Classical Fest: Reign of rhythms
The Army Stadium continued to be a hub of people of all ages and classes, connected by their love for the highest form of music and dance, as the Bengal Classical Music Festival entered its fourth night yesterday.
Pandit Yogesh Samsi and Pandit Subhankar Banerjee delivered a riveting tabla jugalbandi, bringing the audience to their feet.
Pandit Samsi, who has performed as an accompanist more than any other artiste, showed his prowess as Pandit Banerjee, a fine tabliya in his own rights, matched him in finesse and clarity at breathtaking speeds.
Eminent Bangladeshi dancer Munmun Ahmed and her students of the Rewaz Performers' School opened the evening's proceedings with a thoroughly enthralling display of Kathak. The group displayed grace and speed as Munmun demonstrated various technicalities of the dance form in an engaging style. The performance included a parmelu or rhythm 'bol' derived from natural sounds, demonstration of pakhawaj bols by dance, producing sounds of a train, various chakras on tehai, a solo piece set to a thumri “Mori Gagariya Kahe Ko Phodi”, a drut-layaparan and a jugalbandi between Munmun and her daughter Aporajita.
Tabla artiste Nilesh Ranadive then performed various peshkar, chakradar and rela. He was followed by a vocal khayal performance by acclaimed singer Jayateerth Mevundi, who sang khayal in Raga Shudh Kalyan and finished on a Bhajan “Baaje Muraliya Baaje”.
Acclaimed sisters Ranjani and Gayatri began a Carnatic vocal jugalbandi performance on Raga Saraswatias as this report was being filed at half past midnight, with sarod by the accomplished Pandit Tejendra Narayan Majumdar and khayal by Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty, regarded as one of the greatest living Hindustani classical vocalists, were still to follow.
The five-day festival, presented by Square and supported by Brac Bank, with event management by Blues Communication, ends tonight.
More coverage of the festival on Arts & Entertainment page (Page 9).
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