Chandigarh festival celebrates myriad musical genres

The 51st Bhaskar Rao Nritya and Sangeet Sammelan was a blend of rhythm and melody

Sudipto Mullick

The 51st edition of Pracheen Kala Kendra’s week-long All India Bhaskar Rao Nritya and Sangeet Sammelan was held recently at the Tagore Theatre, Chandigarh. Named after maestro Gayanacharya Bhaskarbua Bhakhle, it featured performances by both young and established artistes. Tabla exponent Suresh Talwalkar and daughter Savani opened the event with their performance. They were accompanied by Nagnath Adgaonkar (vocal), Abhishek Sinkar (harmonium), Ishan Paranjape (cajon and parant), and Rituraj Hinge (calabash).

Eschewing the traditional peshkar, kaida, rela, madhyalaya, gat, tukra, padan, and chakradhar sequence, the senior artiste presented an extended Jhap taal — Peshkar and Punjabi Kaida — and Parasbandi Chautaal. Through a nuanced Chautaal, he exhibited how a taal cycle should be practised. “Two-three-four-one is how one should begin. Follow it sincerely,” he said. This was followed by the bandish, ‘Chalo hato piya’, in raag Sohini, set to Adha Ara Chautaal. It was rendered by Nagnath. Suresh Talwalkar’s vibrant bols seamlessly blended with Nagnath’s voice, with emphasis on lahora and mukhra aspects as notated by his guru. He concluded with a robust Chakradhar.

Day Two featured Prof. Harvinder Singh’s concert. The Chandigarh-based musician, chose raag Bageshree. His employment of Kanada–ang (ga-ma-re-sa) could be brought to scrutiny. His presentation of ‘Sakhi man lage na’, a bandish in Vilambit Ektaal, was marked by clarity, followed by Drut Teentaal, and Tarana. He concluded with a Khambaj thumri. Mithilesh Jha and Rajendra Prasad Banerjee accompanied him on the tabla and harmonium respectively.

Sarodist Pt. Debashish Bhattacharya, of the Senia Shahjahanpur gharana, who performed next, presented the alap and jhor for Jhinjhoti, a melodious raag of Khamaj thaat, in Vilambit teen taal. He continued with raag Kalawati in Madhyalay Ektaal, and stationed with a Mishra Pilu tune. However, an unnecessary over-indulgence with the tanpura, for which he did apologise, marred the mood. Durjay Bhaumik held steady on the tabla.

Tulika Ghosh, daughter of tabla exponent Pt. Nikhil Ghosh, and the great-niece of legendary flautist Pannalal Ghosh, combined the flavours of Atrauli, Gwalior, Sahaswan, Kirana, Patiala, and Benaras gharanas in her singing. Her first offering was raag Shri. After alaap, she presented a bandish in Jhaaptaal. In Maharaja Chakradhar Singh’s Raagmala, ‘Re re bahar aayi re chayanatbar’, the tempo changed while entering ‘Goure kul tilak manohar’, allowing the tabla accompanist, Durjay Bhaumik, to bring to the fore his skills. The Benarasi bhajan, ‘Banvari ki suratiya vistarit nahin’ was her final piece.

Sitarist Partha Bose, disciple of Pt. Manoj Shankar, of the Maihar gharana, chose to render raag Bihag, in three gats – Madhlay in khayal-ang, tantrakari, and löngi in drut, for his evening concert. Partha Bose’s attempt to import Etawah-Imdadkhani ang jor-jhala to embellish his rendition failed due to lack of proper application. He, perhaps, could have stuck to his known turf. He wound up with a pleasant Kafi thumri with Desi Todi inflections.