Musical interpretation

Musical interpretation 

Shobana brings Krishna to town. The danseuse tells Sravasti Datta the performance is a representation of Krishna's many roles

Award-winning actor and Bharatnatya exponent, Shobana brings her latest musical “Krishna” to Bangalore next month. “We performed the premiere show in Chennai, which sold out immediately. In Dubai too it was a success,” informs Shobana.

“Krishna” is an amalgamation of classical and film dance. It has 23 performers, some as young as six, with Shabana Azmi, Konkona Sen Sharma, Nandita Das, Radhika and Surya doing voice-overs for the main characters in the production. “The show is not only for the critics but also for anyone who wants to be part of an experience. The script was worthy enough to have top actors to give their voice-over for the main characters.”

The creative process did not start in a day. “It happened over a course of five years,” says Shobana. It was a calling for her. “I realised that I didn't know much about Krishna. I wondered how he became an icon. So I met archaeologists and read up more on him. The script took me 15 days to write, but three years to reflect on.”

Condensing Krishna's 80 to 90 years into a two-and-a-half hour performance presented its challenges, but it was fun too. “The difficult part was to get the cast to perform. To deliver what I had envisaged.” After writing the script, incorporating the music and other aspects were Shobana's other challenges. However, Oscar winner Resul Pookutty, despite his other commitments, worked for it with enthusiasm.

Of the parts she found appealing, Shobana says: “His growing up years were interesting, but I can't quite relate to him as a philosopher. The musical is an attempt to convey the moral values propagated by Krishna to the people. Some of the lesser known stories are also touched upon including his role in Mahabharata. Besides Carnatic music, the show will also have songs from Tamil, Hindi and Malayalam movies.”

Shobana speaks of the “nuisance notion” that classical dance is boring. She contends that Bharatnatya is meant for a niche audience. “That's why it is called classical. It is for people who can empathise with and have a flair for it. But there are also those who are attracted to the movements or music. I've seen my audience grow over the years, which is good.”

As for which medium, the stage or film, she is comfortable with, Shobana says the two are different, but classical dance excites her.

The 30-piece ensemble piece “Krishna” will be performed on January 28 at Chowdiah Memorial Hall.

When Carnatic met Hindustani

When Carnatic met Hindustani
 

Ganesh Rajagopalan (violin) and Debashish Bhattacharya (slide guitar) mesmerised the audience during The Hindu Friday Review November Fest 2011 at Ravindra Bharathi in Hyderabad. Photo: Nagara Gopal
The Hindu Ganesh Rajagopalan (violin) and Debashish Bhattacharya (slide guitar) mesmerised the audience during The Hindu Friday Review November Fest 2011 at Ravindra Bharathi in Hyderabad. Photo: Nagara Gopal

Ganesh Rajagopalan and Debashish Bhattacharya's ‘Adrishta' concert held at Ravindra Bharathi was a stupendous success right from the start

Wedded by music, the violin and slide guitar seemed the most compatible couple on earth. Ganesh Rajagopalan on the violin seemed the masculine strain of Carnatic music: strong and steady with the velocity of the wind; Debashish Bhattacharya on the slide guitar was the feminine form: rich in melody, paced with poise like the earth.
On a roller coaster

The fortunate (Adrishta) duo took us on a roller-coaster at the Ravindra Bharathi auditorium on the second day of The Hindu Friday Review November Fest 2011. The concert was ordained for nothing short of stupendous success right from the start. The ragas presented were chosen that they had a thread of commonality running between them or an equivalent in both the Carnatic and Hindustani musical parlance.

We were initiated into the Madhyamavathi (Megh) with the composition of Sadaarang (18th century Niyamat Khan) set to Jhampa tala (Jhup taal). The opening notes of this stirring raga were an elaborate exposition of its finer aspects as Ganesh deftly wielded his bow-string on the violin.

The high concordance as the raga takes the first three notes of the cycle of fifth and fourth was so evident in his handling.

The concurrent Megh on the guitar, invoked the clouds to pour in its sweet, stringing melodic tones.

The rather rigid instrument seemed to melt in the hands of Debashish and it almost spoke in human voice like the veena.

In fact, the cadence was similar to that of veena. As Ganesh led in improvising this popular raga, Debashish's guitar followed suit. No, it was not repetitive. Far from it, each artiste gave his version of the raga in almost similar lines that it appeared to a follow-up but it had its innate identity.

The improvisations were markedly intricate as Ganesh and Debashish scaled the altitude in stunning speed as they whirled past the higher octave. The formal spin down was not just a fall, it was methodically calculated set of declining syllables totally rhythmic that came to a natural end. The tabla by Subhashish Bhattacharya and mridangam by Ananthakrishna literally were on a sport drive – trying to outdo each other while Trichi Krishna on the ghatam maintained a low tempo except towards the end of a true, blue taniavartham (solo percussion). The passionate Charukeshi (recently adapted to Hindustani) opened to a brilliant alapana by the violinist.

