He was seated with his hands folded to welcome his audience as the curtains rose at Narada Gana Sabha on the fourth day of Bharat Sangeet Utsav. The sruti box boomed in the background. He looked at Pandit Vyasar Murthy Katti, a top notch accompanist, who was there to play the harmonium and nodded, signalling that it was time to begin. He cleared his throat and with eyes closed, Pandit Venkatesh Kumar began to trace raag Bhimpalasi.
Forty-five minutes past four in the evening seemed like an ideal time for the bandish ‘Ab To Badi Der Bhayee’. It evoked the approaching evening in every way conjuring images of portent rain, longing and contemplation.
The veteran's exploration of the raag was thorough. He travelled into the heart of Bhimpalasi discovering intricate, musical bends at the end of every line that elicited a spontaneous ‘wah’ from his audience each time. He plunged into the lower swaras and managed to render an aakara that was clear, yet one that wove complex patterns. But, the beauty of his singing was when he attempted the higher range of swaras. His voice, in full throttle, was powerful and reached every nook and corner of the auditorium.
In this bandish, one that he rendered last year as well, he developed the melody leisurely, packing it simultaneously with ample microtonal nuances. The give and take with Katti was impressive.
The bandish was closely followed by a khayal 'Biraj Mein Dhoom Machaye Shaam' in dhrut teen tal which evoked the celebration of a full-fledged downpour, especially in the manner in which he rendered the swarakalpana.
The next composition was ‘Ananda De Mukhachandra’ in raag Sree, Rupak Madhyalaya. Kumar transitioned from a celebratory mood to a deep, sombre one with ease. Using the opening alapana, he explored the universe of Sree. His layakari in this composition was excellent. Full of sustained straight notes that met fascinating harkats, the vocalist's rendition of this composition was poignant and majestic.
Among the many aspects that stood out in this centrepiece composition were his rendition of aakara and Pandit Keshav Joshi's calibre with the tabla. ‘Baje Muraliya Mohan Re’ was an extension of the meditative mood set by the bandish.
The prized composition of the evening that Venkatesh Kumar had rightly saved for the end was ‘Dheet Langarwa Kaise’ in raag Hameer in Dhrut teen taal. The opening alapana was refined and simply beautiful. This composition brought out the best in his singing both in terms of the manner in which he rendered the cascade of swaras and the emotions of the lyrics. He played with the taal and the connecting phrases were controlled, yet innovative.
One is tempted to try and pin it down to one precise aspect while describing the genius of Venkatesh Kumar's singing. But, he transcends any attempt of analysis and leaves the listener baffled as to where the real source of his musical finesse lies.
At the end of two hours, all one could say was that it was not just a concert but a rare insight into a maestro’s relationship with his music.
