City sitar vidwan Madhu Murthy paid rich tribute to music and the multi-dimensional city of Hyderabad recentlyat Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan through a tribute to the four minarets of sitar — Ustad Vilayat Khan, Pandit Nikhil Banerjee, Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Abdul Halim Jaffer Khan.
Madhu Murthy's music is not only influenced by Indian classical and folk music but also different styles of music from all over the world like devotional music, jazz, blues, rock, fusion-world music, and free music. An accomplished and versatile composer, Madhu has experimented with several music forms and styles.
He started the evening on a pleasant note with Raag Behaag, rendering it with immense Nazakhat in the ‘gayaki' style beginning with the traditional format of alaap, jhor, jhala, vilambit, and dhrut followed by the unveiling of the Hyderabadi Bilawal. . This is an innovative creative raga from Madhu.
All through his growing years, he has grown up hearing region specific identities in terms of styles and compositions, and this gave him the inspiration for the name Hyderabadi Bilawal or Raag Hyderabadi in short. He says, “Hyderabad the city of love, gave me so much musically. The name is a way to express my gratitude and honour Hyderabad for all it offered and continues to offer.”
The second half began with Raag Jhinjhoti, a more devotional meditative rendition in the gayaki style with amazing ‘meend' and ‘layakari' where the imagination and the exposition were dancing melodiously. The concert closed with Raag Pahadi on audience request. Madhu Murthy was supported wonderfully on the tabla by another prominent city artiste Murali.
