JOIN USA recent concert in the City brought together maestros Abhishek Raghuram and Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia on one stage. They were performing as part of Barkha Ritu, a celebration of monsoon ragas. Both the artistes enthralled the audience with their soulful music.
Abhishek began his journey as a musician at the age of seven. And in a short span he has performed across the country. While Pandit Hariprasad is the most sought-after musician and internationally known for his music. “We have to wait for a year to enjoy the monsoon and god’s offerings. I really enjoy playing music during this season,” said Pandit Hariprasad.
Abhishek added, “Monsoon gives you a feel of rain, gloom, thunder, lightning and rainbow. So you can feel everything through the ragas that we render during this season.”
The auditorium was filled with music-lovers and the solo performances of both the artistes were a treat by themselves. Each time Abhishek performed the classical pieces and hit a high note, the audience broke into an applause. He was accompanied by Mysore Srikanth on the violin and Neyvili Narayanam on the mridangam. He could switch between notes with ease and finesse.
“Nobody can sing the ragas like him. The pauses he gave were unique. I thoroughly enjoyed the music,” said Kirshnatai who had come for the show.
Pandit Hariprasad played Miyan Malhar, Desh and Pahadi. With Sunhankar Banerjee on the tabla, Pandit Hariprasad took the audience on a beautiful musical journey. The music was in praise of nature and mother earth and a celebration of the season. It did well to give one an insight about a typical monsoon day.
“It was magical to witness music like this,” said Anup, another member of the audience. He added, “Most of the concerts happen spontaneously. The crux of Carnatic music is how a vocalist is able to improvise on the spot and how the accompanists are able to adjust to that improvisation. This is what makes it challenging.”
Nivedha, another music-lover, said, “Although I’m not well-versed in these ragas, I enjoyed listening to this music. It awakened all my senses.” Abhishek also had an advice for all musicians. “Listen to the music of legends and always remember that ‘music is greater than the musician’,” he summed up.