Have had the chance to watch Pt. Shivkumar Sharma perform live on several occasions, but was yet to watch Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia. So when I found out that this matchless duo was performing in Mumbai on 5 Nov 2011, I had no intentions of missing it!
The concert was being organized as a fund raiser by the Asian Cancer Foundation (ACF), an organization dedicated to providing aid, financial and otherwise, to people suffering from cancer. What sets them apart from the thousands of others operating in this field is that this probably is the first such organization formed by doctors themselves. ACF also runs a division called C-Kids, which is engaged in helping children afflicted with cancer. Some of these kids were even called on stage to present flowers to the chief guests (the sponsors and one bollywood actress), and on seeing those cute little darlings I was happy that I too was making a small contribution to this cause by having purchased tickets to the concert.
However, the concert started off on an entirely wrong note. In a bid to attract some attention of the press to the noble cause, ACF had invited a well known bollywood actress (whom I shall refrain from naming here) as chief guest. Much to our dismay, the lady arrived more than an hour late, meanwhile holding up the concert! I really fail to understand why the organizers did not start the programme as scheduled, and honor the chief guest as and when she arrived?!?!?!? After all, neither was the lady performing herself, nor was she even required to honor the two maestros. And the audience was there to listen to the maestros, not to see her! Frankly, I found it quite ridiculous and insulting to have two such great personalities, and Padmavibhushans at that, waiting for a bollywood actress to arrive so that they could start their performance! Anyhow, after an hour's delay, the show finally started. Sadly, though, both the maestros had to entirely cut out playing the alap due to paucity of time. Pt. Shivkumar Sharma, while re-tuing his santoor, could not refrain from making a sarcastic comment that both he and his santoor had been ready for the performance since over two and a half hours!
Anyhow, the performance finally began and it wasn't long before the audience was lost in the magical world created by Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia's flute. The maestro chose to play raga Madhuvanti. I knew nothing about the raga or its mood apart from the fact that it was an evening raga. As I shut my eyes to the lilting flute, I could almost visualize lord Krishna engaging in love games with Radha and the Gopis in secluded, fragrant groves! It was only later, when I was looking up raga Madhuvanti on the internet, that I found out that this raga oozes with the sentiment of eternal love and romance! What beautiful rendition by Panditji, and what better instrument to play the raga on than the flute!
Taking the magic further, Pt. Shivkumar Sharma chose to entice the audience with raga Janasammohini, a rare and beautiful evening raga creating an atmosphere of tranquility. True to its name, the raga had the audience spellbound!
With the individual performances over, the maestros then came together for a brief jugalbandi, playing an assortment of ragas. The duo, which has worked together in the past on several highly popular musical and film albums, was totally in sync with each other and enthralled the public with some super melodious, and later some super fast paced musical dueling.
Finally, my wish to see Shiv-Hari perform together had been fulfilled, and I wondered - is it possible for music to get any sweeter...
Was randomly flipping through the Bombay Times when an ad caught my eye - Pt. Birju Maharaj was performing in Mumbai on 26 Aug! In a flash I was onto my lappy picking up the tickets. Mumbai had waited for five long years, and I had waited many more to watch this legend perform live. There was no way I was going to miss this!
R was scheduled to travel on work, but my cousin P decided to join me. Together, we braved an hour and half of nasty traffic snarl-ups before we managed to reach the venue, Nehru Centre, Worli, just in time for the first performance.
Taal India
The first item lined up on the agenda of this two day cultural festival organized by Banyan Tree Events was Taal India. A concept created and directed by Mr. Mahesh Babu, MD of Banyan Tree Events, and led by Anubrata Chatterjee on the Tabla, Taal India is a percussion ensemble of folk and classical drums from across India which features instruments such as the Dholak and Khadtaal from Rajasthan, Dhol from Punjab, Pung from Manipur (also commonly known as the Manipuri Mridanga), Edakka, Chenda and Mizhavu Thayambaka from Kerala, Tabla, etc.
Taal India (photo courtesy www.mumbaimirror.com)
To begin with, each percussionist played a short solo piece, followed by an impromptu jugalbandi which culminates into a unified pulsating crescendo. The audience was not to be left behind even for a moment as they spontaneously clapped to the beats.
Here is a video clip from a past performance by Taal India (courtesy YouTube):
Even though this video is thoroughly enjoyable, it does not convey the electrifying atmosphere created by the artists as they performed live for an hour! Taal India is a MUST WATCH if you ever get the chance. I would love to watch them again!
Odissi
If Taal India was electrifying and pulsating, the second item on the agenda transported the audiences into a totally different world of tranquil grace - an Odissi performance by Madhavi Mudgal and her group.
Madhvi Mudgal and her Group
(photo courtesy www.mumbaivibes.com)
An internationally acclaimed Odissi danseuse, Madhavi Mudgal learnt Odissi under the tutelage of the renowned guru Padmavibhushan Late Shri Kelucharan Mahapatra and has been the recipient of several awards and honors including the prestigious Padmashree (1990) and Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2000).
