The celebrated poetic phrase describing the nightingale’s song ‘in full-throated ease’ by John Keats aptly defines Malini Rajurkar’s singing style. Maliniji is at once graceful and tough; so is her music. Right from the opening note, regardless of the raga, composition or hour, her music is captivating. Her recent concert at the Canara Union organised by Sursagar, Bangalore, was dense in content and committed to purity. The concert was organised in memory of Sri B. Krishnamoorthy as part of the Living Legends and Budding Masters Series .
Gwalior gharana, of which Maliniji is an authentic exponent, is considered the fountainhead of vocal music to which most gharanas trace their origin. As a vital practitioner of the vibrant gharana, Maliniji represents the richness of the musical continuum that has digested historical changes and negotiations from time to time. A veritable treasure-house of the Gwalior gayaki, her music is backed by in-depth understanding of other gharanas as much as different styles within her own school, including the well-known Maharashtra stream.
Maliniji began her concert with the serene evergreen evening melody, Yaman Kalyan. The raga unfolded in her hands through a mature, lingering journey. Her holistic exploration of the raga through the traditional vilambit bandish “ He man kaise gaaoon” followed by “ Avagun na ki jiye” in drut teen taal was well-structured. With a steady energetic flow, constantly complemented by Pandit Bharat Kamat’s nuanced tabla-playing and Pandit Arvind Thatte’s harmonium sangat, the meditative mood was consistently preserved at all swara and laya junctures, adding richness to every melodic construct along the journey.
The leisurely “ Patita paavana jagadamba Bhavani” in raga Kedar set to Madhyalaya teentaal treated connoisseurs to the abstract experience of the ancient raga. The celebrity raga Kedar associated with Lord Shiva is known for its highly non-linear movement marked by complex melodic turns which is the source of its haunting brilliance and lingering beauty. Maliniji’s masterly delineation involved rich bol-alaaps and engaging bol-taans in multiple tempos and the tabla-maestro made brilliant use of these sites to enrich his rendition. While Malini Rajurkar’s khyal rendition evoked an oceanic expanse, the tappa in raga Kafi stood out for its bubbly energy in the traditional mode. Her exposition of the tappa, a semi-classical form of vocal music inspired by the vivacious folk-songs of camel riders in Punjab and the north-western parts of India, absorbed the simple listener and appealed to the connoisseur as well. The fast rounded movements and the subtle shifts in pace flowed down in little bursts with great ease from her well-trained voice, ably endorsed by harmonium gayaki and rhythmic support. The sprightly tappa was followed by a traditional sur-bandish or sargam-geet in the same raga. The sthaayi and antaraa of the bandish around which an animated layakaari involving aakaaras, layabheda , cyclic repetitions, aaghats and anaaghats was woven made the composition highly exciting, while also showcasing the folk-like character of raga Kafi. Maliniji’s presentation seemed to demonstrate the fact that stretching of musical phrases variously and embellishing them with befitting khatkas, murkis, gamaks and repetitive swaras is an act related to the aesthetics and clarity in the artist’s perception and not a matter of practice and accurate delivery alone. The harmonium rendition by Aravind Thatte capturing the animated journey of the Kafi composition was sheer delight.
Malini Rajurkar concluded her programme with a soulful composition by the late Pandit Dinkar Kaikini, eminent vocalist and composer, in raga Bhairavi - Bhairavi Priyadarshini beginning with the collective musical statement “ Nritya geetha vaadya ki sevaa Karen” . The three talented artists together engaged themselves with the multi-hued composition lending themselves to the collective journey while on their own prayersome path as well. Was the profound meditative mood that the Bhairavi composition evoked among the audience result from the vocalist’s yearning for the divine or the intense taadaatmya that she has attained with her art is the larger question.
Malini Rajurkar and her chosen accompanists, Bharat Kamat on tabla and Aravind Thatte on harmonium put up a motivated performance establishing aesthetic team-comfort, in spite of the incompetent sound system. Inheritor of the traditional Benares gharana known for its resonant strokes and a vast repertoire, Pandit Bharat Kamat, a sensitive tabla -player with diverse experience and a deep understanding of his medium offered soulful rhythmic support throughout. Dr. Arvind Thatte known for his innovative approach to the harmonium complemented the journey of Maliniji with a rare sharpness and proficiency.
