Brimming with the flavours of the Maratha heartland, the abhang has travelled far beyond its native stronghold in recent decades. From the spiritual outpourings of great saint-poets such as Gyaneshwar, Eknath, Namdev, Tukaram, Chokhamela and Janabai to the works of contemporary composers, these devotional verses are packed with an appeal that transcends linguistic and geographical divides. Celebrating Pandurang, the deity of Pandarpur at Solapur, Maharashtra, abhangs were originally sung by devotees during their annual pilgrimage to the temple.
The 12th edition of ‘Bolava Vitthal’ a full-scale abhang recital marking the occasion of Ashadi Ekadashi was presented by the Mumbai-based organisation Pancham Nishadh Creatives. The event, dedicated to the memory of Pandita Kishori Amonkar, featured three acclaimed classical vocalists — Jayateerth Mevundi, Anand Bhate and Mahesh Kale supported by co-artistes. The trio’s joint rendition of the invocatory ‘Jai Jai Ram Krishna Hari’ spiralled to an empowering rendezvous at the shadja, the commingled tones of conch and cymbals recreating a temple ambience. Following this, each artiste presented a solo abhang vani.
Pt. Anand Bhate’s renditions came as a revelation. The musicality of this senior artiste and disciple of Pt. Bhimsen Joshi glowed with a disarming directness that dove straight into the heart of raga and sahitya to establish an instant connect. A signature rendition of the legendary Bal Gandharva and Pt. Bhimsen, ‘Avaghachi Sansar’ (raag Bhimpalas, Gyaneshwar) stood out for effortless freewheeling passages dotted with unique touches of colour. Synonymous with Pt. Bhimsen, ‘Tirtha Vitthal Kshetra Vitthal’ (raag Jogiya-Bibhas blend, Namdev) with its simply worded yet profoundly philosophical content witnessed the artiste’s complete self-immersion, heading for a crescendo wherein the musician became the music. Equally uplifting was the bhakti ras of ‘Anuraniya Thokada’ (raag Pancham Malkauns, Sant Tukaram) and ‘Bhagyada Lakshmi Baramma’ (raag Bibhas, Purandaradasa).
Jayateerth Mevundi
The youngest of the trio, Pt. Mahesh Kale, a disciple of Pt. Jitendra Abhisheki, favoured a style that generated waves of serenity. ‘Bolava Vitthal, Pahawa Vitthal’ flowed along a meditative melodic path. Hitting the high notes in an upbeat, folksy ‘Amha Na Kale,’ Mahesh spun his own brand of magic at the line ‘Bola Bhav Dev.” Enter a namasankirtanam favourite, ‘Narayana Te Namo Namo’ (Purandara Dasa, Behag) as proof of an eclectic approach. Sung with gusto, the kirtana was crowned with a gamaka-rich sangati at ‘Namo Namo’ that would have elicited an involuntary ‘sabhash’ from the even most die-hard Carnatic purist. Mahesh had an additional ace up his sleeve. Urging listeners to sing along in true abhang tradition, he upped the ante by escalating audience involvement to actual participation in ‘Avaghe Garje Pandharpur.’ As the ‘Vitthal’ refrain gathered volume and intensity, the audience was swept up by a wave of devotional fervour.
Mahesh Kale
Intricate detail
Noted vocalist of the Kirana gharana, Jayateerth Mevundi fully lived up to expectations. A mesmeric ‘Ekada Pandari Pahare’ (raag Bairagi, own composition) transported listeners to a rarefied sphere. It was bonanza time for nostalgia seekers when ‘Enna Paliso Karunakara’ popularised by Pt. Bhimsen surfaced. ‘Akar Ukar’ (raag Pahadi, own composition) shimmered with intricate detail. A highly evocative ‘Govinda’ (raag Bhairavi) was replete with rich improvisational tropes highlighted by Jayateerth’s rich timbre and classical moorings.
The accompanists contributed significantly to the evening’s success. While Sai Banker (tabla) and Prakash Shejwal (dholak) drummed up rhythms that ranged from soothing to exhilarating, Aditya Oke’s wizardry on the keys (harmonium) and Suryakant Surve’s spot-on side rhythms drew frequent applause. Teen-aged flautist S. Akash earned much appreciation for his quicksilver flights across octaves. The aesthetics of the backdrop were enhanced by Achyut Palav’s distinctive calligraphy. Organiser Shashi Vyas shared the story of Bolava Vitthal’s inception and journey.
The individual dynamics of the vocalists, their uninhibited voice-throw and open-throated articulation and their identification with lyric were all inspiring takeaways. The biggest thumbs up came from the audience who didn’t want the music to end.