The nuances spoke eloquently on the instrument which were further enhanced by the guitar.

We never knew we would be shortly taken on a breath-taking trip of the heavens as both the artistes alternately set the pace which peaked and landed us on what seemed the heights of a beautiful snow-clad mount.

The stylish spill out of syllabic utterances in quick succession, without a breather was Ganesh's forte while Debashish took the cue and took wings flying into a boundless space on a rapid action mode. It was like a clap of thunder and lightning with the percussionists on an Abacus.

The triangular contest of tabla, mridangam and ghatam was worth a watch though Ananthakrishna emerged a clean victor. The sweet Sindhubhairavi gave a fitting finale to the marvellous ensemble.

Mridangam maestro feted

Mridangam maestro feted
   

Percussionist Vankayala Venkata Ramana Murthy felicitating Mridangam maestro Yella Venkateswara Rao, who received the Mridanga Vidwan late Sripada Sanyasirao Puraskar at the 42nd annual festival of music and dance of Visakha Music Academy at Kalabharathi in Visakhapatnam on Sunday. Photo:C.V.Subrahmanyam
Percussionist Vankayala Venkata Ramana Murthy felicitating Mridangam maestro Yella Venkateswara Rao, who received the Mridanga Vidwan late Sripada Sanyasirao Puraskar at the 42nd annual festival of music and dance of Visakha Music Academy at Kalabharathi in Visakhapatnam on Sunday. Photo:C.V.Subrahmanyam

Visakha Music Academy presented its first Sripada Sanyasirao award to Mridangam maestro Yella Venkateswara Rao as a part of its ongoing six-day festival of music and dance at Kalabharati here on Sunday.

The academy instituted the award, which carries Rs 10,000 in cash, a memento and citation, in memory of Sripada Sanyasirao, a veteran mridangist, who served in the faculty of Maharaja College of Music and Dance at Vizianagaram way back in 1930s. State Bank of India Deputy General Manager D.S. Purohit along with the president of the academy and Director Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL) S.V. Rangarajan, Vijaya Nirman Pvt. Ltd Chairman S. Vijaya Kumar and academy's secretary M.S. Srinivas presented the award to Mr. Venkateswara Rao.

Dr. Rangarajan in his address underscored the sterling contribution of Mr. Venkateswara Rao in the realm of classical music. Vijaya Kumar said Yella made Telugus proud at international level through his musical prowess. Mr. Purohit complimented the organizers for their mammoth efforts for this mega fete. Venkateswara Rao in his response suggested the establishment of university for music at Vizianagaram, which has been a citadel for classical arts down the ages. Later, accompanied by him, Mysore-based M. Nagaraj and M. Manjunath presented a captivating violin duet.

The harmony bond

The harmony bond

       They have been trained by the same guru – Pandit Kumar Gandharva — and have shared stage with him. The duo has strived through the years to keep the legendary guru's memory and hoary musical past alive.

Vasundhara Komkali and daughter Kalapini Komkali's ‘Saha Gaan' (singing together) signifies stree shakti, the mother-daughter dynamic, the Indian classical music's enduring appeal, the reach of a resonant voice and the exploration of tradition in a contemporary setting.

Vasundhara was in her early teens, when she met Kumar Gandharva in Calcutta, who asked the talented youngster to come to Bombay for further training. World War II broke out and Vasundhara couldn't set-out on her dream journey. Meanwhile, she established herself as a fine musician and performed regularly on All India Radio. But going to Bombay was uppermost in her mind and she finally ... GO TO THIS SITE managed to reach her destination. But to her dismay, Kumar Gandharva had no time for imparting lessons and advised her to go to Professor Deodhar, a doyen of the Gwalior gharana. So Vasundhara trained under Prof. Deodhar for some time but later convinced Kumar Gandharva to take her on as his sishya. She also later became his life-long companion by marrying him. As a supporting vocalist to her guru and husband, she imbibed the intricate nuances and aesthetics of the genre. Together they came up with several thematic concerts such as Geet-Varsha, Geet-Hemant, Geet-Vasant, Rituraj Mehfil, Triveni and Tulsidas Darshan.

Kalapini, who trained under her illustrious parents, has established herself in the classical music firmament with her command over the genre. An active trustee of the Kumar Gandharva Sangeet Academy, Kalapini has quite a few recordings to her credit.

Q & A

Kalapini Komkali on training under her parents, taking her father's legacy forward and coming up with her own vision of the art.

What does it mean to be the legendary Pandit Kumar Gandharva's daughter? Are you weighed down by the responsibility to keep up the family name?

