A Musical High
Chhayanaut's two daylong (December 18-19) Classical Music Festival 2014 wrapped up on a high note. The nightlong concluding session of the festival featured many evocative moments. Bishwajit Roy Chowdhury on sarod enthralled the packed audience with a grave pathos-arousing Raga Darbari Kanada at the session. Chowdhury, (from Delhi, India), together with Biplab Bhattacharya (of Kolkata, India) on tabla styled a musical high that earned them rounds of applause every now and then. The artiste duo was immensely balanced on their respective instruments, generating a musical force-field in the auditorium. They played with notes, laya and rhythms, produced fabulous murki, exquisite ragdari, gat and compositions. Their jugalbandi and solo pieces marveled all. The beauty of Darbari Kanada seemed to blossom at midnight with the symphony of their recital. Bishwajit's recital of the raga displayed the ecstatic ups and down of melody.
Chhayanaut Guru Rezwan Ali Lablu performed raga Ahir Bhairav, a morning raga, at the festival. Iftekhar Alam Pradhan on tabla and Sanjiban Sanyal on harmonium accompanied the artiste. Later, the vocalist rendered a chhoto kheyal set on raga Bhupal Todi.
Dr. Sudhir Haribhau Pote (of Mumbai, India) impressed the audience performing a lesser-known, yet very sweet Raga Swanandi at the festival. The vocalist first presented a vilambit bandish “Jiyara Manat Nahi” and later, performed another lesser-known raga and ended up with rendering raga Jhinjhoti.
Classical vocalist Dr. Jagadananda Roy performed a meditative kheyal set on Raga Malkauns. Roy immersed in the desired mood of the raga as he performed, and confidently presented some rare musical phraseology of Malkauns, especially in mandra and madhya saptak. His vilambit bandish “E Murli Dhar Shyam” and drut bandish “Japa Tapa Kara Tuhi Jogiwala” echoed the devotion towards the ultimate. The artiste rendered devotional pukar in his bandish performance, while the sargam balance in vistar ang of Malkauns was systematic and polished.
The third session set off with a choral performance set on Raga Yaman Kalyan by the artistes of Chhayanaut. Asit Dey directed the piece. Sanjiban Sanyal presented an evening prayer Raga Yaman at the festival. Mahmudul Hasan beautifully rendered an evening raga Shudh Kalyan while Ardhenduprasad Bandyopadhyay (from Jessore) rendered a melancholic Raga Jaijavanti. Swapan Ghosh on tabla accompanied the singer. Promising artiste Nishit Dey recited Raga Jogkauns on his sitar. Talented vocalist Susmita Debnath Shuchi performed a romantic Raga Behag. Enamul Haque Omar, Goutam Sarkar, Bishwajit Natta and Zakir Hosen presented a brindo taalbadyo (group percussion recital) that seemingly earned accolades.
Eminent Chhayanaut guru Asit Dey wrapped up the eighth festival with performing a kheyal based on Raga Bilashkhani Todi. The performer was on melody throughout his presentation. The chalan of the raga depicts the essence of pathos. He ended up the festival performing a sweet morning Raga Bhairvi on teentaal.
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