With two days to go before the curtain comes down on the 31st Saptak music festival, the mood turned solemn on Tuesday as most artists performed sad ragas expressing spiritual anguish.
With two days to go before the curtain comes down on the 31st Saptak music festival, the mood turned solemn on Tuesday as most artists performed sad ragas expressing spiritual anguish.
As it is, Saptak 2011 has taken place in the shadow cast by the irreparable loss of the festival’s founder, Nandan Mehta, who died in March 2010.
On Day 11 (Tuesday) of the festival also, performers could not help recalling the personal debt they felt towards Mehta for his efforts to preserve India’s musical heritage.
The star attraction of Tuesday’s concert was the ‘sitar vadan’ by Ustad Shahid Pervez, who was accompanied on the tabla by Akram Khan.
Performing in the last session of the day, Pervez opened with Raga Kirvani, a melodious midnight melody. Strumming the chords of his sitar, the Ustad gave it such emotional depth that the raga seemed to communicate a range of sad emotions — from the sombre to the contemplative.
"I dedicate this raga to Mehta," Pervez said, who was playing Raga Kirvani for the first time in the city. "The raga depicts the deep pain I feel at Mehta’s death."
Earlier, in the opening session of the day, the Kirana gharana vocalist Ustad Mashkoor Ali Khan presented Raga Yaman and Bihag.
"Saptak has immortalised its founder Nandan Mehta," he said. "I offer my heartfelt tribute to him through these ragas." Khan was accompanied by Prithviraj Mishra on the tabla, Yameen Khan on harmonium and Ikram Khan on Sarangi.
Kala Ramnath’s violin performance was the second item of the day. Akram Khan accompanied him on the table.
The Agra gharana vocalist, Prof Yashpal, rendered a raga of the Kanda family during the third session on Tuesday, is a disciple of Ustad Villayat Hussain Khan and among the most highly rated performers of Doordarshan and Akashvani.
He concluded his performance with the rarely played raga, Raga Sohani, which also is known for its articulation of profound sorrow.
Known as the ‘Monarch of North-Western India’ in the music fraternity, Yashpal has performed since he was 11. A master of khayal and thumri styles of singing, he has been honoured with awards like Punjab Sangeet Natak Academy Award.
On Tuesday, he was accompanied by Ustad Faiyaz Khan on the tabla and Ustad Moinuddin Khan on the sarangi.
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