Stretch of imagination

Jalsaghar and the Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture’s musical event saw Kabir Suman’s noteworthy experiment with Bangla khayal and a sitar-duet by Pandit Harashankar Bhattacharya and Deepshankar Bhattacharya

ENCHANTING DUET Pandit Harashankar Bhattacharya and Deepshankar Bhattacharya

A versatile personality, Kabir Suman (earlier Suman Chattopadhyay) has handled several roles with distinction. Apart from being an MP, he had shot to fame for his “Jeebon-mukhi Gaan” or modern life’s reality based songs inspired by the socio-political scene of Bengal essentially during the Naxalbari movements. His music draws from a very long and deep tradition of Bengali music, absorbing multiple genres including pop, light classical, film music and folk. Inspired by his compassion for the common man and brilliant music, many followed his footprints and he is known as a trendsetter.

Suman, now strives to make a mark as an exponent of Bangla khayal with bandishes of his own. Several eminent Bengali khayal exponents like Girija Shankar Chakraborty, Gyanendra Prasad Goswami, Bhishmadev Chattopadhyay, Satyakinkar Bandopadhyay, Tarapada Chakraborty, Jnan Prakash Ghosh, Chinmay Lahiri and others had experimented with this idea but somehow it could not establish its grounds; so much so that according to the joint-organisers Jalsaghar and the Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, they could not trace a worthy torch bearer of Bangla khayal.

Kabir Suman performing at the event

Suman, therefore, was the only choice. His recital, almost guided by seasoned classical musicians Hiranmay Mitra (harmonium), Debashish Haldar (esraj) and Indrajit Pradhan (tabla), included monsoon ragas Sur Malhar (self-composed bandishes set to Jhap taal, Teen taal and Rupak) and Megh (based on the tune of the famous tarana sung by Ustad Amir Khan), turned out to be quite entertaining for his fans who turned up in great numbers. Blessed with a rich and melodious voice, he does have the potential to follow his mentor Ustad Amir Khan. He can do better with well-defined introduction of the raga, faithful adherence to raagdari even if sans the show of taankari which (he said) is not suitable to his temperament.

True, in the process of creating secular music most khayal bandishes lost their literary beauty; but this is also a fact that a bandish is not a piece of literature set to music, a la geet or ghazal. A bandish must have a syntax that allows the raga enough space to spread its wings. It must be made loose but clear in its form by leaving empty spaces for elaboration in between two syllables or two beats of the taal. It must highlight the gait of the raga and taal both. If there are too many words in a bandish (like Suman’s ‘khayals’) and if its meaning is literally and totally expressed in its lyrics, it ceases to be a khayal or imagination.

Sitar duet

The evening began on the welcome note of dogged devotion with a uniquely planned, scintillating sitar-duet by Pandit Harashankar Bhattacharya and Deepshankar Bhattacharya. The father-guru and son-disciple duo are dedicated followers of Ustad Abdul Haleem Jaffer Khan and their style of playing alap stands out with all the salient features of their mentor. They chose beautiful evening melodies of Kafi Thhaat. Beginning with the sharp features of raga Patadeep, the alap and jod segments tuned to the sweetness of Pilu and then the romantic mood of Zilla Kafi. The gatkari too followed this route with sthaayi, mnjha and antara in different ragas while showcasing the baaj’s unique patterns of taans and tihais. The jhala, when incorporated the strains of Miyan Malhar, its overpowering presence led their music towards the climax.