Interplay of Gamak and Meend
Upholding legacy of classical music developed across Bangladesh, Bengal Foundation organised a classical music soiree at Dhanmondi's Bengal Shilpalaya on May 30. The soiree, titled “Barendra Dhrupad Shaili”, featured khayal and dhrupad performances by several teachers and students of the Department of Music of Rajshahi University (RU).
DG, Bengal Foundation Luva Nahid Choudhury delivered the welcome address while Chhayanaut guru Dr. Rezwan Ali Lablu elaborated on classical music at the event.
Moushumi Biswas set off the soiree with a khayal on Raga Madhuvanti. Moushumi's immersion in the vilambit bandish (on vilambit ektaal) “Sham Bhayee Ghanosham Nehi Aaye” of the raga was evocative. The artiste's drut bandish (on teentaal) “Kahey Maan Karo Sakhi Ri Ab”, her bol-baat and drut sargam taan performance were commendable. Tabla artiste Iftekhar Alam Pradhan Dollar performed well, presenting a lahora.
Golden Mondal next performed khayal on Raga Bhinno Saroj. Promising artiste Salok Hossain then performed with surmandal in a romantic Raga Behag. His vilambit bandish “Kawana Dhang Tora” was on vilambit ektaal while his drut bandish “Ab Hoon Lalan Mein Ka” was on teentaal. Salok's ragdari, pukar, bol-baat, and akar taan performance were quite fascinating. Dollar's tabla lahora followed by a nine-guna tehai was well received by the audience.
The highlight of the evening was a jugalbandi dhrupad performance by noted artiste Dr. Asit Roy and his disciple Md. Alamgir Parvez. Both artistes are the teachers of the Department of Music of RU. The artiste duo started off with a dhrupad alap followed by jor and jhala set on Raga Malkauns. Accomplished Pakhawaj artiste Sushen Roy accompanied the artiste duo on choutaal during the dhrupad bandish. Asit Roy and Alamgir Parvez later performed another dhrupad bandish “Shankara Girija Pati” on sultaal. The performance had remarkable features including gamak, meend, ragdari, pukar and outstanding layakari and bol-baat in mandra saptak.
Dr. Asit Roy's equal interplay of melody in three saptak (octaves) together with chhut gamak in mandra saptak evoked the melancholy of Malkauns. The blissful silence in the audience said it all.
The artiste duo later performed a dhrupad alap and dhrupad bandish “Barase Jhuma Jhuma” set on a monsoon raga Mian Ki Malhar.
Rajshahi is one of the prominent cities of the Barendra region of Bangladesh. Eminent kirtania of Dhrupad Shaili Narottam Das Goswami and eminent music guru Sangeetacharya Radhika Mohan Maitra were born in that part of Bengal. Legendary vocal maestros of the sub-continent Ustad Faiyaz Khan, Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan along with Sarodia Ustad Mohammad Amir Khan left their footprints at the Padma and the Mahananda-washed region.
Comments