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Wednesday, August 3, 2011

NCPA Umang | Khelo Khelo Nandalal

The NCPA has started the NCPA Umang Series to provide a much-needed showcase for promising new talent. In August 2011, we feature Radhika Sood Nayak and Milind Tulankar.

Radhika Sood Nayak initially trained in vocal music at the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya in Delhi and is currently training under Sushila Rani Patel of the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana. She has many public performances and a Sur Mani award to her credit.

Milind Tulankar was influenced by his grandfather, late Shankar Kanhere to take up this unusual instrument – Jaltarang. He is presently a disciple of Shahid Parvez, the renowned sitarist. He has received several accolades, both national as well as from the music fraternity. He has toured the world over and his professional repertoire includes performances, music training and composing.

Both artistes will include in their presentation, compositions celebrating the eternal beauty and divinity of Lord Krishna.



Supported by Narotam Sekhsaria Foundation

Admission on a first-come-first-served basis (NCPA members will get preferential seating)


For more info.
http://www.ncpamumbai.com/event/ncpa-umang-khelo-khelo-nandalal

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Indian classical music not losing market: Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia

Seasoned flautist with over 50 years of experience, Padma Vibhushan Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia regaled the aficionados of Indian classical music with yet another memorable performance in the city. As he signed autographs and blessed music lovers, TOI caught up with the maestro:

Q. Many veteran musicians in the country have voiced their concern over how Indian classical music is losing out to the more popular forms. What is your view?

A. I don't think Indian classical music is losing its market. It is heartening, in fact, when young children participate in such events. When I played `Vaishnav Jan' for the children in the audience, asked them to identify the song and then to sing it, I was nearly confident no one would come forward to sing. The children, however, proved me wrong. It shows little girls and boys are as appreciate of classical music as older people. They just have to be shown the way.

Q. What, in your opinion, should be done in order to promote Indian classical music?

A. When I landed in Lucknow and was driven from the airport to the hotel, it didn't feel like the old Lucknow at all. It was a pleasure to see the changed skyline of the city and how the monuments and parks had metamorphosed it into some new and grand. My request to the government is that Indian music needs to be treated in a similar manner. They need to create robust infrastructure, with trained teachers and music institutions, to promote classical music. I promise you, there will be plenty of takers.

Q. Promoting Indian classical music among the youth is a recurring concern among most practitioners of Indian music. Are reality shows on television the answer?

A. Not at all. In fact, I think television channels have used children and these shows to further their businesses. For them, these shows are little more than commercial ventures. At an age when children should receive formal training, in school or in music gurukuls, they are sitting in studios being coated in layers of makeup.

There is plenty of talent; which needs to be channelised. Participating in reality TV cannot help children take up music as a viable career option, proper training and 'riyaaz' can.

Q. With an upsurge in these shows, have more children started approaching your Vrindavan Gurukul for classical training?

A. No. The Gurukul receives a steady flow of students who are committed to learning various forms of Indian classical music. These are people who regard music as a passion.

Q. Are many students learning the art of playing the flute, as opposed to other musical instruments?

A. I am happy to say that they are. The reason is that flutes are far more affordable than most other instruments. As a result, many students choose the flute. Of course, like any other instrument, the flue too, takes years of practice to master.

Pandit Madhav Gudi - Exclusive interview

Pandit Madhav Gudi is a rich fund of knowledge about Pandit Bhimsen Joshi and the Kirana gharana. He talks about the joys and agonies of living with a genius, and his need to move out of the master's shadow



"He is a genius," says Pandit Madhav Gudi of his guru Pandit Bhimsen Joshi. "He would have excelled in anything... if he had taken up mathematics he would have been a genius in that subject."

Gudi hails from Dharwad. He was 14 when he first heard Joshi in a play. He memorised Joshi's songs, and and sang them in his presence. Joshi accepted him as a student in 1963. Gudi lived in Pune as part of Joshi's family for 26 years. That makes him Joshi's most trusted disciple, and the richest source of knowledge about the life and times of one of the greatest musicians of this century.

Many music lovers believe Gudi's art has suffered because of his adoration of his guru. "He blindly imitates Joshi," is a common complaint. Gudi admits it is difficult to move out of Joshi's shadow. He says he mistakenly believed that he should not only sing but also "sit, stand, walk and talk" like his guru. "I must now do my own independent work," he says, simply.

When I met him at his disciple's house in Bangalore, he spoke for more than an hour and answered my questions with warmth. He spoke about his guru, and his long, eventful years with him. He described in awe the greatness of his gharana. Not once did he sound bitter about getting a raw deal from his guru, the government, or anyone. That other quality he is famous for -- a cheerful, childlike simplicity -- shone through.

