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“Meraki [may-rah-kee], Greek: (v.) to do something with soul, creativity or love; to put something of yourself into your work.”

Like last year, this year's Bengal Classical Music Festival was held at the Army Stadium in Dhaka. This year's four-day event, starting from 6pm and going on till 5 in the morning every day, was just as good as last year's, maybe even better. From the evening of 28th November to the dawn of 2nd December, a large number of today's classical music aficionados sat with shawls and jackets under the starry sky to experience and understand the fundamentals of music. Even after four days, it feels like it all ended too soon.

This festival was the biggest of its kind in the world, even surpassing the legendary Dover Lane Music Conference of Kolkata. Approximately 93,000 people attended the festival this time around. And there seemed to be three generations in the audience: the generation who grew up and grew old listening to classical music; people who were initiated into classical music by their parents, or heard it in old movies when the genre's wide popularity was waning and fell in love with it; and the current generation, the majority of whom don't really know much about classical music. Yet, the last group went to the stadium and heard it all, on all four days. 
Seventeen-year-old Mela said, “Besides your usual thrill-seekers there are also so many people who came to actually enjoy the type of music being played here. It's unbelievable and it feels like home.” 
More than half of the audience comprised of young people, who sat mostly in the gallery with a friend or two, listening to music and contemplating it or contemplating life in general, which could have resulted from the kind of mood the sitar, santoor or sarod created. Sumaiya, 22, said, “This makes me want to take classical music more seriously. I should start practicing singing again as soon as possible.” Shudhha, 15, thought, “This Music Fest is incredibly fun. I want to relive it. The music just blew me away.” And on the topic of the music itself, I'd like to say that it was nothing short of phenomenal. 

From the approximate 50 artistes and maestros who performed, most fulfilled whatever expectations the audience held. Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia was a favourite among the audience. For an hour and a half his flute was the only sound one could hear as dawn sleepily stirred its head. And for those who stayed till five in the morning on the 3rd day, they were rewarded with the graceful music Chaurasia presented. It brought some people to tears. 
The sitar was played perfectly by Ayan Sengupta, Pandit Purbayan Chatterjee and Ustad Rais Khan. And when they played the fast tempos, the mesmerised audience could not look away from the screens or stage. Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma and his son, Rahul Sharma, did justice to the santoor. Among the vocals, still young Vidushi Kaushiki Chakrabarty, the timeless wonder Vidushi Girija Devi, the globally famed Vidushi Bombay Jayashri, the rockstar of classical music Ustad Rashid Khan, Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty, Pandit Ulhas Kashalkar and Begum Parveen Sultana were magnificent. When Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty sang in four different octaves, or when Kaushiki Chakrabarty sang for more than 40 minutes without pause, the listeners could not stop clapping. The three dance performances of Kathak, Bharatnatyam and Manipuri were marvelous, as were the performances with tabla and sarod. And of course the supporting musicians, without whom the performances would not be complete, did a brilliant job too. There were times when the music left you speechless, kept you in a trance, made you hold your breath. It took you to a different world. 

There was a huge food court beside the stage with steaming coffee and tea, parathas and spring rolls, chaaps, biriyani and much more; only to make your visit more convenient. People stayed for hours, socialising, watching and listening. An exhibition highlighting the pioneers of music, art and culture in Bengal was arranged behind the seating area. The dimly-lit atmosphere, though chilly due to the wintry weather, was made warm with vibrant sounds and voices. People, music, food and conversations -- it was really the place to be. For those who missed it, there is always next year.
Bengal Classical Music Festival '13 served as a brilliant display of our cultural backdrop. And it was rather overwhelming to see how many people, who had no prior knowledge of classical music, enthusiastically came together to appreciate it. Here it becomes evident that good music is always loved no matter how detached people may have become from a certain form. The reason these maestros were able to cast this kind of magical spell over the crowd was because of their devotion and love for classical music. That, right there, is “meraki”. This could be the reason why there were only a few performers from Bangladesh, because we are yet to have artists who think of a future with classical music to that extent. But I believe we can get there, with the rejuvenation of classical music, seeping into the lives of the newer generations and changing their mindsets with big festivals like this.
The festival was organised by Bengal Foundation in collaboration with ITC-Sangeet Research Academy of Kolkata to promote, nurture and celebrate the shared legacy of classical music in Bangladesh. The event was presented by Square and supported by BRAC Bank. The Daily Star and Prothom Alo were the strategic partners. Blues Communications managed the event.

PHOTO: RIDWAN ADID RUPON