About! Raag Basant Mukhari

Raga Basant Mukhari – A Carnatic raga seeking a Hindustani identity by Deepak Raja
http://swaratala.blogspot.com/2007/05/raga-basant-mukhari-carnatic-raga.html

The raga, Basant Mukhari, is widely acknowledged as the Hindustani adaptation of the Carnatic raga, Vakulabharanam, associated with the eclectic initiatives of the scholar-musician, Acharya SN Ratanjankar [picture on the left] in the early days of India’s post-independence renaissance. Notionally, the raga fuses the Bhairav scale in the lower tetrachord with the Bhairavi scale in the upper. Some of the greatest musical minds of the country have, since then, worked on giving the raga a Hindustani personality. Despite this, the raga remains, to this day, subject to a considerable diversity in treatment.



http://music.napster.com/mita-nag-with-ray-spiegel-music/tracks/12152091
Mita Nag - Sitar, Raga Basant Mukhari Alap - Ray Spiegel on tabla

The import of Vakulabharanam from the Carnatic tradition was, in fact, more like a second coming for this melodic entity. The first is a mature raga called Hijaz, apparently a melody of Persian origin, documented by VN Bhatkhande in the 1930s. We do not know how long ago it was that Hijaz entered Hindustani music.

The basic grammar of Basant Mukhari is near identical to Hijaz . Even their "Chalan" [skeletal phraseology], as documented by authorities, differs only in minor detail. Unless the musician himself tells you whether he was taught Hijaz or Basant Mukhari, you really have no indication about its possible source. There are very few musicians today who have been taught Hijaz. Hijaz was almost extinct when, in the mid-1950's, Basant Mukhari gained currency. What is heard most commonly today is Basant Mukhari, the Hindustani (North Indian) adaptation of the Carnatic Raga (Bhairav ke Prakar: Jaisukhlal Shah: 1991)


Raag: Basant Mukhari by Vocalist Ustad Ghulam Hassan Shaggan
Vocal Support: Qadir Ali - Tabla: Sajjad Ali - Sarangi - Taimur Khan

Although Ratanjankar, a great scholar and a disciple of Bhatkhande, certainly knew the Hijaz connection, he gave it a new name -- Basant Mukhari. This nomenclature suggests a melodic affinity to the raga Basant, or Shuddha Basant/ Adi Basant or Malti Basant, the other ragas with similar names. None of these suggestions has much support in the melodic personality of the raga.

The tonal structure of Basant Mukhari comes into being by replacing the Shuddha (Natural) Ni swara of Raga Bhairav with a Komal (flat) Ni. Another way of looking at the same scale is that it replaces the Komal (flat) Ga swara of Raga Bhairavi with a Shuddha (Natural) Ga.


Raag Basant Mukhari, Ustad Sultan Khan, Sarangi

Because of the lower tetrachord dominance of Bhairav, and the mid-octave region dominance of Bhairavi, the Bhairav character tends to dominate Basant Mukhari, thus qualifying it as a variety of Bhairav. A common departure from the Bhairav dominant character of this Raga is a tilt towards Raga Jogia, also a member of the Bhairav family. Some musicians try to emphasise the Bhairavi facet of Basant Mukhari by focusing more of their melodic development in the upper tetrachord.

Survey of recordings: The recent and contemporary practice of Basant Mukhari suggests frequent, and qualitatively divergent, departures from the Raga's description in the authoritative texts.

Vocalist, Ustad Ameer Khan (Bada Khayal.1969) treats Basant Mukhari squarely as a variety of Bhairav, virtually ignoring the Bhairavi facet in the upper tetrachord. He appears to adopt an Ahir Bhairav bias in the treatment of the raga in the lower tetrachord, and allows Malkauns to influence his treatment of the upper tetrachord, thus imparting an almost melancholy quality to the Raga.

Pt. Ravi Shankar has been performing Basant Mukhari since the late 1950's, and has consistently favoured the Bhairav oriented approach to this Raga. In a recent recording, his interpretation (BRI,1991) is predominantly Ahir Bhairav oriented, with a touch of Jogia. The Raga form is well integrated, with no overt effort at isolating the Bhairavi facet of the Raga for special attention.

Basant Mukhari is also a long-time favourite with Ustad Ali Akbar Khan. In his most recent recording (Chhanda Dhara: SNCD:3386), the Ustad has presented this Raga explicitly as a Jogia variant. Because of the strong Jogia orientation of the recording, the Bhairavi facet is almost missing. The sombre quality of the Bhairav facet is replaced by the "Viraha rasa" character of Jogia.


Ustad Mohammad Hussain Sarahang (GHAZAL in BASANT MUKHARI)

In one of his published concerts, Pt. Hari Prasad Chaurasiya (EMI: STC: 851041) has opted for a treatment which is more light than classical, ignoring the explicit influence of both, Bhairav, and Bhairavi. One can see shades of Raga Jogia and Raga Jaunpuri/Asavari in the phrasing. But, the kaleidoscopic melodic patterns woven around the basic theme, which are appropriate for a semi-classical treatment, prevent any of these aural images from stabilising in the listener's mind.

The earliest record of Ustad Vilayat Khan performance of Basant Mukhari is a concert of 1963 (unpublished). The recording reflects a serious, and balanced treatment of the Bhairav and Bhairavi facets of this Raga. However, in a later recording of the same raga for India Archive Music (late 1990's), Ustad Vilayat Khan has allowed the raga to tilt towards its Bhairavi facet, especially in the faster movements.