The first composition presented by the troupe was Gangastavan, an invocation depicting the river Ganga's descent from Lord Shiva's tresses. The superb choreography (by Madhavi Mudgal) evoked images of the majestic river cascading down the mountains, purifying everything it touched.
The second composition, Vistaar, an exploration of Odissi in its pure classical form, was a visual treat with Madhaviji and her troupe maintaining perfect balance and grace as they executed sensuous movements and struck sculpturesque poses!
The third, and sadly final (I could have watched them all night!), composition presented by the troupe was an excerpt from the great Sanskrit poet Kalidasa's Kumara Sambhavam.
Madhavi Mudgal (left) and Arushi Mudgal (right)
(photo curtesy www.google.com)
Oppressed by the demon Tarakasura, the Devas realize that Kartikeya, the son born of Shiva and Parvati, would be their protector and savior. Kamadeva, the god of love, is commissioned to bestir Shiva out of his deep meditation, but fails. The story opens with Kamadeva being burned to ashes by Shiva's third eye. On witnessing Kamadeva's destruction, Parvati realizes that beauty and lust will not stir the great ascetic Shiva. Hence, discarding all comforts and luxuries, Parvati engages in the severest of austerities. The enchanting woods, the scorching summer, the terrifying thunder nor the freezing winter deter her from her rigorous penance. Overwhelmed by her devotion, Shiva playfully decides to engage with her. Disguised as an ascetic and feigning ignorance, he inquires from her the reason for such harsh penance. Parvati, through a friend, coyly indicates that she seeks Shiva as a groom. Horrified, the ascetic describes the repulsive appearance of Shiva and belittles him. Outraged, Parvati retorts that the ascetic obviously knows nothing of the real Shiva, the Lord of the Three Worlds, reciting whose name alone is enough to bestow salvation. She bids the ascetic to depart, only to find revealed in him her heart's desire - Shiva! Dumbstruck, her senses reel, and she becomes like the flowing river obstructed by an immovable mountain - neither able to halt nor move away.
Madhavi Mudgal plays the ascetic, while her niece Arushi Mudgal plays Parvati. Wonderful choreography (by Madhavi Mudgal), beautiful lighting and soulful background score (by Madhup Mudgal) transport you into a surreal world. But what really takes your breath away are the delicate expressions and striking poses struck by the dancers, especially Arushi Mudgal.
Needless to say, the audience bestowed the troupe with thundering applause and a standing ovation! After having watched them for an hour, I was still greedy for more! My cousin P, who has learnt Bharatanatyam, thoroughly enjoyed the performances.
Kathak
The clock struck 9 pm and it was finally time for what most people had come there for - to watch Pt. Birju Maharaj live!
Pt. Birju Maharaj
(photo courtesy www.google.com)
Born on 4 February 1938, Pandit Brijmohan Nath Mishra, popularly known as Birju Maharaj, is undoubtedly India's foremost Kathak exponent. Belonging to the Lucknow Gharana of Kathak dance, Birju Maharaj has learnt kathak from his father Late Shri Jagannath Maharaj (popularly known as Acchan Maharaj) and his uncles Late Shri Lachhu Maharaj and Late Shri Shambhu Maharaj, all of whom were renowned kathak dancers. Apart from being a Kathak expert, Pandjitji is also an accomplished Hindustani Classical vocalist and a poet. Birju Maharaj has won several accolades including the Padmavibhushan (1986) and Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1964).
Instead of letting it remain the privilege of an elite few, Birju Maharaj has taken Kathak to the masses, establishing a deep connection with his audiences where ever he has performed. Today's performance was no different. Dance is no rocket science, it is just a simple expression of what we feel, what we observe, Panditji explained. The dancer's ghungroo (anklets) are like the heroine of a story and the tabla is the hero. Sometimes the heroine teases the hero, at other times the hero flirts with her. But in the end, they always meet. Other accompanying musicians are like the runway at an airport, Birju Maharaj quipped. After all their flights of fancies, the dancer and the percussionist have to ultimately land on the runway - the tune being played by the accompanying musicians. Mudras, movements of hands and facial expressions, are nothing but brush strokes of a painter through which he brings alive his painting. There is music in everything, there is rhythm in everything - he explained as he demonstrated this through his dance depicting the flight of birds, the dance of a peacock, the waddling of a duck, a bird feeding its young ones...Kathak, or any dance for that matter, is just a way of expressing this rhythm, this music!
It was simply awesome to watch Birju Maharaj in such extempore mode. After an hour of dancing, Birju Maharaj was just warming up and had barely progressed to depicting larger creatures. His energy and his passion for dance is amazing! But, sadly, it was close to 10:30 pm and I had a long drive back home. So P and I, very unhappily, decided to leave the concert midway. Wonder how long Panditji carried on! The kind of mood he was in, I am sure he could have danced through the night. I would have really loved to see the entire performance, but hey, no regrets. The entire evening had turned out to be a fabulous treat, something that I will relish for a long time to come!
