The vivacious vocal recital by Jayashri Patnekar gave a befitting start to the prestigious Vishnu Digambar Jayanti Sangeet Samaroh, jointly organized by Gandharva Mahavidyalaya (GMV) and Saraswati Samaj, to celebrate the 145th Birth Anniversary of the saint musician Sangeetarshi Pandit Vishnu Digambar Paluskar, at the Kamani Auditorium this past week end. The three-day festival also had a morning session on Sunday morning that provided music lovers the rare opportunity to enjoy the morning ragas too. The artistic decor of the stage and the opening devotional songs by the well trained students of the GMV at each session, are always a delight.
Originally from Sawantwadi, Jayshree was initiated into music by Vitthal Rao Pai and was further groomed in Kirana and Jaipur Gayaki. She matured as a vocalist under the intensive guidance of Pandit Gajanan Rao Joshi and Nivrutti Bua Sarnaik.The timely selection of Lalita-Gauri for her main raga, its authentic treatment with the judicious blend of both its components Lalit and Gauri, that combine to embody this challenging Jod-Raga and the constraint with which she elaborated it; all spoke of her consummate musicianship.
The slow Vilambit and Chhota Khayal in Lalita-Gauri set to Teen taal “Baat Chalat Phirat Giridhari...” had gradual Barhat of the raga and skillfull variety of taan patterns flowing smoothly like gushing water also saw her playing with the rhythm. Raga Durga in Dheema Jhap taal came as a comely contrast and regaled the audience. Jaijaiwanti came next with a couple of compositions in slow and medium tempo Teen taal concluding with a Tarana in Drut Teen taal.
Jayshree had superb support on tabla by Bharat Kamath whose repartees replicated her rhythmic nuances and the inspired harmonium by Vinay Mishra, but her greatest asset was her weighty full throated voice with khula aakar, the knack of sthayee bharna, the effortless ease in her aakar taans where each swara glittered like a pearl and above all her own conviction and delight in whatever she sang.
The other artiste of the inaugural evening, the young sarodiya Ayan Ali, younger son and disciple of Ustad Amjad Ali Khan; performed next surrounded by Shubh Maharaj and Akbar Latif on tabla on either side. Preceded with a melodious aalap of raga Kamod, he played a composition in slow Deepchandi and another in Teen taal, based on the famous bandish “Kare Jaane Na Doongi...” where he gave turns to the two tabla accompanists also. The inaugural evening took a dramatic and historic turn, when he announced “due to some technical problems I’m unable to play what I want; so I request my Guru Ustad Amjad Ali Khan to conclude my concert.”
Khan Saheb, sitting in the front row in a simple white kurta (unlike his colourful performance attire designed by his artistic partner Shubhalakshmi ji), stood up at once and among the excited loud roar of the standing ovation and took the stage. He played raga Hafiz Kauns that he had created in memory of his Guru and father Ustad Hafiz Ali Khan. He played the auchar and the Teen taal composition with a deep contemplative devotion as if offering fond tribute to the late Ustad. Opening up the raga across the melodic canvas he painted his portrait with the contradicting shades of emotions in the Shuddha and Komal variants of the same swara-sangati harmonized alternately as if remembering both, the grim and the affectionate persona of his Guru still residing in his cherished memories.
The brilliant sitar recital of Niladri Kumar stole the next evening. Trained in the traditional guru shishya parampara under his musician father Pandit Kartik Kumar, himself a senior disciple of Pandit Ravi Shankar in turn; young Niladri has evolved as an innovative traditionalist who has experimented with all sorts of music on a global level, both as a performer and composer. This evening one saw him in his purist avatar opening his concert with raga Shuddha Kalyan. The very first meend on the mandra dhaivat during the reposeful alap, spoke of his total command on his instrument from the very beginning. The detailed aalap-jod adorned with controlled oscillation of five-six notes on just one fret created pulsating preface for the Jhap taal composition that followed suit.
And then came his own captivating creation Tilak Nat, a melodious blend of raga Tilak Kamod and Nat. Delineating the full demeanour of the beautiful raga through an in-depth auchar, he played the composition in Teent taal, where the Kinar and Chanti ka kaam of Ram Kumar Mishra’s tabla also got repeated applause. In his concluding Bharavi, Niladri displayed the unbelievable feat of all the twelve komal and teevra swaras of the octave in one go! It was a freshly minted Bharavi in which he played a dhun where he had to hint Ram Kumar to show both khali and bhari in the theka, that he had started like a common kherwa. There was no need for Niladri to go to the variants of Malhar after this delicious dessert.
The second evening had opened with a vocal recital by Ramakant Gaikwad, who is trained in Patiala Gayaki under Pandit Jagdish Prasad, a senior disciple of Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. Both his khayals in Gorakh Kalyan and the thumri “Yaad Piya Ki Aaye...” got him showers of applause mostly for his technical virtuosity. Hopefully the aggressive edge of his youthful enthusiasm, will mellow down with age.
The morning session on Sunday opened with a lovely Devagiri Bilawal on violin by Nandini Shankar groomed under the legendary Dr. N. Rajam, her grandmother and Sangeeta Shankar her mother. This third generation child prodigy have evolved into a young violinist of superb sensibilities. The vocal recital by Sanjiv Abhayankar was the other attraction of the morning session. He presented Miyan Ki Todi as his main raga followed by Bhathiar and Jaunpuri. Although his own compositions in Bhathiar had the dramatic natya element as explained by him, but instead of all the three ragas with Komal Rishabh, he could have easily changed the flavour with a variant of Sarang at least towards the noon time.
The concluding session opened with a melodious flute recital by Pravin Godkhindi who played raga Puriya-Kalyan followed by Megh. The superb tabla sangati by Ram Kumar enhanced the riveting recital with his accurate anticipation of the “sam”, following not only the rhythm but even the notes of the gifted flautist.
Pandit Vekatesh Kumar reached the Jayanti Samaroh to its climax with his mesmerising vocal recital accompanied by the ace accompanists in Arvind Thatte on harmonium and Bharat Kamath on tabla. Opening with “Sakhi Man Lage Na...”, the Vilambit Khayal in raga Bageshri redolent with the melancholy of the raga evoking the bhavas of a virahini nayika. His scholastic insight into the melody’s regal format continued even in the Teen taal, Chhota Khayal adorned with flourishes of akar and sargam taans. The Basant-Bahar next, juxtaposed the pathos of Basant and the vibrant fervour of Bahar melting into each other. And the concluding Thumri Khamaj “Ab Kaise Ghar Jaun...” had all the nazo-nakhra of Shringar in its bol banaav.