It's great to have a music legend for a father but there's hardly much time to cherish it as you are constantly trying to do justice to the inheritance. Since childhood I have only seen musicians as visitors at home and discussions centered around ragas, swaras and talas. As I gain a foothold in the music world, I realise that my identity as Kumar Gandharva's daughter will be integral to my artistic personality.

Your mother, Vasundhara Komkali, is also a well-known name in the field of Hindustani classical music and both of you often perform together. Does art define your relationship?

Art is a great comforting factor in our relationship. Our discussion rarely drifts to mundane things. It's lovely to have someone as close as a mother to share your creative understanding, vision and aspirations. It's equally wonderful to have a mother as a guru. But it was not always this way. During my growing-up years I felt that unlike other children I didn't get enough of my parents' attention and affection. It would irk me that they spent all their time pursuing their passion.

From Dewas, a small town in Madhya Pradesh to international recognition; from being true to tradition to experimenting with various styles within the classical format, from sharp criticism to reverence for his refreshing approach — your father's musical journey strikes a high note.

Yes, indeed. Though he is the pride of Dewas, the town never really understood his commitment and his approach to the art. He never really got the recognition he deserved during his lifetime. I am happy that at least now there is more awareness, which gives me the strength to take the legacy forward.

Why is your concert at the Friday Review November Fest titled ‘Saha Gaan'?

It cannot be a jugalbandhi with your mother and guru. ‘Saha Gaan' when translated loosely means ‘conversation with the master'.

Beauty of the bloom

Beauty of the bloom

The Hindu Friday Review November Fest opens with Lotus, a concert in which Mandolin U. Shrinivas will perform with yangqin player Liu Yuening from China. The artistes will be accompanied by Vijay Ghate on the tabla and V. Selvaganesh on the kanjira. Shrinivas and Liu performed together for the first time in Singapore, where they alternated between leading and improvisational following. This concert, only their second time together, will feature solos as well as compositions created by them exclusively for the fest.

Shrinivas is a musical genius who has, over the past three decades performed across the world in prestigious festivals in Mexico, Barcelona, Asia, the United States and Canada. He has collaborated with artistes such as John McLaughlin and Michael Brook in the West and legends such as Hariprasad Chaurasia and Zakir Hussain in the East. He has been awarded the Padma Shri, Sangeeta Ratna, Mysore T. Chowdiah Memorial National Award, National Citizen's Award and Best Artist Award by the Music Academy.

Liu Yuening is professor of the Central Conservatory of Music. She serves as director of the International Research Center of Yangqin Art of CCOM, vice-president of the Chinese Yangqin Association, member of the executive committee of the Chinese Folk Instrument Association and member of the International Society for Music Education. In 2008, she founded the first Yangqin ensemble in China called JASMINE and has released more than 10 albums in China and overseas.

Pandit Vijay Ghate, who has been playing the table from the age of three, is among the rare percussionists renowned for the ability to embellish vocal, instrumental as well as dance performances. He has accompanied luminaries such as Pandit Birju Maharaj, Pandit Jasraj, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia. He has also ventured into fusion music, playing with artistes from around the world. He trained under Pandit Suresh Talwalkar.

V. Selvaganesh is a leading kanjira player whose skill in percussion was practically preordained. His father is the Grammy-winning ghatam player, Vikku Vinayakaram. Selvaganesh has toured with Remember Shakti, where he played along with John McLaughlin, Zakir Hussain, U. Shrinivas and Shankar Mahadevan. He has composed albums such as Soukha, and music for the Tamil films “Vennila Kabadi Kuzhu” and “Kola Kolaya Mundhirika”.

Q & A

Mandolin U. Shrinivas the Padma Shri-winning musical genius, talks about his plans for the concert with Liu Yuening, which will bridge the ancient musical cultures of two of the fastest growing and quickest modernising countries, India and China.

How did you meet Liu Yuening? How did the decision to collaborate come about?

Akila Iyengar from Singapore Arte Compass approached me for a performance with Prof. Liu. I agreed immediately because it sounded interesting. Besides, I had not worked with a Chinese instrumentalist. So the concert was held this year in Singapore in Esplanade, which is one of the prestigious halls in the world, and was well received. We had rehearsals and we played mostly my compositions.

What is the most significant difference and similarity in the music that you both play?

The Chinese and Indian music styles are entirely different.  Chinese music, I feel has more folk elements that sound quite similar to our ragas such as ragaMohanam, Suddhadhanyasi, Hindolam and Madhyamavathi.  Prof. Liu is a brilliant artiste and it was easy to establish a musical rapport with her.

How would you describe the evening you have in store for this edition of November Fest?

I'm very excited about this show and I have composed new pieces that would suit Chinese music too.