Vivid emotions come forth

Evidently, the City is full of people who love classical art forms. This was proved at a sitar recital which was held recently at the NGMA, which pulled in quite a large crowd. This recital brought together three generations of the sitar-playing family, popularly known as the Banaras Gharana. The artistes who performed at the recital were Pandit Shivnath Mishra, his son Deobrat Mishra and grandson Prashant Mishra. 

They played the thumri style of music. The evening began with Raag Maru Bihaag, followed by Abnabajao Shyam in raag bhairavi and Banao Batiyaan in dada raag. 

The audience was completely silent during the performance and seemed to enjoy the recital. The thumri style of singing is characteristic of the Banaras Gharana. 

It is a light Indian classical music form that is highly ornamental and thus very emotional and expressive. 

The group has also performed in North America, Canada and Europe. 

Deobrat Mishra said that though they have performed in various countries, the response they receive in South India is particularly overwhelming. Talking about the music industry today, he said, “These days, musicians are making music in a rush, without paying proper attention to the music. This, I feel, should be avoided.”

Apart from localites, there were a few foreigners who attended the show. Roger Granville, who hails from London, said he was amazed by the performance.

 “I’ve been to a sitar concert once and I loved it. And this one was amazing too! The flow of music was melodious,” he said appreciatively.  And truly, the artistes seemed completely absorbed in what they were playing. The sitar concert was the group’s last in South India this year.  For the remaining portion of the year, they will concentrate on other Indian states. “South Indians have a good knowledge of Carnatic music. So, performing here was satisfying. And the overall experience was great!” exclaimed Deobrat.

The evening also witnessed an exciting jugalbandi between Pandit Shivnath Mishra and Deobrat Mishra. 

They created a unique synthesis of classical and folk music that appealed the audience. What was special about this jugalbandi was that it was between a guru and his disciple. No doubt, witnessing such special interaction on stage was an unforgettable and mesmerising experience for the audience.