After recording this raga for India Archive Music in 2001, the sarangi maestro, Ustad Abdul Lateef Khan told me that, in his youth, he was taught this raga as Hijaz Bhairav. But, since nobody today knew the raga by its original name, he decided to announce it as Basant Mukhari whenever he performed it. His rendering of it adopts a serious, Bhairav-biased approach to the raga form. The interpretation makes no attempt at the isolation of the Bhairavi and Bhairav elements in the two tetrachords. Basant Mukhari is presented as an independent raga, and comes through as one of the many cousins of Bhairav.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNpXlOT0Ryk&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL
Niladri Kumar-Sitar Raag Basant Mukhari-Gat

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-6JO57SPUc&feature=related
Basant Mukhari-played by veteran artist Sri Hindol Mazumder on sarod

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cN85NLq-MAY&feature=related
Pandit Jasraj - Raag Basant Mukhari

In its totality, Abdul Lateef’s treatment of the raga is close to that of vocalist Ustad Ameer Khan. Interestingly, Abdul Lateef hailed from Bhopal, and Ameer Khan from culturally contiguous Indore. Is it, then, possible that the musical culture of the Central Provinces had somehow kept the old raga, Hijaz Bhairav alive? This would explain not only the similarity of the two interpretations, but also the aesthetic coherence and maturity of their melodic entities, compared to the divergent interpretations of the Carnatic raga.

It appears that the majority view favours a Bhairav family bias in the treatment, with shades of Jogia and Ahir Bhairav being considered permissible. Within this consensus, however, the handling of this raga in the Hindustani tradition exhibits a wide range -- from the very solemn pure Bhairav orientation to a light-classical treatment going well beyond the melodic liberalism of the contemporary Bhairavi. Since the maturity of the Hijaz Bhairav source has been lost, its reinvention as Basant Mukhari appears still to be in search of a stable Hindustani identity.

Basant Mukhari is not unique in this respect. It is true that some Carnatic ragas, like Kalavati, Hansadhwani and Abhogi, have by now acquired a stable melodic character in Hindustani music. But, there are several others -- such as Vachaspati, Saraswati, Salagvarali, Jansammohini, Kirwani and Charukeshi – which can only be considered at an exploratory stage of adaptation by the Hindustani tradition.


O BASANTI PAWAN PAGAI
FILM : JIS DESH MEIN GANGA BEHTI HAI
PRODUCER : RAJ KAPOOR - DIRECTOR : RADHU KAMARKAR
LYRICS : SHAILENDRA, HASRAT JAIPURI - MUSIC : SHANKAR JAIKASHAN
STARS : RAJ KAPOOR, PADMINI, CHANCHAL, LALITA PAWAR, PRAN
SINGERS : LATA , MUKESH, MANNA DEY. ASHA, GEETA DUTT, MAHINDER KAPOOR

An interesting question arises here. What is the yardstick for determining when, and if, the Hindustani interpretation of a Carnatic raga is “satisfactory”? Is it sufficient for the interpretation to acquire a reasonable stability of melodic grammar in the Hindustani tradition? Or is it also important that Carnatic Vidwans should scrutinies and validate the Hindustani effort? The issue is debatable.

Deepak S. Raja
http://swaratala.blogspot.com/2007/05/raga-basant-mukhari-carnatic-raga.html

CONCERT! Saturday November 27, 8PM

Indian Classical Music performance at the Kleinart Gallery by notable sitarist Nayan Ghosh.
Pandit Nayan Ghosh is an Indian Tabla & Sitar player. Nayan Ghosh was born in Mumbai, Maharashtra to the legendary Tabla Maestro Padmabhushan Pandit Nikhil Ghosh, the founder of Sangeet Mahabharati. He was trained by his father, and practiced under the watchful eye of Ustad Ahmedjan Thirakwa, who lived with them for many years towards the end of his life in Mumbai. Nayan Ghosh is regarded by many as the greatest performer of the traditional tabla repertoire of the Farrukhabad style. He has accompanied many of the all-time greats, such as Pandit Ravi Shankar, Pandit Nikhil Banerjee, Ustad Vilayat Khan and Pandit Buddhadev Das Gupta. Presently he is also working as guest music professor in Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, where he teaches tabla, sitar and vocal music.



http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6705516992911074777&hl=en#


Accompanied by:
Ray Spiegel, Tabla
Ishaan Ghosh (son), Tabla

Klienert James Gallery
34 Tinker Street
Woodstock, NY 12498
Tel: 845.679.2926 or info@pondi.biz 
For more details: http://pondi.biz

Admission $15

About! The Kotali Gharana

The musical heritage of Kotali Gharana emerges from a unique historical background, that spans beyond a millennium. At that time King Chandra Burma used to rule over a wide area of southwest Bengal during the reign of emperor Samudragupta. Kotalipara in the Faridpur Zilla of East Bengal (presently Bangladesh) owes its origin to “Chandraburmankot”, erected circa 315 AD, the remains of which are still extant. “Kot” stands for fort, “Ali” signifies “wall and area surrounding the fort”, and “para” means a settlement or “a neighbourhood”.  Kotalipara was known as the second ‘Naimisharanya’ of India. It was inhabited predominantly by the Brahmins and was like a hermitage fostering advancement of the Sanskritic culture and philosophy in its various aspects. In the beginning there was a dearth of Sagnik Brahmins in this region. In 1019 AD Shyamal Burma (or Samal Burma), the king of this region invited Yashodhar Mishra, the son of Maheedhar Mishra of Kanyakubja and gave him 14 villages to settle down. In the following period on Shyamal Burma’s request Yashodhar  Mishra brought thirteen more Sgnik Brahmins from Kanauj. According to the “Vaidik Kuladeepika” Yashodhar Mishra retained Kotalipara, Samantasar and Chandradweep in his own account and settled there with some Brahmins of other Gotras. He distributed the other villages among the rest of the Brahmins to settle down.  He gave him fourteen villages for settling down. As far as history is concerned he retained Kotalipara for himself and settled down there. Gradually Kotalipara became a nucleus of musical and other cultural practices. Harihar Mishra, the 18th generation of Maheedhar Mishra received the title “Chakraborty” on performing the “Goshthipati Yag”. (Photo: Tarapada Chakraborty performing at 'Basanta Utsab', Mitali Sangha, Kolkata).

