Gharana’s annual festival featured well-known proponents of Indian classical music. Suvendu Banerjee was charming on the harmonium. He played the ragas, Charukeshi and Mishra Pilu, in drut teentaal and was ably supported by Arunava Mukherjee on the tabla. The vocalist, Manjusha Patil, started with Raga Multani and proceeded with other traditional compositions. She went on to perform Raga Shree and concluded with Raga Mishra Khamaj and a bhajan. Bivash Sanghai and Gourab Chatterjee were skilled as supporting artists on the tabla and the harmonium, respectively.
The veteran sitarist, Shahid Parvez (picture, left), played a beautiful and immersive alaap in Raga Charukeshi along with other compositions and a soulful piece in Raga Mishra Khamaj. The concluding performance was a solo tabla recital by Bickram Ghosh. He commenced his performance by dividing nine beats followed by a vilambit and a drut teentaal. His peshkars and chakradhars from the Farukkabad, Lucknow and Punjab gharanas were thoroughly enjoyable.
Ashavari held its third annual classical music conference at the Gyan Manch. Students of the organisation presented the ragas, Puriya Dhanashree and Behag. A solo esraj performance in Raga Hemant by Tathagata Mishra came next; he played alaap, jod and gat and was accompanied by Bodhiman Dasgupta on the tabla. The vocalist, Ruchira Panda (picture, right), was the main attraction. She selected Raga Bhupali to commence her performance. In this, her rendition of a vilambit and a drut kheyal in teentaal, composed by her guru, Pandit Manas Chakraborty, brought out the essence of the raga. The artist went on with Raga Kedar in 11 beats and Soumen Sarkar carried on a measured and skilful conversation with the music on the tabla. Panda concluded with “Pasar ke Geet”. Anirban Chakraborty provided excellent support on the harmonium.