Here is a video of Pt. Birju Maharaj giving one such performance (courtesy YouTube):
As my taxi crawled through bumper to bumper traffic (Yes! At 11:00 pm!) and jolted violently over potholed roads, I recalled Birju Maharaj's words - there is music in everything, there is rhythm in everything...Would I be able to find rhythm and music in Mumbai's potholed roads? I wonder....
(Photo courtesy www.google.com)
P.S - The second day of the two day festival featured performances by the young Santoor maestro Rahul Sharma, accompanied by Oud maestro Mohammed Farghaly from Egypt and renowned harpist Gwyneth Wentink from Netherlands, followed by Sufi Qawwali by the famous Sabri Brothers of Jaipur. Unfortunately was not able to attend the second day of this festival.
Decided to attend a concert on 24 Aug at NCPA, Mumbai. Was supposed to be accompanied by R and two other people, but they all ditched last minute, so headed off alone. (There was no way I was going to miss a concert by Pt. Shivkumar Sharma! Even if it meant I had to go all alone!). Thanks to R, who always takes the bleakest view of the traffic situation in Mumbai, I ended up reaching Churchgate more than an hour earlier than required! With nothing better to do, I decided to check out the tiny Sarvodaya Book Stall inside the Churchgate Station. Sarvodaya is known for its collection of odd reads, but what I was looking for turned out to be not just odd, but also out of print! Did manage to find a few other good books though.
Couldn't spend much time at the book stall. It's really difficult, when you have huge crowds milling about you! So finally took a shared cab and reached NCPA, with still a lot of time to spare. Chose to settle down at a nice spot on Marine Drive and was treated to a rather amusing lover's tiff (quite a common sight around here)! Now, I am totally against eavesdropping, but can you be blamed of eavesdropping when someone is screaming at the top of their voice and creating a public spectacle? Anyway, the antics of the couple kept me entertained for a while and I killed the remaining time enjoying a lovely cup of coffee. And then, at last, headed for the concert.
The concert was organized in the memory of Mrs. Kiran and Mr. Jagdish Khanna by their family members (no, they are no Page 3 celebs or something like that. Just some nice individuals who loved music and who have loving family members surviving them) with a desire and hope to see peace and tranquility prevail over this world. And who better than Pt. Shivkumar Sharma to transport you into such a peaceful and tranquil world!
Born on Jan 13, 1938 in Jammu, Shivji not only rediscovered the Santoor, a little known, obscure folk instrument of the mountains, but also in a way reinvented it, by making numerous changes to the traditional instrument thus rendering it suitable for playing classical ragas. He has indeed, single-handedly, put the Santoor on the global stage. Panditji's relentless pursuit of excellence has earned him several national and international awards and honors, including both the Padmashree (1991) and the Padmavibhushan (2001). For all the recognition and success, Shivji remains a tremendously humble and jovial man. 'Research has proved that excessive exposure to cell phones causes brain damage. But exposure to music causes no damage! So why dont you put away your mobiles and enjoy the music instead?' he quipped, as someone's cell phone rang out aloud.
Just as I was getting ready to enjoy the upcoming treat of scintillating music, my nostrils were assaulted by a hideous stench! Giving away my extra passes turned out to be both good and bad. Good cause the passes ended up going to people who were obvious music lovers. Bad because the seat next to me ended up being occupied by someone who stank like he had just waded through all the gutters of Mumbai! All my life I have ridiculed women who roam around bathed in perfume that one can smell a mile away. And here I was now, desperately praying for precisely such a woman to walk in and save me! Sadly, no such thing happened. But thanks be to God who gave me the forethought of carrying a stole. After securely covering my nose with two rounds of cloth (which still did not manage to keep out the odor entirely), I let the music of Shivji take over my senses.
In keeping with the theme of the concert, Shivji chose to start the evening with Raga Bhoopali (or Bhupali), also known as Raga Bhoop, a beautiful evening raga evoking a devotional mood. The same raga in Carnatic music is known as Mohanam. Starting with an alap, jor and jhala, Shivji followed it up with a second composition in Raga Bhoopali, gat in Roopak Taal. After a brief break during which Shivji retuned the Santoor (and the audience relieved their bladders), he chose to play three compositions in Raga Mishra Shivranjani, a light classical raga. Interestingly, this raga can convey different moods depending on the tempo in which it is played, Panditji informed us. When played in a slow tempo, this raga conveys melancholy; in a medium tempo it evokes feelings of love and romance; whilst in a faster tempo the raga infuses the listeners with joy. Naturally, the maestro chose to play this raga in a faster tempo. And my joy was undoubtedly doubled considering that the stink-man next to me had disappeared during the break and had not returned!
Panditji enthralled the audiences, as ever, and at the end of three hours, we were left wanting to hear more of this incomparable genius. It just struck me that even to give a three hour long performance at the age of 73 is a commendable feat in itself! It is surely the eternal nature of music that keeps Shivji young even at this age!
God bless Shivji and the Khanna family, because of whom I could enjoy this wonderful treat!
