Launched in 1947, the Shankarlal Music Festival finds its formula for continuity

Enjoying euphony is simply a subjective experience, shaped by galore factors — familiarity with the artiste’s work, cognition of the genre, one’s receptivity astatine the moment, and adjacent the prime of the dependable system. At a ample euphony festival, the added constituent of being exposed to truthful overmuch euphony successful a abbreviated span of clip further alters one’s perspective. The existent inclination successful North India of scheduling concerts for lone an hr oregon an hr and a half, followed instantly by different and past a third, is not the astir conducive mode to acquisition music. Absorbing what 1 has heard is an indispensable portion of savouring it. As such, immoderate enactment of performances is needfully unfastened to debate.

Pt. Madhup Mudgal created a serene ambience astatine his greeting concert. There was nary hurry, nary gimmicks — conscionable axenic music. He began with raga Ahir Bhairav, a highly lyrical mentation of the greeting raag Bhairav, enriched by elements of khamach that heightened its melodious quality. The fashionable vilambit bandish ‘Rasiya Mharo’ was explored with gentleness.

Madhup ji’s daughter, Sawani, accompanied him successful the little register, complementing the quality successful their vocal pitches, portion his long-time disciple, Khushal Sharma, lent his dependable successful the higher notes. This opposition was peculiarly pleasing. One admired however the maestro resisted the existent inclination of prolonging the exposition to 45 minutes, arsenic is communal nowadays. Instead, helium sang conscionable capable to afloat research each nuance without unnecessary lingering.

Such restraint is becoming uncommon among the younger procreation of vocalists, galore of whom consciousness compelled to widen the archetypal portion successful bid to found their philharmonic credentials.

Next, helium sang raga Kukubh Bilawal, a rarity connected today’s performance stage. The vilambit creation was 1 composed by his guru, Pt. Kumar Gandharva. This was followed by an antithetic self‑composed tarana, rendered successful treble velocity and marked by deliberate pauses betwixt notes. Dramatic successful effect and caller successful gait, the portion commanded attention.

Continuing on the clip standard of ragas, Madhup ji past presented raga Madhmad Sarang. His tarana, acceptable successful Ek taal and again self‑composed, was appealing and served arsenic a fitting decision to the concert. He was accompanied by Shambhunath Bhattacharya connected the tabla and Chinmay Kolatkar connected the harmonium.

The 2nd performance that captivated the assemblage was by Shashwati Mandal. Incidentally, she is presently grooming nether Pt. Madhup Mudgal, contempt already having a distinguished lineage of gurus. Beginning with raga Malgunji, Shashwati gradually built a heavy transportation with her listeners. The taans had assortment and executed with singular enactment control, including a caller closed‑mouth taan.

Like her guru, Shashwati besides demonstrated her spot arsenic an inspiring teacher — some her disciples who accompanied her, Swati Tiwari and Chinmayee Athale Oak, were awesome successful their ain right.

The festival opened with a show by Ramana Balachandhran, accompanied by Patri Satish Kumar connected the mridangam. Though galore successful the assemblage were unfamiliar with Carnatic euphony oregon the Saraswati veena, arsenic soon arsenic Ramana plucked the archetypal notes connected the profoundly resonant strings of his instrument, a perceptible consciousness of awakened involvement dispersed done the hall. He began with a brisk yet little creation of Tyagaraja ‘Ramabhakti Samrajyamu’ in raga Shuddha Bangala, dedicated to Lord Ram, which helium besides sang, arsenic is his practice. This was followed by a ragam-tanam-pallavi successful raga Sarasangi — a raga intimately related to Hindustani’s Nat Bhairav, and frankincense was instantly recognisable to galore listeners. The lively sawaal–jawaab with Patri Satish Kumar was peculiarly entertaining. Ramana past wove successful snatches of ragas Saraswati, Saramati and Maru Bihag. In the North Indian tradition, presenting a ragamalika wrong the main portion is unusual, which made this infinitesimal each the much striking.

Ramana concluded with Sindhu Bhairavi and the prayerful chant that has go his signature closing. Patri Satish Kumar, arsenic always, was an adjacent spouse successful the awesome presentation, his little solo interlude drew immense appreciation. The inclusion of Carnatic musicians successful specified accepted festivals is simply a invited determination —this year, flautist Shashank Subramaniam besides offered his first-ever solo recital here, which was highly enjoyable.

Siddharth Belamannu not lone possesses a luminous dependable but has established himself arsenic a vocalist to ticker retired for with his dexterity. Beyond technique, it is his wide articulation of the lyrics that lends an borderline to his singing. His rendition of raag Hameer was peculiarly engaging.

Other highlights of the festival: Pt. Tejendra Narayan’s alap successful raga Kafi Kanhra — incidentally, Kafi is mostly perceived arsenic a raga of outpouring — was sublime. Sawani Shende’s relaxed enactment with her harmonium accompanist, Rahul Gole, was admirable; excessively often, artistes stay absorbed successful their ain philharmonic imaginativeness and neglect to person a co‑artiste’s input. Lokesh Anand, 1 of the finest shehnai players today, concluded with a lilting Banarasi dhun. Pt. Sajan Mishra and his lad Swaraansh offered a uncommon Hori successful raga Sindhura Kafi, known for its leisurely gait and reminiscent of an epoch gone by. Pt. Biswajit Roy Chaudhury’s uncommon Hindol Bahar, a blend of 2 outpouring ragas, was interesting.

The beingness of an enthusiastic young assemblage astatine the festival augurs good for its continuity. One effectual mode of ensuring their information is by coming with an antithetic and divers line-up of musician. The organisers merit commendation for their thoughtful artiste selection, which broadens the festival’s scope.