The 12th Dhwani – BKF Pt. Mallikarjun Mansur Music Festival has become a landmark event amongst the music concerts held in Bangalore annually. The two-day event has year on year brought some leading musicians of Hindustani Music from various gharanas. Vocalists and instrumentalists have found a platform to regale the audience of Bangalore with their performances and leave memorable imprints.
This year too, the Dhwani team brought forth a conglomeration of leading and upcoming artists who created a musical aura that draped the JSS auditorium with the gentle shimmer of music that was meditative and divine. The musical treat began on Saturday evening with the flute recital by Pt. Sameer Rao. The first rendition was in Raga Bhimpalasi. Known for its serenity, the raag commands excellent control while meandering through its komal Nishaadh, something that was achieved effortlessly by Sameer. The layers of Bhimpalas are evocative of one’s inner self and offer themselves to the interpretation of the musician. Sameer’s rendition was a revelation. The alap-jod-jhala compositions were relaxed and contemplative set to matta taal of nine beats. This was followed by Raag Bhoopali in Madhyalay and Drut and finally the Drut gat in Raag Mishra Khamaj. Accompaniment by Gurucharan Garud on the tabla was wholesome. The flute recital was followed by a vocal concert by this year’s recipient of the prestigious Mallikarjun Mansur award Vidushi Jayashri Patnekar. It can be said that the more one seeps their soul in the swaras, the inherent divinity within the notes manifests itself through the personality. We have seen these transformations in MSS, Gangubai, and Mallikarjun Mansur. To see Jayashri Patnekar on stage was to view scholarly humility transformed into the figure of the petite and simple artiste. Nevertheless her homely figure couldn’t betray the towering grandeur of her renditions which held the audience in spellbound rapture. Beginning her concert with Raag Lalita Gauri, “Pritam Saiyyan Daras Dikhaja” with intricate alaps and bol-alaps, followed by “mat chalat chedat” in teen taal, Patnekar, regaled the audience with melodic aplomb. Meandering on, looking out for the dear one, the bol-alaps for ‘Saiyyan…Daras Dikhaja..” painted a visual imagery of lovelorn longing for the beloved - an emotion that instantly transformed to the playful banter with Lord Krishna in ‘Mat Chalat Chedat’. The madhyalay composition “Payal Baje” and the dhrut bandish “Natavar ban ban” in Raag Jaijaiwanti were followed by a tarana. Compositions in Raag Sampoorna Malkauns and Gauri were awe-inspiring. In remembrance of her teacher Pt. Gajanan Bua, Vid. Patnekar also sang two of his compositions in Raags Gaud Malhar and Bhairavi. The composition “Sajan mori laagi” in Raag Bhairavi drew the evening to a close. If the artist herself was a force to reckon with, Pt. Ravindra Yavagal on tabla and Pt. Ravindra Katoti on the harmonium were equally matched – completely in synchronisation in rhythm and mastery. Pt. Katoti’s dexterity on the instrument was a delight for the performer as well as the audience.
The confluence of stalwarts continued on Sunday morning with Pandita Malini Rajurkar’s concert. Starting off with Raag Basant Mukhari, a combination of Raags Bhairav and Bhairavi, Malini Tai’s rendition was soothing and transcendental. The relaxed vilambit alaps brought out the beauty of the Raag in its full glory. Following it up with Raag Yaman, the final rendition was an uplifting bhajan in Raag Bhairavi, “Maa Bhairavi Bhavatarini”. I believe that the manodharma of the singer carries the load of the rendition. This manodharma is one that evolves through intense introspection and meditation with the notes – a Sadhana that unites the singer with the true experience of music. This year, the great vocalists brought forth by Dhwani, were without doubt members of the pantheon of accomplished artists, who through their music took the audience, even if momentarily, into the musical sphere of divinity.
