Dance and music reviews

Lively Bansuri

The Guru Rao Deshpande Sangeeth Sabha conducted the Malhar Sangeet Mahotsav as a tribute to Bharatratna Pandit Bhimsen Joshi.
Malhar is a ancient and popular raga in Hindustani music with numerous varieties in it. A unique feature of Indian music is in the closeness to nature. There are ragas related to different seasons (Rutu) of the year. Megh Malhar, Mian Malhar, Goud Malhar - are some of the popular varieties. The sabha presented rag Malhar through an instrumental concert and a vocal music.
One of our popular flautist Praveen Godkhindi, hails from a musicians’ family of Dharwad. He started learning music from his father Pandit Venkatesh Godkhindi and received guidance from Anoor Ananthakrishna Sharma. He has received several titles and awards including Surmani and Kempegowda Prashasthi and is a top ranking flautist of Akashavani.
Pandit Praveen Godkhindi opened his Bansuri concert with rag Meera Bai Malhar. The opening strains carrying the peculiar double nishad and dhaivath blend set the tone and identity of the raga. The unfolding was leisurely and reposeful. The character of the raga was unfolded in both vilambith and druth. Comparatively Basant Bahar and Sur Malhar were condensed versions of the two ragas, but was full of raga bhava and melodious throughout. Rajendra Nakod gave good support on tabala.

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Vocal sans aesthetic feeling
Pandit Harish Tiwari, who gave a vocal recital, first learnt with Guru Thakur Dhubey, in the Gwalior Gharana. But he was attracted by the Kirana Gharana of Bhimsen Joshi and practised and became an ‘A’ grade artiste of AIR.
Pandit Harish Tiwari chose Mian Malhar to render in detail. It is believed that this raga was created by none other than Mian Tansen. Harish Tiwari took his own time in raising the raga structure, with actions matching the flow of the raga! The raga belongs to Kapi and is a “Vakra Sampurna” raga. Though his presentation was grammatically correct, could hardly provide aesthetic excitement! With his limited range of voice he also rendered Sudd Kedar, but could not rise to expectations. Ashish Sen Gupta and Vyasamurthy Katti accompanied on tabala and harmonium, respectively.

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Result of good training
Suparna Venkatesh is a postgraduate in dance and has practised both Bharathanatya and Kathak and has received a doctorate from the Bangalore University for her thesis. She is also an able teacher and has trained a number of students.
Among Suparna’s disciples, 7 students (Sai Arts International) gave a Bharathanatya recital for “Every Friday Cultural Evening Programme” at Yavanika.
In the opening Pushpa Manjari, they also paid obeisance to “Dikpalakas.” The “Deva Manava” varna in Shanmukhapriya of Lalgudi Jayaraman was the piece de’resistance of the programme, in which episodes of Bali, Gajendra Moksha, Ahalya Shapa Vimochana, Draupadi Vastrapaharana - were performed changing the roles in quick succession.
C Somashekhar, Nidhaga Karunada, Kavyashree Nagaraja and Swetha Venkatesh performed effortlessly and with assurance.
The Punnaga Varali Kautvam was the choice of three youngsters (Kshamita Sastry, Ashwitha Rajesh and T S Sharath). They danced with pleasing movements, but have to improve their abhinaya. The item on Hari Hara was a bunch of slokas in ragamalika. They brought certain flair to their movements, emphasised by firm “Thattu-mettu” and precision in line. Yet one missed the deeper stance that carries forward the dance to liquid grace. It is certainly possible with higher training and some more stage experience.
While Karthik Hebbar’s vocal was inspiring to the dancers, Natuvanga by Guru Suparna Venkatesh, Mridanga by V R Chandrasekhar and flute by H S Venugopal - fulfilled the needs of the occasion.
           
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