Various forms of music have been practised in this gharana from ancient times. Vaidik samgan, Marga/Natyageeti [Magadhi, Ardhamagadhee, Sambhaavita, Prithula and Dhruva] Prabandhageeti and many other kinds of ‘geet’ were in vogue. Later Biswambhar Chakraborty, a descendant of Harihar Chakraborty came in touch with the famous Veenkar and Rabaab player of his time, Saadik Ali Khan, son of the renowned Zafar Khan, a direct descendant of Tansen. Biswambhar learnt some dhrupad ‘Bandishes’ and ‘alaap’ as well as some Khayal bandishes through his  association with Saadik, his nephew, Kasim Ali Khan and his disciple, Ganesh Vajpeyee [Source: Kalidas Chakraborty, son of Nyayaratna Ramchandra Chakraborty]. Since Biswambhar Chakraborty was directly involved with the mainstream Hindustani classical music he was naturally drawn to Dhrupad and Khayal. A near contemporary of Bishwambhar Chakraborty and a descendant from another stream of this large family Taraprasanna Chakraborty became a disciple of Jadubhatta of the Bishnupur gharana. The two streams of Seni and Bishnupur gharana from these two sources were carried forward through Biswambhar’s son Sheetalchandra Chakraborty, and his sons Ramachandra (Nyayaratna) and Kulachandra. Ramachandra (Nyayaratna) during his official sojourn in Berili received Taalim from Jahur Khan of Khurja gharana. Jahur Khan in turn took lessons in Sanskrit from Ramchandra. Kulachandra too joined these musical sessions for a short time. Nyayaratna Ramachandra Chakraborty was the Dwar Pandit (court scholar) and a court singer at the state of Natore. Kulachandra had three sons the younger two being Tarapada Chakraborty and Haripada Chakraborty. Their elder brother died at a very early age.

Sangeetacharya Tarapada Chakraborty (1909-1975),
a phenomenon in the world of Hindustani Classical Music, is reckoned as one of the great musicians who dominated the field of Hindustani Classical Music in the middle of 20th century. Through his voice India heard a radical rhapsodic advent of a musical Renaissance in that era. The ethereal nuances of his voice enthrall listeners beyond time. His gayaki of khayal and his intrepid representation amongst the giants of the musical world those days such as Abdul Karim Khan, Faiyaz Khan, Omkarnath Thakur and figures alike enthroned him as the idol of modern Bengal. Born in April 1, 1909 Sangeetacharya Tarapada Chakraborty’s initial training  was  based on the inheritance of his family tradition- a tradition that dates back over a millennium to the reign of emperor Samudragupta. His ancestors, invited to settle down in the region that later came to be known as the Faridpur Zilla of East Bengal, presently Bangladesh, brought with them from Kanauj (U.P.) the mother forms of Hindustani Classical Music i.e., sham gaan, natya geeti and other forms of geets which were carried through ages in his family.
http://www.biswabratachakrabarti.com/audio/gujri_todi_192kbps.mp3
Tarapada’s preliminary training was under his father Kulachandra Chakraborty and uncle Nyayaratna Ramachandra Chakraborty. The latter was the Dwar Pandit (court scholar) and a court singer at the state of Natore. Later in Calcutta, Tarapada came to receive ‘taalim’ from Satkari Malakar, a pre-eminent exponent of the Gwaliar and Banaras gharana. He finally received taalim from Girija Shankar Chakraborty.  Girija Shankar Chakraborty was trained in various gharanas like Betia, Rampur, Jaipur, Seni, Banaras, Kirana, Agra, Delhi, and so on. http://www.tarapadachakraborty.com/biography.html

Manas Chakraborty, the son and disciple of Sangeetacharya Tarapada Chakraborty is a living legend in the realm of Hindustani Classical Music. With his multifaceted talent, creativity, intellectuality and philosophical views and research on other classical Gayaki of musical traditions, semi classical and folk-forms of India, in alliance with his own tradition opened a new vista in the Kotali gayaki. The Kotali gharana was named after the name of the place of its origin in the phase following 2000 by him in accordance with his father’s wish.

Pandit Bimalendu Chakrabarty, the son and disciple of Sangeetacharya Tarapada Chakraborty and father of Biswabrata Chakrabarty.

(C) Pandit Bimalendu Chakrabarty - Indian Classical Vocals Rag: Mian Ki Malhar - live Found at abmp3 search engine

Raag Mian Ki Malhar - Live

Shreela Bandyopdhyay, an able disciple and the eldest daughter of Sangeetacharaya Tarapada Chakraborty received training under her elder brother Manas Chakraborty too. She established herself as an outstanding vocalist of the Kotali Gharana. Haripada Chazkraborty and his elder son Bimalendu Chakraborty also received Taalim under Sangeetacharya Tarapada Chakraborty. Evidently Manas and Shreela were the prime ambassadors of this gharana who with their recitals kindled the light, essence and the multidimensional gayaki of this gharana in other parts of the world. Currently the vocal and instrumental artistes of this gharana are widely appreciated and established at home and abroad.

Biswabrata Chakraborty is the present generation of this great tradition. He was introduced to classical music by his grandfather, the legend Tarapada Chakraborty, in his early childhood. He started vocal training under his guidance; later on he was guided by his father, Pandit Bimalendu Chakraborty, uncle, Pandit Manas Chakraborty and aunt, Srimati Sreela Bandopadhyaya. He also studied tabla under the guidance of Pandit Basudev Mukherjee a disciple of Ustad Keramatulla Khan.
In the age of twelve years he was introduced to Sitar by his mother, Late Srimati Meena Chakraborty who was a fine Sitarist and was the student of Sitarist Pandit Santosh Bandopadhyaya, the disciple of Ustad Dabir Khan of Seni Gharana (school). He took his early lessons from his mother and Santosh Bandopadhyaya. Later on he started taking lessons from the Sitarist Pandit Ajoy Sinha Roy, the disciple of legendary Ustad Allauddin Khan and his son Ustad Ali Akbar Khan. In this period Biswabrata explored the styles and applications of these two great Gharanas (schools). But his father Pandit Bimalendu Chakrabarty consistently trained him and played a great role in the formation of this unique style what he is playing now. He was also deeply inspired by the experimental approach of his uncle Pandit Manas Chakraborty, who's constant training & guidance is invaluable in his making. .http://www.biswabratachakrabarti.com/sitarist/

