa’ in Raag Mishra Pilu, with apt music by Tanmay Devchake and Murad Ali, while Ishan Ghosh gave his best in the intense laggi section of the climax of the thumri when Kaushiki sang the sad ‘Saiya Na Ja’.
Kaushiki proves her talent with a soulful rendition of Bol Banaav Thumri | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The individual performances were followed by a jugalbandi of Kajri in Manj Khamaj and Dadra, ‘Barsan Lagi Badariya Rumjhum Ke’, which was made popular by the great singer Girija Devi. Both of them presented their Manj Khamaj with Malhar effortlessly. The audience FarmayishThey concluded with Raag Bhairavi as Kaushiki sang a tarana and Anupama played a composition of her guru, Acharya Bimalendu Mukherjee.
