Friday Review
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Old songs, same charm
LALITHAA KRISHNAN
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Bhupinder Singh did not disappoint those who came for vintage stuff.
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Photo: R. Shivaji Rao
Bhupinder Singh
The disciples and rasikas of mridangam maestro T.V.Gopalakrishnan celebrated the achievements and contribution of their guru in his 70th year of performance in a felicitation titled ‘Guru Seva 70.’ A multi-faceted artiste who is equally a
t home in the percussive and the melodic aspects of music, TVG, as he is popularly known, is adept at both the Carnatic and Hindustani systems and over the years has trained a considerable number of sishyas who rank amongst today’s leading performers.
With voice training being TVG’s special area of interest, the occasion featured the release of two books authored by the artiste — “Your Voice - A Practical Guide to Voice Training in Indian Music” and “The King of Percussion –Mrdangam.” Both publications are the products of extensive research. A purse was also handed over to the Schizophrenia Research Foundation (SCARF, India). The artiste paid rich tributes reiterating his indebtedness to his venerable guru, vidwan Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar.
Series of recitals
There was a series of recitals by TVG’s disciples including Vidyabhushana, Kadri Gopalnath and Bhupinder Singh, followed by a Carnatic jazz ensemble, “Pranavah,” in the evening.
Those attending Bhupinder Singh’s presentation of ghazals came prepared to plunge into a sea of nostalgia at the golden-voiced vocalist’s command. Only, with Bhupinder, there were no commands. The artiste’s slightest wish was couched in the winsome language of melody that soothed and energised at the same time.
Singing in Chennai after a hiatus of several years, the artist’s quality of singing revealed that his voice has retained the same magic that enthralled listeners in the 1970s and 80s. Who can forget numbers such as “Dil Doondtha Hain” and “Ek Akela Is Shehr Me”?
A spate of eager audience requests ensured that these evergreen melodies were revisited at leisure, much to the listeners’ delight. The renditions were made even more interesting when the artiste shared his memories about what went into the making of these compositions and the genius of composers such as Khayyam, Madanmohan, Jaidev and R.D. Burman who live on through their music. He also conveyed his gratitude for the support and encouragement extended by his guru TVG and eminent music director Ilayaraja who were present in the audience. The sonorous tone conveyed a sense of tranquillity in ghazals such as “Aankhon ko tha kusoor” in which the line “Unse door tha” was highlighted.
Avinash Chandrachur (harmonium) and Musharraf Khan (tabla) enlivened the compositions by their dexterous playing. Guru TVG aptly summed up the recital by describing music that moves as an experience that transcends formal parameters - it is a true communion with the soul.
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Friday Review
Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
Hyderabad
Thiruvananthapuram
|