Tribute! Pandit Sawai Gandharva

Sawai Gandharva 
accompanying 
Abdul Karim Khan

Rambhau Kundgolkar (1886 - September 12, 1952), popularly known as Sawai Gandharva , was a well known Hindustani vocalist. He was a disciple of Ustad Abdul Karim Khan and helped popularize the Kirana Gharana. Sawai Gandharwa was born in Kundgol, twenty km south of Hubli, in Karnataka in 1886. Although not from a musical family, he developed a keen interest in music. He started his training in classical music under the tutelage of Ustad Abdul Karim Khan. Rambhau did not complete his musical education.

His father, Ganesh Saunshi, was a local clerk employed by Ranganagowda Nadiger, a landlord. Early on, Pt. Gandharva did not show interest in academics by progressed in school through the admiration his teachers had for how "sweetly" he sung poems. Later, he was admitted to Lamington High School in Hubli which he would travel to everyday by train. Pt. Gandharva's father found it increasingly difficult to fund his son's education and eventually his schooling stopped.

After discontinuing his education, Pt. Gandharva's father put him under the tutelage of Balwantrao Kolhatkar who found himself in Kundgol. From Kolhatkar, Pt. Gandharva learned 75 Dhrupad compositions, 25 compositions, a hundred other compositions and a mastered a few TaranaTaals. Kolhatkar passed away in 1898, leaving Pt. Gandharva's tutelage incomplete and without guidance.

To Listen: Raag Miya Malhar by Saway Gandharva:
http://pmoutal.free.fr/sawaigandharv_miyamalhar.mp3

In traveling to high school every day to Hubli, Pt. Gandharva would actively participate in the daily cultural events in Hubli, where he spent his time watching Nataks and listening to music. Once, he found himself listening to a young Utd. Abdul Karim Khan and was immediately captivated. From then onwards, Pt. Gandharva wished for the Ustad's tutelage. After Balwantrao Kolhatkar's passing, Utd. Abdul Karim Khan began touring Karnataka, where he often stayed with the Nadiger family, Pt. Gandharva's father's employer, whom Pt. Gandharva was staying with.

It was a time when Abdul Karim Khan, the founder of Kirana Gharana,was touring Karnataka. He would often stay with the Nadigers for days on end. On such a trip, Ramchandra hovered around Abdul Karim Khan, humming jamunaa ke teer, the Ustad’s Bhairavi cheez. It caught Abdul Karim Khan’s ear who asked, "Kaun hai yeh ladkaa? Galaa achchaa hai". Rangangowda Nadiger pounced upon this opportunity: " Ustadji, he is our clerk’s son. He wants to learn music from you". "Yeh baath hai tho chalo hamaare saath". Fortune smiled on Ramchandra. This was in 1901. Abdul Karim Khan did not want his name to be spoilt by disciples learning haphazardly. He made a contract with them that they would learn from him for at least 8 years.

Rambhau did not complete his musical education. Against the wishes of his teacher, he joined a drama company and became popular as a singer in Marathi theatre. He worked for Govindrao Tembe's Shivraj Natak Mandali for some time, becoming famous for playing female roles. Although he became a well known classical vocalist, his most enduring legacy is that he trained great artists who would carry on the name of the Kirana Gharana, like Gangubai Hangal, Bhimsen Joshi, and Feroze Dastur. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sawai_Gandharva).

Sawai Gandharva, rare song "TILANG"

The Sawai Gandharva Music Festival 2010
will be organized at Ramanbaug New English School ground from December 9 to 12. The Sawai Gandharva Sangeet Mahotsav (informally, Sawai Gandharva) is one of the most prominent and sought-after Indian classical music festivals in India. Held in the city of Pune since 1952, this festival was founded by the Arya Sangeet Prasarak Mandal and was led and organized each year by Pt. Bhimsen Joshi until 2002. Since then, Pt. Joshi’s son, Shrinivas Joshi, and disciple, Shrikant Deshpande have had a major hand in organizing this event. The festival commemorates the life, legacy, and achievements of Pt. Sawai Gandharva. Arya Sangeet Prasarak Mandal, which organises the festival, said that music lovers from across the world were expected at the event as this was the 125th birth year of Pt Bhimsen Joshi’s guru Rambhau Kundgolkar alias Sawai Gandharva. For full program: http://www.sawaigandharvasangeetmahotsav.com/programmeon.html





Sawai Gandharva, Raag Puriya Dhanashree

Live Broadcast! Phenomenal Kaushiki Desikan Chakrabarty

Kaushik performing in London in 2005, after she received the BBC3 World Music Award

On Tuesday 23 November 2010 at 23.05 PM (5.05 PM/USA), German public radio WDR3 portrays phenomenal raga-singer Kaushiki Desikan Chakrabarty from Calcutta!  

WDR3 Radio: http://www.wdr3.de/open-soundworld/details/artikel/bengalische-nachtigall.html.

 

Kaushiki was blessed with the rare gift of a melodious voice and extreme musical potential which was given shape by her Guru, parents and her unflinching practice and dedication throughout the years.

At Sangeet Research Academy, her birth place, she grew up amidst the greatest stalwarts of music. Her musical talent was noticed even before she was a toddler, as she could reproduce any musical note which she was asked to sing. Her mother Smt. Chandana Chakrabarty an accomplished singer herself, took up the task of training Kaushiki in the initial stages, thus being her first Guru. Since music was in her genes, the task of further enhancement of her musical understanding and knowledge was taken over by none other than her illustrious father Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty. Following the age old tradition Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty took Kaushiki to his mentor and guide, Guru Jnan Prakash Ghosh,who accepted her as a “ Ganda Bandh Shagird” (Formal Disciple). Kaushiki’s exceptional talent was ably groomed under the magical tutelage of Guru Jnan Prakash Ghosh. It was the influence of Guru Jnan Prakash Ghosh which instilled in little Kaushiki’s heart that the path to musical excellence was not only technical brilliance but philosophical realization and devotion. 

