The Ali Akbar Khan Memorial concert organised jointly by Art & Artists (Durga Jasraj) and Pancham Nishaad (Shashi Vyas) was an outstanding tribute to the maestro. Both, Shashi & Durga have over the years, given to music lovers an intangible treasure trove of magical moments! A mix of the young and the not-so-young musicians gave us an opportunity to musically pay our respects to the departed soul. Thanks Durga! Thanks Shashi!
The morning session commenced with a serene flute recital by Rakesh Chaurasia, the erstwhile nephew of Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia. Rakesh is carrying forward the tradition in right earnest. I had the privilege of accompanying Rakesh on the Tanpura, even as I paid homage to the maestro.
Devaki Pandit performed next and amazed the audience with her mellifluous renditions.
Yogesh Samsi's Tabla solo performance reiterated the fact that he is a gifted artist and a diligent student of late Ustad Allah Rakha Khansaheb.
Shaunak Abhisheki's energetic voice took us back in time and reminded us of his father Pt Jitendra Abhisheki's power packed performances.
Pt Nayan Ghosh is an extremely talented artist who performs with equal ease, both on the Sitar and the Tabla! That morning he gave us an impeccable sitar recital.
Shri Anup Jalota took to the stage next and regaled the audiences with some of his popular bhajans. The audiences sang along, thus creating a harmonious blend.
The morning session concluded with a recital from a magician...Dr. L. Subramaniam! In my opinion, there is seldom born an artiste who with his music not just leaves you moist-eyed but also gives you a glimpse of the divine! The violin in Dr L. Subramaniam's hands creates vibrations of a cosmic nature. The unpretentiousness of his persona coupled with the celestial sounds emanating from his violin, leave me greatly humbled!
With such ethereal music around, I wonder, what else am I seeking? Isn't this 'Nirvana'?
Monday, July 13, 2009
Friday, July 3, 2009
Not just another birthday!
Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia’s birthday on 1 July is a day we look forward to eagerly. For us, it’s a day of celebration....celebrating God’s gift to all of us…celebrating the fact that we live in the same era as him!
On 1 July this year, all of us gathered at the Gurukul and spent a blissful evening together. We had 4 different varieties of cake…yes Rajeev, this one’s for you! ;-) The highlight of the evening though was the aesthetically produced film on Panditji, with relevant clippings of the previous year’s evening. Rajeev, thanks for a replay of memories.
Let me share with you the magical evening we had a year ago, on his 70th birthday.
The students of Vrindaban Gurukul along with his family and his well wishers decided to make it a special day for Panditji. The evening definitely deserved an element of music but the kind that would give a glimpse of a not so known brilliance of Panditji. He’s worked his magic in most songs in films of yesteryears and has associated closely with music directors of then. Besides ofcourse creating the famous duo 'Shiv-Hari with Pt Shiv Kumar Sharma! We chose some of the popular songs and had a team of musicians and singers to perform these songs live. Now to tell his story, who better than himself! To engage him in conversation, we needed someone who understood music; capable of thinking on one’s feet and a popular figure in his own right!
The choice boiled down to one person…Sonu Niigaam, who gracefully accepted our invitation to be the host! And the event was set – “Hari Rang, Hari Sang”
The evening unfolded with a flute recital by the students of Vrindaban Gurukul paying a tribute to their Guru.
Panditji’s biography ‘Woodwinds of Change’ was ready and we were looking for someone befitting to do us the honors of launching the same. We couldn’t look beyond Mr Amitabh Bachchan. Formalities done, we had his consent and both he and Mrs Jayaji kept their date with us at the Nehru Centre, Mumbai. To quote Mr Bachchan, ‘main yeh nahi kahoonga ke yeh mera sobhagya hai; balki, yeh mera kartavya hai!’
Sonuji, Suresh Wadkarji and Devki Pandit too regaled the audiences with one song each….
Panditji’s 70th birthday celebrations have been etched in the memories of those present there, even as we look ahead at making it grander for his 75th!
Amen!
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