The Bani Festival paid rich tributes to Mukthamma, great master, and the Veena Dhanammal bani, a hoary tradition handed down to us to ensure it remains a living, pulsing path towards artistic enlightenment.
Combinations and permutations of artists are part of collaborative works – sometimes they work and sometimes it seems fine even without it. In this case, the attempt was to bring to the platform different elements that comprise a holistic experience. And so, the Bani Festival sought to bring the best together.
The three-day festival, curated by Bharatanatyam dancer Alarmel Valli with support from Aalap, marked the centenary year of Valli’s music guru, T. Muktha. The festival included a performance by Valli with vocals by Bombay Jayashri Ramnath titled ‘See the Music, Hear the Dance,’ comprising a compilation of padams and javalis. Then there was ‘Seeking The Beloved’, a Kathak presentation by Aditi Mangaldas. The other events included a discussion by Alarmel Valli, Jayashri and Arundathi Subramaniam, a talk on Mukthama and a concert featuring Mukhtama’s music by Nirmala Sunderrajan and Subhashini Parthasarathy.
Thanjavur Muktha was one of the foremost representatives of the Veena Dhanammal bani. She and her elder sister T. Brinda were one of the first duo vocalists. The legendary Veena Dhanammal, Muktha's grandmother, taught Muktha some rare compositions and it is to this tradition that a tribute was being paid.
The musical part began with Jayashri’s invocation of ‘Subramanya Bhujangam.’ The repertoire spanned a range of compositions, composers and ragas – ‘Neematalemayanura’, a javali in Purvikalyani, Adi, by Pattabhiramayya, ‘Yarukkagilum Bhayama,’ the beautiful padam in Begada, Misra Chapu, by Madura Kavi, ‘Payyada,’ in Nadanamakriya, tisra triputa by Kshetrayya and ‘Chaanaro’ in Khamas, rupakam, by the Tanjore Quartet or Poochi Srinivasa Iyengar, ‘Varadirundhal,’ a verse from ‘Kantimadi Amman Pillai Tamizh,’ a ragamalika.
While the pieces speak of the nayika in different moods, it was in the last two that the divine spark encapsulated the entire presentation. It was also in those last two pieces that the soothing notes of the vocalist’s aesthetics brought to the fore the capacity of an artist like Valli to delve into the myriad emotions of a devotee and a mother. The bhakti that comes from vatsalya is unparalleled -- and those were the defining moments of the artistry of Valli and Jayashri.
C.K. Vasudevan on the nattuvangam, Ranjani Ramakrishnan on the violin (who played beautifully) and Manoj Siva on the mridangam provided orchestral support. Venkatesh (lights) and T. Selvakumar, who clicked the photographs, added their own dimensions to the production.
The next day featured the incredibly versatile and technically brilliant
Aditi Mangaldas in an esoteric experience. In her own words, “Seeking The Beloved is about our constant search through life. A search for what lies beyond the realms of the known; what lies beyond what our mind can perceive; and what lies hidden in the deep recesses of our heart.”
And how did she achieve that in just one evening? Through the compositions of poets such as Meera (quintessential), Amir Khusrau (the magnificence of questioning and Divine Love) and Kabir (the saint who spoke plaintively of the essential facts of life).
Each piece had some stunning footwork that Aditi is known for - tatkars, rhythmic nritta, et al. But there was also her abhinaya that was more notable for its stillness and tranquillity. Those moments in meditation when there is nothing. And in that nothing, there is realisation of the soul. All too brief and all too fleeting! One got to see that in the Amir Khusrau piece, ‘Moula Moula Moula’. There was a hint of the whirling dervish, a bit of unencumbered swaying and then, that silence.
In ‘Ramaiyya Rang Rachi,’ Meera is immersed in her love for Krishna. And that really needs no explanation.
Dance alone cannot make for a full-bodied experience. Music too is integral to a performance. Here, the orchestral support came from Mohit Gangani on the tabla, Faraz Ahmed on vocals and harmonium, Ashish Gangani on the pakhawaj and Devender Rajbhatt on the flute, and they were probably the most vibrant group that one could ask for. Young Ashish on the pakhawaj was electrifying and the tabla and pakhawaj combo was a resounding picture of synergy. Concept, choreography and costume were by Aditi and the vocal composition for the Meera piece was by Shubha Mudgal and Aneesh Pradhan. The composition for the Amir Khusrau piece is inspired by the original composition by Abida Parveen. And the Kabir piece is from the Drishtikon (the Drishtikon Dance Foundation) Repertory.
Lighting by Govind Singh Yadav was also a focus in parts as it was a necessary feature, particularly in this presentation as it played a big part in the stillness and the movements.
