The annual ‘Barkha Rithu’ event this year ushered the monsoon with twin concerts within a fixed framework: santoor recital by Rahul Sharma and vocal by Ustad Rashid Khan. The proverbial ‘proof of the pudding...’ came true with the latter maestro’s concert on a Ramzan festival day! India and its music are truly integrated; all socio-religious barriers simply fade into oblivion when it comes to art!
In keeping with the tradition, both the artistes took up monsoon ragas like Megh, Malhar, Desh, Pahadi and of course the inevitable Bhairavi to close the show. Rahul Sharma’s santoor played the aalap for the ancient raag Megh (sans the Gandhar and Dhaivath) slowly recreating the power of the melody that could actually invoke rain.
The jhor gave the impetus, an invite to the skies to cluster the dark clouds and bless the earth with the life-giving force called rain. The dexterity with which his fingers worked, now scissoring, now plucking is something to be admired. The thunder and lightning that preceded was aptly re-created by Pandit Bhavani Shankar on the pakhawaj.
So far, the technical clarity and the lilting music of the santoor left us admiring the impressive-looking artiste. He then launched into a rapid action mode, showcasing his strength as an artiste of merit! This time around, the rhythm was provided by Ramkumar Mishra who kept pace with the main artiste.
The dhun in Pahadi was sweet and soft making, a toe-tapping one which brought back memories of the lush Valley. Despite a brilliant display of art, the soul was missing in the santoor’s notes. Wish Rahul inherited his father’s soothing, serene style; ShivKumar Sharma’s magical touch can actually act like a balm to a disturbed mind and elevate it to another level.
Even before Ustad Rashid Khan got on to the stage, one could feel the audience’s pulse: awaiting with bated breath for the shower of melodies he would bestow on us! As usual he did not disappoint. Coming up with the Malhar, a short alaap and straight into the composition, the typical Gwalior gharana, with his own Rampur-Sahaswat school intermingled, the maestro turned a wizard with his sargam, lingering and oscillating just one word or at times one syllable of the bandish before embellishing it with his signature series of swar bhol.
Both the composition and the raag make their way to our artistic sensibilities because the artiste who is rendering it does so in the Vilambit for a long time. The slow tempo is never boring in Hindustani. Contrary to popular south-Indian thinking, it allows both the performer and the audience to savour and revel in the joy of pure music. The madhylay and druth are of course inevitable in showcasing technique.
Even in this, as well as any of the abstract taans (mnemonic syllables), the Ustad is unique and a cut above the rest. He invests it with an emotionality that is a marvel; we feel so linked to the raag as much as to the bhol of the lyric. His Desh was its spiritual best as he also chose a composition with philosophical implications.
There is pattern in his rendition which is evident in every piece he chooses. As an added asset is his tonal quality that can stand put in the base as he winds through a string of sargam. If he sings of the ‘ bijli chamake... ’ one can hear the lightning in his mind and if he speaks of the nature of destiny, well we get into a trance. At one point of time, in the Desh, his tarana which was exquisite sounded like an ‘Omkara’ droning its way into the auditorium. The fast paced taan was a breathless wonder. The Thumri in Bhairavi enhanced with the swar bhol that he so selectively rendered to buttress the romantic lyric.
Murad Ali on the Sarangi was an asset to the vocalist, recreating the nuances in pure instrumental melody. Shubhankar Banerjee on the tabla provided the rhythmic expertise. The show was put together by Banyan Tree as the first of its monsoon series this year.
