They are busy professionals, and yet an ensemble of dedicated and talented local vocalists and instrumentalists gathered together on April 18th at the National Heritage Museum in Lexington. The aim was to entertain, and to remind us that musically we will always rise on the shoulders of the evergreen classics and the classical. That music is not what was then or what will be, but its enrichment and tradition are ever flowing in the present moment.
Through instruction, exploration, invocation and devotion the vocalists and instrumentalists weaved a rich tapestry of Indian classical and popular music at the sold out show. There was something for every rasika – classical rendition and instruction for the purists and students of classical Indian music; popular, film, folk as well as fusion music for those who wanted to unwind, leaving their worries and stresses at home.
The evening began with an invocation to the Goddess Saraswati. Young Sachi Badola set the tone for the evening with her crystal clear voice. The fun she was having on stage was a reminder that when you keep the child within you alive, music becomes infused with the fragrance of staying close to all that is natural and unaffected.
All evening, the ragas continued to weave their magic through their notes, a stellar song choice, and an absolutely outstanding cast of instrumentalists. Among the Ragas that were showcased that evening were Bageshri, Charukeshi, as well as the not very often heard Raga Gaara (even though Gandhi ji’s favorite bhajan Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram is based on Raga Gaara). Raga Jaijaivanti, often called a close cousin of Gaara due to the striking resemblance between the two, was also explored in detail. Also showcased was one of my personal favorites, popular among many legends, Raga Kedar. Raga Kalavati, Mallika, Brindavani Sarang, Bhopali, Lalit and Desh were among others that enchanted that night.
Shuchita Rao who is dually talented, both as a seasoned vocalist, and from what I’ve heard as an even more outstanding teacher (Sachi is her student), gave a lovely rendition of a popular song – “Jyoti Kalash Chalke” in Raga Bhopali. The saxophone interlude by Phil Scarff was a lively addition to the song, as were the segments on Harmonium by Dilip Acharya. Shuchita continued with the fusion song done originally by Rekha Bharadwaj for the film Ishquiya-Badi dheere jali raina in Raga Lalit. Again, the keyboard by Christy Matthew and saxophone interludes as well percussion and guitar accompaniment stood out. Shuchita also performed the very frequently sung classical rendition “Kanha re” in Raga Kedar. Her rendition of the composition by Rajan Sajan Mishra – “Aiso naval ladli Radha” – was equally pleasing.
Dilip Acharya is not only an amazing harmonium player but a very fine ghazal singer. His rendition of “Kadi aa mil sanwal yaar wey” by the Rock band “Fusion” (a song that has been sung to death by so many artists on popular reality shows that every note is literally engraved in my brain) was near flawless. Keyboard and flute interludes were especially mesmerizing here as both artists were given freedom to improvise. And I must admit that Jagjit Singh would have been happy with the impeccable alaap with which Dilip started his rendition of “Koi Paas Aaya Savere Savere”, originally sung by the ghazal legend himself.
I had heard a lot about Sowmya Shree Sandeep from many musicians and she did not disappoint, belting out “Baiyaan na dharo”, “Manmohana bade jhootey”, and “Mohe panghat pe nandlal ched gayo re” with ease along with several duets. I did find myself wishing that Baiyyan na dharo was not sung on a karaoke track. It’s a beautiful track but then you are constantly chasing the recorded tune, it takes away a bit from the rendition which could have perhaps been embellished by such wonderful live musicians. This is one of those unforgettable songs by Lata ji which you can and should explore in a sensuous way and get lost in.
Meena Sundaram caught my attention with her warmth and sense of humor. There is something very humble about the way she conducts herself, and her voice is equally sweet. From “Panchi banu udhti phirun”, to “Kaahe tarsaye jiyara” with Sowmya, or the lovely “Saawan aye ya na aaye” and “Hai re hai” with Sankar Gangaikondan – all were all immensely enjoyable.
The Raga Kedar-based song “Aap yun hi agar hum se miltey rahe”, from legendary music director O.P. Nayyar was introduced by Siraj Khan, who has had a long and close association with the music maestro. Khan, (who is spearheading the Annual OP Nayyar Nite Fundraiser with Foundation TV – Phir Miloge Kabhi, on May 2nd 2015 with net proceeds going to support aging and forgotten singers, musicians and artistes in need) said that OP Nayyar was not someone you associated with classical music (since O.P.Nayyar was essentially self-taught) and yet he came up with this beautiful composition. The duet sung by Meena Sundaram and Vijay Kumar was very well received.
I have to admit I had the most fun watching Vijay Kumar perform. Where he might have missed a beat, he made up with his ever-changing collection of caps and colorful jackets, and his devil-may-care “let’s have fun” attitude. Shubhra Bhattacharya Chandra matched him well in both in their duets like “Bekhudi mein sanam” and her own solo which I first heard sung by Sona Mohapatra under the Coke studios series “Main toh Piya se naina ladayi re”.
Meesha Acharya brought back memories of my conversation with Pandit Ravi Shankar when she sang “Hai re woh din kyon na aye” beautifully in her very sweet voice from the classic film Anuradha. Pt Ravi Shankar composed the music for the film directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee, and while Lata Mangeshkar sang 4 songs in the film, Pandit Ravi Shankar confessed to me that “Kaise din beetey” was his favorite.
Sankar Gangaikondan emulates Mohd. Rafi Sahib through his God-given vocal texture and rendition. Everything he sang, whether it was the duets with Meena and Sowmya or “Tu hi mera prem devta” with Shekhar Shastri, was all very well received… but his performance of “O Re Piya” was still being talked about days after the show got over.
Shekhar Shastri seems to wear many hats – entrepreneur, music connoisseur, film maker and the man behind the idea of Raaga-Rang. Shastri also lent his vocals to many songs, “Yeh Hawa, Kabhi Khud pe”, along with duets. One came back moved by the sincerity, effort and total passion for the arts from his rendition, thoughts and his comment that there is no age to rediscover fine music. He was doing just that at a personal level and with this enthusiastic ensemble.
The musicians were all outstanding, particularly the interludes on the saxophone by Phil Scarff during “Jyoti Kalash chalke”, “Badi dheere jail raina”, “O re Piya”, and the amazing flute segments by Sujeet Phanse. Whether he began a song or enhanced the performance during a song, Phanse’s flute was spell binding. The keyboard segments by Christy Matthew and the impeccable tabla accompaniment by high school senior Pranav Ghatraju enriched the music, adding texture and depth. They were both outstanding in their ability to synchronize. It was the same with every other musician – be it young high school junior Anirudh Nagesha on bass guitar and Hiral Parikh on Percussion. The use of an Octapad, created an utterly new dimension for percussion. MC Pallavi Nagesha kept the audience engaged throughout the evening by conversing with the singers and the audience. Live music has its own charm and to see such a vast array of musicians from diverse backgounds on stage together was absolutely lovely.
The program ended with the Raaga-Rang theme song composed in four ragas and a vote of thanks by the lovely Vanita Shastri. There are no critiques for the performances because all I saw was a group of people who really like each other, and truly support each other in times of need (Meena Sundaram mentioned how the Raaga-Rang team helped her pull through when her husband was not well). The team improvised and innovated, at times right on stage, and performed for the sheer love of music. I can only wish them well.
For me the joy continued as I went back home and am revisiting all the songs that were brought back to life on stage. Nothing like ethereal, evergreen music to warm the heart and rejuvenate the soul!