 As the years passed by she was selected as a scholar at ITC Sangeet Research Academy in her early teenage under the guidance of her father since when the journey began. During this time ,the Guru, the Father and a performer par excellence, Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty guided her to several platforms all over India and abroad and imparted the invaluable musical knowledge along with art of performance and the different aspects of complete musicianship. During her early days as a performer she was privileged to share platform with maestros like Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia, Pt.Bhimsen Joshi, Ustad Zakir Hussain, Ustad Rashid Khan as a scholar of ITC SRA. Her “ RIYAAZ” under the guidance of her father turned Kaushiki from a child prodigy to the only A-TOP grade scholar, then at ITC SRA.

Bagesree
Ragesree
Ragrsree Drut Ektaal
Dhrupad

Prestigious music festivals like the Dover Lane Music Conference, Harballabh Sangeet Sammelan, Alauddin Khan Sangeet sammelan (Maihar), Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan Yadgaar Sabha (Delhi), Sangeet Natak Academy (Patna), Swar Utsav (Delhi) and many more have seen Kaushiki performing before connoisseurs and august gatherings. In her recent array of concerts she has performed in Sawai Gandharv, Saptak Festival, Shankarlal Festival (Delhi) and the Dover Lane Festival this year was the sixth year performance in a row.

Her musical horizons have not been limited to the boundaries of India but has been expanded to the global audience. Music lovers from countries like USA. Europe, England have highly regarded and acclaimed Kaushiki’s artistry.

Kaushiki Chakrabarty - excerpt from raag Multani - Amsterdam April 15 2007
On tabla: Subhashish Bhattacharjee, on harmonium: Vyasmurti Anandteerth Katti

A reflection of this came through many awards of which the most coveted was the BBC Radio 3 World Music Awards. Kaushiki's excellent renditions in her albums FOOTSTEPS, THE JOURNEY BEGINS, SWAR SADHNA,PURE AND HAMARO PRANAAM have won the heart of many a listener all over the world. She has rendered her mellifluous voice in the same album along with the Nightingale of India,  Lata Mangeshkar titled VANDE MATARAM 2. Recently she has also recorded a number for A.R.Rahman in the famous Oscar nominated film WATER. 

She also has a successful academic career with a first class first position in both Bachelors and Masters in philosophy in 2005. http://www.kaushiki.net/about.html

CONCERTS! Sunday November 21

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 21 @ 6:00 PM

Chhandayan Center for Indian Music presents a Sitar concert with Maestro:

Pt. Nayan Ghosh.

Pandit Nayan Ghosh is an Indian Tabla & Sitar player. Nayan Ghosh was born in Mumbai, Maharashtra to the legendary Tabla Maestro Padmabhushan Pandit Nikhil Ghosh, the founder of Sangeet Mahabharati. He was trained by his father, and practiced under the watchful eye of Ustad Ahmedjan Thirakwa, who lived with them for many years towards the end of his life in Mumbai. Nayan Ghosh is regarded by many as the greatest performer of the traditional tabla repertoire of the Farrukhabad style. He has accompanied many of the all-time greats, such as Pandit Ravi Shankar, Pandit Nikhil Banerjee, Ustad Vilayat Khan and Pandit Buddhadev Das Gupta. Presently he is also working as guest music professor in Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, where he teaches tabla, sitar and vocal music. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6705912558216557503#docid=6705516992911074777

Accompanied by Samir Chatterjee - tabla

Chhandayan Center for Indian Music

4 West 43 Street # 618 (5/6 Ave), New York, NY www.tabla.org

Tickets: $20, $16 (students and seniors with valid ID)   

• SUNDAY NOVEMBER 21 @ 8:00 PM

  "Conversations in Taal"  is a world music project lead by sitarist GARGI SHINDE

  featuring noted international guest artists as pianists Rod Williams, Adam Klipple, drummer Mark Johnson, Flamenco danseuse La Conja and Indian classical dancer, Aditi Bhagwat. The project uses rhythmic percussion cycles or "Taal" to bridge the tradition of Indian classical music with jazz. With exciting original compositions, visual and rhythmic confluence of dance and music, and improvisational moments among musicians on stage, "Conversations in Taal" is a unique collaboration among veteran and future NYC jazz & world music artists that brings together artists and audiences across cultures and musical tastes.

  Guest artist Gwen Laster on Violin

  the dazzling Kathak danseuse Aditi Bhagwat on foot percussion - she is not to be missed!
  Featuring Bassist & Composer Masataka Odaka.

  
  Tenri Japanese Institute
  43 West 13 Street
  New York, NY
  http://www.reverbnation.com/conversationsintaal#!

Fairwell! Indrayudh Bose

We've learned of the sudden and tragic passing of young violinist Indrayudh Bose! Our sincere condolences to his family. 

Indrayudh Bose was a North Indian Classical Violinist from Kolkata (India) belonging to Senia Maihar gharana. Indrayudh has grown up in a musical environment. His mother, Mily Bose was an eminent violinist and a disciple of famous Indian Classical violinist Smt. Sisirkana Dharchowdhury. Inspired by his illustrious mother, Indrayudh started learning violin as early as from at the age of eight. A young man of thirty, he was one of the leading North Indian Classical violinists of his generation in the country. He participated in many of the prestigious music festivals of the country and performed in Bharatiya Bidya Bhavan, U.K., Indian Embassy, Berlin, in few concerts in Munich, in Constanz and in few other places, in Strasbourg and in Paris and other places. http://www.classicol.com/violin/IndrayudhBose.cfm. 

