Features: Magazine | Literary Review | Life | Metro Plus | Open Page | Education Plus | Book Review | Business | SciTech | Friday Review | Cinema Plus | Young World | Property Plus | Quest | Folio |

Photo: Lingaraj Panda

Getting it rightShampa Choudhury performing at the Sangeetayan.

The event aims at promoting the temple city as a city of culture by providing healthy entertainment and night life to the tourists and connoisseurs.

As part of the series, Sangeetayana featured Kolkata-based Hindustani classical vocalist Shampa Choudhury in a concert held at the Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya indoor auditorium on Sunday. In her early 30s, Shampa is rooted in Bengal’s Bishnupur gharana - her native place Bishnupur being famous for its music tradition and culture - though she is being trained in the Benaras gharana now following her post graduation from the Rabindra Bharati University.

Accompanied by her husband Abhijit Ghosh on tabla and on harmonium by the gifted sarod player Sunando Mukherjee, a disciple of Amjad Ali Khan, young Shampa regaled the audience with her mellifluous voice.

Gifted with an exceptional tonal clarity, the Surmani title winner from Mumbai’s Sur Singar Samsad, she commenced her recital aptly with the evening raga of Yaman. Ae Sakhi, mangal deep jalao - her pleasant alaap in vilamvit set to ek taal was followed by a restrained singing in madhya laya in teen taal. Shampa, the disciple of stalwarts like Sipra Bose and Mohanlal Mishra, was at her best in presenting the taan with effortless ease throughout the evening.

Her next recital - raga Nanda - was the high point of the concert. Here Shampa showed her skill in the drut aspect of her singing prowess while presenting the two bandish. And her concluding number, an impressive thumri in raga Misra Kafi, gently flowed like the Ganges bearing traces of the Benaras gharana.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail