Madhup Mudgal is a seasoned vocalist whose performances are as unassuming as the soft-spoken artist himself. Initiated into music by his father Vinaychandra Maudgalya, who played a singularly significant role in popularising music and music education in Delhi, Madhup was later groomed by the likes of Vasant Thakar, Jasraj and Kumar Gandharva. Little wonder that his singing offers ample evidence of the solid edifice of his art. He does not shout from the rooftops but softly whispers the secrets of art and life into one’s ears.
Last week, one got an opportunity to listen to Madhup Mudgal at a music-dance programme titled Sur-Shringar at India Habitat Centre’s Stein Auditorium. Organised by an NGO called Yogdan, it also featured a Bharatnatyam dance recital by Geeta Chandran.
Madhup chose Kalyan, the traditional name for Yaman Kalyan, to open his recital and sang a Bada Khayal “De Daan Mohe” in typical Gwalior gharana style that makes its vilambit khayal lean towards madhyalaya. Elaborating the evergreen raga through the time-tested devices of bol-alap, bahlava and bol-taans etc., he impressed with his disciplined imagination that allowed him to resort to pleasant layakari. His taans were not too fast or too forceful but well-structured and charming. As he is endowed with a deep, well-trained and melodious voice, his vocalisms leave the listener focused on the singing that has imbibed the influences of his great teachers in a well-rounded manner. The initial alap part of his recital is always very satisfying and this performance was no exception.
He also sang a very traditional madhya laya composition “Kinare Kinare Dariya” in the same raga with feeling and verve, and made a judicious use of sargam bols.
After Kalyan, Madhup Mudgal took up another hoary raga Kamod and turned to elaborating it only after singing the entire sthayi and antara as used to be the vogue. He also sang the familiar drut composition “E Maai Jaane Na Doongi” before rounding off his recital with a thumri. Vinay Mishra on harmonium and Shambhunath Bhattacharya on tabla provided adequate accompaniment.
After a few days, one got a chance to listen to Dinanath Mishra, a senior vocalist from Kolkata, who belongs to the Banaras gharana. Although he specialises in singing thumri and dadra, Mishra chose the pentatonic raga Abhogi for his recital and sang his own composition “Sancho Hai Darbar Tero” in vilambit teen taal, following it up with a traditional composition “Charan Ghar Aayo” in drut jhaptaal. He also sang a self-composed bhajan.
Dinanath Mishra’s performance was preceded by that of his son Mangal Mishra who chose the Carnatic raga Saraswati. While the father was accompanied on tabla by Jaishankar Mishra and on harmonium by Kaushik Mitra, Mangal was accompanied by Zakir Dhaulpuri on harmonium and Jaishankar Mishra on tabla. The two recitals could have been more satisfying had the vocalists stuck to their speciality of thumri and dadra singing.