You can listen to some of his recordings:
http://wn.com/North_Indian_Classical_Violin



Indrayudh Bose Raga- Shree, Jor
Triveni Auditorium, Delhi Organised by NAVARATNA in memory of MILY BOSE

CONCERTS! Saturday November 20 in NYC...

For complete list of Concerts & Events, check our website!
http://www.harmonyom.org/concerts__events

• SATURDAY NOVEMBER 20 @ 10:00 AM

  
  14th Saraswathi Award Festival 2010
  

  Competitions Start at 10:00 AM.

  Presentation Ceremony at 6:00 PM - Saraswathi Award Winners Performance.

  
  

  A Competition for Indian Children who live in the

  United States & Canada. For the Age Group 4 to 20.

  Every Participant Receives Trophy:

  Indian Language Song

  Classical Song

  Folk Dance

  Classical Dance

  Instrumental Music

  
  

  The Queens High School of Teaching

  74-20 Commonwealth Blvd (Corner of Union Tpke & Commonwealth Blvd)

  Bellerose, NY 11426.

  E-Mail: saraswathiawards@gmail.com

  Jojo Thomas (516) 455-9739

  FREE ADMISSION 
  
    

  SATURDAY NOVEMBER 20 @ 3PM to 8PM 

  Ragachitra presents RagaChitra's 6th Annual Day Celebrations with diner and light music. 
  
  RagaChitra Students have a line up of wonderful performances - classical (Carnatic) & light music and classical dances. All welcome! www.ragachitra.org

   Tamil Cultural Center, Tamil Church 

  79-11 Caldwell Avenue,
  

  Middle Village, NY 11379.

  
  
  

  
  

  
  

• SATURDAY NOVEMBER 20 @ 5PM

  Kalavant Center presents Indian Music!
• Javed Khan - Sitar 
  Neermala Balkaran - Vocal 
  Joe Kaminski - Trumpet
  Ustad Kadar Khan - Tabla
  Imran Khan - Tabla  
  
  St. Mark's Church (in the Bowery)
  10th St, 2nd Ave
  New York, NY 10003
  More information: www.kalavant.org Call: 212-475-2348
  Tickets: $35, $20

   

   

  SATURDAY NOVEMBER 20 @ 6:30 PM

  SangeetSabha proudly presents Tabla Solo by

  Pt. Nayan Ghosh accompanied by Pt. Ramesh Mishra on Sarangi.
  
  

  One of India's front-ranking Tabla players, Pandit Nayan Ghosh is widely acknowledged as a brilliant soloist and a refined accompanist. The hallmarks of his musicianship are a ringing tonal resonance, powerful yet superfine dexterity and an enviable traditional repertoire of the Farukhabad, Delhi, Ajrada and Lucknow styles. He has received intensive and immaculate training from his late father, the renowned maestro 'Padmabhushan' Pandit Nikhil Ghosh, who was considered an important figure in the Indian music scene of the 20th century. Nayanji's elder uncle was the legendary flautist Pannalal Ghosh. Nayanji grew up listening to such maestros like Ustad Ahmedjan Thirakwa, Ustad Amir Hussain Khan, Ustad Jahangir Khan, Ustad Habibuddin Khan, Ustad Inam Ali Khan and several others.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0MAXPEt0oc

  
  

  Also, thrilled to present the emerging young talent, Ishaan Ghosh, student and son of Nayan Ji on Tabla, making his solo NYC debut.

  
  Helen Mills Theater
  
  

  139 West 26 Street (6/7 Aves)

  New York, NY 10001

  http://www.eventbrite.com/event/774577783/efblike

  Tickets: $20, $35, $50
  
  

   

  SATURDAY NOV. 20 @ 7:30 PM

  Chhandayan Center for Indian Music presents a vocal concert by: 

  
  

  Smt. Suchismita Das - vocal

  Sri Kedarnath Havaldar – tabla,

  Sri Sandeep Jadoonandan - harmoium

  
  

  Chhandayan Center for Indian Music 

  4 West 43 Street # 618 (5/6 Ave), New York, NY www.tabla.org

  Tickets: $20, $16 (students and seniors with valid ID)

Fairwell! Pt. Rambhau Bijapure

Pt. Rambhau Bijapure of Belgaum, Karnataka - one of the greatest doyens of Harmonium solo, accompaniment and education, passed away today Friday November 19, 2010 at the age of 93. (Photo courtesy of Prof. M.Sridhar Murthy, Bangalore)

Pt. Rambhau Bijapure "The Pied Piper" - By Kedar Naphade 
Here is a great article wrote by Kedar Naphade (an exponent of the art of harmonium solo and accompaniment) a few months ago and a brief video recording of his performance that he just uploaded: 

Very recently the fourth annual harmonium conference or "Harmonium Habba", held under the auspices of the Bijapure Harmonium foundation (chaired by Dr. Ravindra Katoti) concluded successfully in Bangalore. Reading about this conference as well as hearing first hand accounts from my guruji Pt. Tulshidas Borkar and my dear friend Dr. Ravindra Katoti brought to me a sense of peaceful satisfaction and happiness, a sentiment of warmth and contentment about the success of this even.

I personally know a lot of artists who performed there this year. My guruji's performance was the concluding event - the most respected slot in the conference. An instrumental ensemble consisting of the harmonium, guitar and sarangi as well as harmonium-flute duet were some of the successful recitals during this conference. All these were certainly some of the reasons for my happiness, but surely, these were not just it! Why, the artists who performed here perform often at other places as well - and those concerts are successful as well. My guruji performed the concluding event, but then I have heard him perform in person in small and large concerts many times before and experienced his soulful and emotive music at much closer quarters. Besides, this event was staged a couple of oceans away from me, and I had no direct or indirect involvement in it. So why then, did I experience this odd and inexplicable feeling of unnecessary happiness?

Pt. Rambhau Bijapure - Raag Desh - Madhyalay Teental performed during Harmonium Habba, 2007 - Bangalore.

