A Musical High
Bengal Classical Music Fest in all its colours
The penultimate night's melodic proceedings of the fifth Bengal Classical Music Festival 2016 was evocative of many fascinating performances of vocals, instrumental recitals and dance.
Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty made music lovers delve deep into the heart of soothing melodies. The Pandit started off with a poetic vilambit ektaal bandish “Niki Bani Banha”, based on Raga Bilashkhani Todi. The performance was characteristic of Pandit Chakraborty's exquisite pukar with a long meend, unparallel gamaki alap in mandra saptak, dramatic presentation of sargam, aakar, bokro, jamjama, sapat and bol taan, effortless swar vistar in three octaves, murki and sargam taan tehai. Through his soulful rendition of drut teentaal bandish “Bansiya Bajee Mohan Shyam Ki”, the maestro created a mellifluous aura, aiming to connect the enamoured earthly soul with the eternal. The maestro paid his homage to legendary guru and recently-deceased Carnatic vocalist Dr. M Balamuralikrishna, performing a riveting Tillana based on Raga Kuntal Baradi. The artiste wrapped up nightlong soiree with a Bhairavi Bhajan “Bhaj Rey Guru Rey” on kaharba.
Pt. Tejendra Narayan Majumdar, an eminent sarod maestro of Maihar Gharana, diffused the serenity of peaceful melodies performing Raga Gunji Kanada on the late-autumnal night. Pt. Majumdar's aesthetic elaboration of melody in alap, jod and jhala part together with Pt. Yogesh Samsi's heart-rending tabla rhythms in the gaut, jhala and tehai part captivated the crowd. The recital contained long passionate meend, gamak, murki and short tehai. Tejendra Majumdar later played Raga Jogiya Kalindi on teentaal to hail a new dawn.
Carnatic vocalist duo Ranjani and Gayatri, along with violinist Charumathi Raghuraman and the mridandam and the ghatam artistes set off a musical flight that was like the sparks of the spontaneous melodic rhythms set on a dynamic balance. Gripping the apt mood and melody of several Carnatic Ragams -- Bibhash, Khamas, Abhogi, Kedar, Bhairavi, Saraswati and Kalavati -- they poured melodic rains on the Army Stadium. The Dhaka music lovers tasted the performance of a full-fledged Ragam, Tanam and Pallavi set on Raga Khamas. They closed with a Marathi abhang set on Maru Bihag.
It was rhythmic torrents of beats coupled with sweet melodies of a jugalbandi tabla recital by Pt. Yogesh Samsi and Pt. Subhankar Banerjee. The duo presented several kayda, tukra, rela and chakradar of some famous gharana like Farrukkhabad, Banaras and Ajrara. Both of them played Ustad Amir Hussain Khan's compositions with finesse. Yogesh Samsi's recital of farmayeshi chakradar and Subhankar Banerjee's tisra jati short composition were beautiful. Their jugalbandi performance with a nine-guna tehai was followed by a performance rela, composed by Ustad Keramatullah Khan.
Earlier in the evening, renowned Bangladeshi dance diva Munmun Ahmed set off the performance for the night with a graceful and riveting Kathak recital with her group. It was followed by solo tabla recital by talented artiste Nilesh Ranadive, who performed peshkar, chakradar and kayda on teentaal. Vocalist Jayateerth Mevundi, the third festival debutant of the night on a row, performed khyal on Raga Shudh Kalyan and a bhajan, “Baaje Muraliya Baaje”.