JOIN USIllusions of Pure Sound’, a concert organised by Twaang, saw tabla maestro ‘Ustad’ Zakir Hussain and veena artiste Jayanthi Kumaresh mesmerise Bangaloreans.
The soul-stirring performances captivated the audience to such an extent that they didn’t let the musicians go off the stage even after the concert ended.
The concert had its dramatic twists and turns, which culminated in an exciting end. Jayanthi Kumaresh started the show with an elaborate alaap. After a good five minutes of playing, she was joined by the Ustad who matched the tunes of the veena to the beats of the tabla.
After a while of playing together, the ‘Ustad’ gave the audience the moment they were all waiting for. A 15-minute-solo on the tabla saw him innovating and playing elaborate tukdas. Silence prevailed in the hall only to be broken by the uff of Zakir Hussain as he completed his solo act.
The performance floored the audience who responded with a lengthy applause. The second-half of the show saw them perform a jugalbandi, where the ‘Ustad’ almost replicated the beautiful taan played by Jayanti Kumaresh. If Zakir Hussain was the cynosure of all eyes at the show, Jayanti Kumaresh was no less, her extraordinary solo pieces and smart innovative pieces added to the beauty of the concert.
The climax of the concert was, of course, the solo act by the tabla maestro. It lasted 22 minutes. At times, he could be seen playing with all his force and at times, he would just tap the instrument like a feather. A beautiful mix of different beats, speed and taal stole the show.
The audience appreciated the maestros with a standing ovation. Gitika, who was there at the concert, was spellbound, “I don’t think words are enough to express how much I enjoyed this evening. This is the first time that I have seen ‘Ustad’ Zakir Hussain live and he is marvellous to say the least,” she says.
Many youngsters could also be spotted enjoying the show, Saswati, a youngster who was at the show, said that it was a memorable
concert.