As I pondered this question today, the answer came to me. This conference is a tribute to the lifetime achievements of the nonagenarian Pt. Rambhau Bijapure of Belgaum, a quintessential artist, venerable guru and while we are blissfully trading cliches, a gem of a personl with a heart of gold. The conference is a strong representation of the deep guru-bhakti of Dr. Ravindra Katoti and his team and of the Guru-Shishya paramparaa which is the cornerstone of our music. And that is what gives me greater happiness than the success of that event. The fact that the legacy of this great guru is being carried forth through this conference; that he witnesses it today with his own eyes with what probably is a sense of satisfaction and quiet accomplishment; that he will not be relegated to join the ranks of those who are forgotten or "discovered" only after they are no more.

I have had the privilege of meeting Pt. Bijapureji - or Rambhau as I tend to think of him, several times over the last 10-15 years. Rambhau is from the pleasant town of Belgaum, which sits at the border of Maharashtra and Karnataka, and benefits from the great musical traditions of both Dharwad, which lies just over an hour to its south and Kolhapur, just over an hour to its north. As luck would have it, I married a lass from this balmy burg of Belgaum and fortuitously, her father, a college professor in economics, turned out to have been a student of Rambhau on and off over the last several decades.

The first time I met Rambhau was in 1997, a couple of years after my marriage, when I had gone to visit my in-laws in Belgaum. I had heard of Rambhau from my guruji. I had also heard his student Dr. Sudhanshu Kulkarni accompanying accompanying Mrs. Veena Sahasrabuddhe when she had toured the US in the 90s. So I was naturally curious to meet him.

My father-in-law took me to his house; he greeted us in the ground floor living room of his modest bungalow. Rambhau has an imposing, and somewhat daunting personality and I was rather intimidated when I first saw him. He casts quite the majestic impression at first sight! He is a very tall man with angular and conspicuous long features. He has protruding ears that almost look like that of Lord Ganesh and surprisingly long fingers that cause you to think, no wonder this man is an artist. He has crystal clear and authoritative diction. His bold and bulging eyes convey that this is no ordinary man and the spark within them betrays his brilliance. His expressive face carries the clear signs of wisdom - wisdom arising from decades of artistic and life experience. There is a belief that people with extraordinary brilliance, artistry and talent often have an extraordinary appearance - he is certainly a living example fo such a phenomenon.

Shortly after we met him on the ground floor of his house, he asked us to accompany him upstairs to the second level. We walked up the stairs on the outside of the house and crossed a small terrace, into a smallish room with an even smaller foyer. This is the space where he teaches his students. I assumed that the reason he wanted us to go upstairs, was that it was quieter there, his great grandchild was playing downstairs. So imagine my surprise, when after just a few minutes of small talk, he took his harmonium out, and asked me to play for him.

Rambhau was born in 1917, so at that time he was 80 years old. I, on the other hand, was just in my mid twenties. He had been teaching and performing since 1938, for almost 60 years. I had barely started my musical career. To say that I was a mere pup compared to him would be a pathetic understatement. Further, in all my experience prior to that day or for that matter after that day, whenever I went to visit other senior artist and pay my respects, the visits were only social and I do not recall anyone asking me to play for them - especially so in the very first visit.

It should be no surprise then, that his unexpected command for me to play for him caused me a sudden feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach. On the one hand, I was exhilarated that he actually wanted to hear me play, and on the other, I was a nervous wreck. However, this down to earth manner, encouraging tone and inviting smile helped sooth my frayed nerves a little. I took a deep breath and started tuning the tanpura. That day, I played a short Raag Madhuvanti - probably for 15 minutes or so. He complimented me on my taalim (education) and taiyyari (command) and encouraged me to continue learning and growing as an artist.

Emboldened by his encouragement and friendliness, I summoned up courage and moved the harmonium toward him, requesting him to play a little something. I was half expecting that he would be offended at my brash request, or make some excuse, ask for forgiveness given his age, lack of physical strength etc. To my great surprise and thrill, he was very courteous and despite being tired and a little short of breath, he acquiesced and played for me a short piece for about ten minutes. I was ecstatic! I didn't know what to be more overjoyed about - the fact that this great artist had heard me play for 15 minutes, or that he had himself played exclusively for me!!

What is weird though, is that today, I do not remember what Raag or bandish he played at that time. What I do remember, is how magical his touch on the harmonium was, how clear it was to me in the very first phrases he played, that I was in the presence of a man blessed with a unique artistic spark and how he transported me within minutes, to the very heart of the Raag he was playing. Even today, I can close my eyes and go back to that moment and relive it. It was akin to being led by the Pied Piper into the magical kingdom. I do not remember the tune he played, but can re-experience at will, the magnetic pull of his music.

After I got back home, I immediately called my guruji and recounted the enchanting experience I had just had. My guruji corroborated my impressions - of the spark and magic of Rambhau's soft touch on the harmonium.

Rambhau is one of those rare harmonium players of his generation, who took the effort to truly learn Raag-Daari. 

His first Guru was Vidwan Hannikeri Mallyya. He took further training in harmonium from Pt. Rajwade, Shri Govindrao Gaikwad and Pt. Hanmantrao Walwekar. He also learned vocal music from stalwarts like Pt. Ramkrishnabua Vaze, Pt. Shivrambua Vaze, Pt. Kagalkarbua, and Pt. Utturkarbua.

In some ways, his five-minute recital of the Raag that he played for me, reminded me of the three-minute HMV recordings of Pt. Ramkrishnabua Vaze. One of the hallmarks of these recordings is that Vazebua instantaneously creates the ambience and atmosphere of a Raag. He immediately drowns you in the essnece of the Raag. There is no duality between Vazebua and the Raag. It's almost as though the Raag Himself is conversing with you. The medium of Vazebua ceases to exist.

In a similar manner, Rambhau's style of introducing a Raag is so full of drama and so poignant that it cannot fail to grip you. Lesser artists worship the Raag, beckon it, plead with it, caress it, slowly try to woo it and eventually, if the Raag is pleased with their worship, He may join them in a mystical duet! But not Rambhau... he is among the few who command the Raags they play, can invoke their spirit and have them spring joyously into full bloom at a moment's notice.

