Natya Tarangini Performing Arts Centre of Raja-Radha and Kaushalya Reddy presented a judicious blend of vocal and instrumental music during their 21st series of Parampara–National Festival of Music & Dance at the Kamani auditorium this past weekend. The prestigious festival adhered to the singularly Indian concept of transmission through guru-shishya parampara. The concept came alive, when Guru Raja-Radha Reddy performed together with their daughters and disciples or when the veteran violinist Dr. N. Rajam performed along with her disciple and daughter Dr. Sangeeta Shankar and grand daughters Ragini and Nandini Shankar, extending the parampara (tradition) to the generation next.
The inaugural day offered a jugalbandi or duet between Rakesh Chaurasia on flute and Purbayan Chatterjee on sitar; after the grandeur of Shiva leela presented by the world renowned Kuchipudi duo Guru Raja-Radha Reddy and their disciples, daughters Yamini and Bhavna Reddy, who danced with élan and alacrity.
Purbayan, an accomplished sitar player of the present generation of Maihar gharana, and Rakesh, trained under the legendary flute player Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia, opened their duet with alap-jod jhala and a composition in raga Bihag set to Matta taal of nine beats cycle; accompanied on tabla by Shubh Maharaj, the grandson and disciple of Pandit Kishan Maharaj. Bihag was the perfect choice for the gifted musicians of their calibre, provided both of them shared the same wavelength. Alas it was not so. Whenever Rakesh tried to meditate on a single sur, Purbayan would disturb, with his show off tit-bits; until he got the affirmation of the ignorant claps. Duets in Hindustani music are gimmicks in most cases. The essence of a successful duet is a high level of individual musicianship and the personal chemistry between the two artistes.
Dr. N. Rajam with Sangeeta, Ragini and Nandini
Dr. N. Rajam with Sangeeta, Ragini and Nandini mesmerised the audience with their melodious rendition of the monsoon raga Miyan Malhar. Their perception of this profound variety of Malhar and the mutual understanding between the foursome was so perfect that it was difficult to imagine and accept that there were four of them etching the melodic persona of the raga taking turns and not just one violinist creating the composite picture.
Slow composition
Opening with a brief alap, they dealt with the raga in the Gayaki ang playing together the slow composition set to vilambit Ek taal, then took turns for the progressive badhat and vistar, elaboration of the raga underlining its salient features, taking care of the andolan on Komal Gandhar, the rishabh pancham sangati and the beautiful juxtaposition of the two Nishads. The clarity of the varied taans especially the Gamak taans depicted the thundering clouds and the pleasing showers of rain. The Drut Gat set to Teen taal led them to the concluding Jhala in Tantra kari ang. They concluded their riveting recital with a kajari redolent with the fragrance of the Benarasi andaz.
Ustad Rashid Khan opted Megh-Malhar for his main raga and gave it the authoritative treatment of the Rampur Sahaswan gharana, in his vilambit and drut khayals adorned with impressive aakar taans spanning three octaves. Then came the thumri Pahadi “Bedardi Tune Dard Na Jaana...”, before he concluded with the Bharavi “Aaye na Baalam...” immortalised by Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. He had the best of accompaniment in Murad Ali on sarangi, Vinay Mishra on harmonium and Akram Khan on tabla but as they say, “raga, rasoi, pagari, kabhi kabhi bandh jaye”, it was perhaps not the day for him.
The three-day festival concluded with a captivating Kathak presentation by Guru Rajshree Shirke and her disciples followed by a Dhrupad recital by Gundecha Bandhu, Umakant and Ramakant Gundecha accompanied on pakhawaj by Akhilesh Gundecha.
