JOIN USFor a calm evening of classical music, away from the City’s fast-moving life, Sugama Sangeeta — an initiative by the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan and the Infosys Foundation — was held recently at the Wadia Hall of The Indian Institute of World Culture. The evening, which had Humayun Harlapur’s Hindustani classical renditions, left the audience amazed.
Accompanied by Gurusangapa Hoogar on tabla, Madhusudhan Bhat on harmonium and Nishadh Harlapur on swaramandala, the artiste kept the audience engrossed with the various ragas that he sang. While the tabla’s rapid notes kept the audience engaged in the performance, the various high and low notes that the artiste delivered also left everyone spellbound. The compositions were heart-warming and the entire programme made a lasting impression on all those who gathered to watch it.
The different pieces performed during the evening included Gayiye Ganapthi in yamanu raga, Vithala Yetihano in bhoop raga, Ullavaro Shivalayo Maadavaro in madhuvanth raga, Papada Phalave in ahir bhairo raga, and Haakida Janivarava in madhumata sarang raga.
Sinchana Bhat, a student of the artiste, says, “I requested that the composition, Neenu Nadai Sidhode be played. He’s known for his Hindustani style of music and he
has no prejudice in his style, despite belonging to a different religion.”
Sumaya Ranganathan, a homemaker, adds, “We came since we’ve been to his performance once before and didn’t want to miss this chance. The versatility and the flow of the notes, as well as the way he keeps everyone stuck to their seats, is the magic of the artiste.”
Humayun Harlapur says, “We might have had a smaller crowd, but we had more listeners. I’ve performed across the country and have always got positive feedback, about how people were impressed by the compositions played.”
One of the organisers, K C Pemmaiah, adds, “We brought this format together as we wanted to provide a platform to those artistes who are often considered to be area-specific. We especially wanted to bring artistes from North Karnataka here, since many of them aren’t well-known here."