The artists that Rambhau has accompanied over the entire course of the 20^th century constitute a veritable who's who of Hindustani Classical Music - Pt. Ramkrishnabua Vaze, Pt. Mallikarjun Mansoor, Pt. Kumar Gandharva, Pt. Bhimsen Joshi, Smt. Gangubai Hangal, Pt. Basavraj Rajguru, Smt. Manik Verma, Smt. Kishori Amonkar, Smt. Malini Rajurkar, Dr. Prabha Atre and many others. In spite of his amazing artistry, Rambhau chose to spend most of his career rooted in the small town of Belgaum and dedicated himself to a life of teaching. Today, if there is one thing that might give him an occassional pang of regret, it is probably the implications of his chosen path on his place in the limelight. Other than to the musicians of yesteryears, he remained a little known artist from a small town, and did not enjoy the national fame that other high profile harmonium players did.

Subsequent to our first meeting in 1997, I have had the privilege of seeing Rambhau multiple times during the last 13 years. Every time we met, I have played for him and every time he has been very encouraging and has given me his blessings.

Pt. Rambhau Bijapure blessing Kedar Naphade, also in picture - Dr. Sudhanshu Kulkarni. Aug 2009, Belgaum, Karnataka, India.

My latest visit to Belgaum in August 2009 though, was especially memorable. I had the chance to spend 3-4 days with Rambhau. My guruji was in Belgaum on the first day and he and I visited Rambhau together. Seeing these two great artists interact informally with each other, away from the public eye, was a treat. There were no false pretenses or airs, no dramatic exaggerations or mutual sycophancy. The conversation was filled with genuine mutual respect, and being a fly on the wall was a treat. As they say, गुनी गुनी जाने - It takes one great man to recognize another.

In this same trip, I also had the privilege of meeting his students Dr. Ravindra Katoti, Dr. Sudhanshu Kulkarni, his son Saarang Kulkarni and the vocalist Shri Shreedhar Kulkarni. I heard all of them perform and immensely enjoyed each and every performance. I got to know all of them on a personal level and was touched by their warmth and their true devotion fo their guru. This man has created a great tradition, sincere students who are respected performers and are continuing to further teach and create more artists.

A few days later, Pt. Bijapure, Dr. Katoti, Shri Shreedhar Kulkarni, and Shri Narayan Ganachari (tabla artist) all visited us at my in-law's house. 
Dr. Katoti traveled all the way from Bangalore to join this informal get together. We had planned to perform for each other, enjoy the valuable "लेन देन" - give and take or exchange of musical knowledge that invariably happens when open minded artists get together.

Dr. Katoti played a touching Puriya Kalyan that day followed by Shri Shreedhar Kulkarni who sang Maru-Bihag. He sang in the typical Gwalior gharana style, in Madhya-laya Tilwada, ably supported by Shri Narayan Ganachari on table. In his recital, he demonstrated excellent command over the Raag, the taal and showcased some very speical elements of Gwalior gayaki. Up until that point, I did not know who he had learnt from, so I asked him. He said he had learnt from Bijapureji until he was 30 years of age and only after that had he sought guidance from Pt. Yashwantbua Joshi. This was quite a revelation to me! Many instrumentalists learn from vocalists, with vocal music being the foundation of most instrumental performances. However, I had not come across an artist of the level of accomplishment of Shri Shreedhar Kulkarni, who had received all his basic training from an instrumentalist. This showcased to me a hitherto unknown unique dimension of Pt. Bijapure's career as a teacher and musician.

Just after Shreedharji's recital, we were hit by Murphy's law; "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong"! The benevolent Belgaum municipal corporation had decided that there was no better time for a electric power shutdown in our neighborhood, than when Pt. Bijapure was just about to start his harmonium solo recital. I was really distressed - how could we conclude the mehfil that day without it being blessed by at least a few minutes of Rambhau's harmonium?

So we brought out the spare flash lights, converted a table into a light stand and in spite of the lack of electricity, lovingly requested, nay insisted that Rambhau play for us. At that time he was 92 years old. It was the end of a long day. It was annoying that there was no power. Dinner was ready and served. His great grandchild who was also there was getting restless. There were a dozen reasons for which he could have politely declined and asked to call it a day, rather than play in the dark, battling mosquito bites. But as they say, those that are steeped in knowledge are also steeped in humility.

In that near darkness, he performed for us a few minutes of Bhairvai in his inimitable dramatic style - luring us, taking us into the Raag and trapping us in its enchanting environs, as only he can. I will forever remember the sense of awe, enchantment and sheer respect I felt for this great man that day and cherish the precious moments I was able to spend with him. I wish him continued health and happiness in this last phase of his life and congratulate his able students for continuing to carry his legacy forward.

Such articles are written often about great artists when listeners and music lovers like me are overwhelmed and driven to express their emotions through the power of their pens. However words fall woefully short of being able to convey the full import of the experience and the sentiment to the readers. As I re-read this article, I am struck with the same impression - but in this case, I am lucky. I do not have to depend purely on my words.

In spite of the lack of electric power and bright light in the room, I have a crude video recording of Pt. Bijapure ji's performance from that mystical night. There was hardly any light to speak of. I was recording this with a photo camera, not a professional video camera. I am hardly a professional videographer. The video is grainy. The sound is not exactly pristine as there were no microphones and the sound was also captured through the same photo camera that doubled as a camcorder. There is the occasional external sound in the video that is unavoidable when you are in a house that's on a moderately busy thoroughfare, rather than being a soundproof studio.

However in spite of all these flaws in the video, I have watched it over and over for the last year or so and every time it has brought a smile of wonder to my lips.

It gives me great pleasure to share it with you - the video of that dark night in Belgaum, where, Rambhau performed for a few of us, his loving students and admirers and entranced us with his Bhairavi...

http://www.kedarnaphade.com/articles/thepiedpiper.html