Musicians generally feel Kirana has been more influential than other gharanas in the last 50 years or so.

This is true. My guru's practice was so perfect, especially with his guru Sawai Gandharva... He studied his guru's gayaki comprehensively. He completely absorbed what his guru's guru, Ustad Abdul Karim Khan, sang. Then he worked independently on what he had learnt. He had heard the Agra, Jaipur and Gwalior gharanas. Patiala also, Bade Ghulam Ali Khan... And Kesarbai Kerkar, Amir Khan... My guruji studied them, and took their best elements and made them his own. That is why wherever he goes in India he becomes instantly popular; he is accepted everywhere. In him you find a fine idea of beauty. Beauty in emotion, beauty in sound. And it is all set to laya. I have spent 26 years with him. He is great. That is why everyone likes the Kirana style. Wherever you go today, whoever sings in whatever gharana, you'll find something borrowed from my guru. As children, they are influenced, often unconsciously.

You mean Kirana became so popular because a great musician was born into it?

Yes. In the other gharanas, Mansur and Kumar Gandharva were great.

Would you say that Kirana gave up the raw vigour of other gharanas and changed traditional music to appeal to the modern mind? Or did the modern mind come to like this style because it was sung by a great musician?

My guru studied the Agra and Jaipur gharanas ... and created a style of his own. In those styles, layakari is important. He has taught me ... what is the layakari of Faiyaz Khan Sab, and the beauty of his layakari. The other gharanas did not change what they received. They sang what their gurus sang, ditto.

But then certain vigorous varieties of taans are not heard in Kirana.

My guru has said in his speeches that he was influenced by the Jaipur taan style. He also takes bandishes from other gharanas. If there's something good in you I should take it with an open mind. This much I can say. Kirana artistes choose the best bandishes.

What first attracted you to Joshi's music?

When I was very little, my guru used to act in Kannada plays like Bhagya Nidhiand Parivartana. A theatre man called Lakshman Rao Bendre used to write plays specially for my guru. My guru and his wife Vatsala acted together... they got married later. There is something great about the way my guru expresses feeling, the way he pronounces words. He used to sing Purandaradasa compositions like Mooruthiyanu niliso and Dayamaado Ranga. There is feeling in each note, and then feeling in each word.

Do you remember his drama songs?

Yes. (Sings snatches from Murali dhwaniya, Yaadava nee baa and Elemana Muraariyane kondado). When I was 14, my guru came to Dharwad. He was with his uncle G B Joshi, who ran the famous publishing house Manohar Granthmala, and the scholar Keerthinath Kurthakoti. He had had come for a programme. I played the tamboori for him. G B Joshi told him, "This boy sings, why don't you hear him?" He heard me, and blessed me. I asked him to teach me. He said I should do my matric so that I know a bit of English. I remember the other songs he sang. Haribhajane maado, Enna paaliso, and Jaladhara neeniru doora, naliva nabhadi tumbide sudha dhara

The first two are again Haridasa compositions. Is the last one a theatre song?

Yes.

What happened then? How did he teach you?

I went to him when I was 18. He sat before me and taught me. For five years he taught me only three ragas. Todi in the morning, Multani in the afternoon, and Puriya at night. Everything, from how I should hold a swara and what volume of sound I should produce... If I didn't learn something as he taught me, there was no going forward. I had to learn it the following day. Whatever I sing is fixed in that idea of proportion, that idea of beauty. He taught me to culture my voice.

Lots of admirers must have come to him to learn. But you are the only one to have spent such long years with him.

Learning and teaching are both like lifting a huge mountain. They take many long years. For a year or a year and a half, he didn't teach me much. I had to earn his and his wife's affection, and once he was convinced that I was deserving, he started teaching me. He put me through many tests ... it'll take two or three days if I start talking about them! I had to do domestic chores. Fetch water from the ground floor and fill all the tanks. Bring things from the shop, go to the flour mill. Through whatever I did, I felt he was greater than god. God could be false, but he was true. That's the way I thought about him. I may not see him every day now, but my love for him only increases each day. I got married when I was 30. Gave him a gurudakshina. My wife and children lived in Dharwad. I used to give a couple of programmes, then go back to him. He would give me some money when we went abroad. I sent it home. I've been all over the world with him.

You have composed some very popular tunes for Purandaradasa songs. I particularly like Neene anatha bandhu, which you have set to the Karnatak raga Simhendramadhyam.

My guru gave me a vision as a classical musician, and also a vision of how to sing dasa compositions. You feel the bhakti in his music. He is also a great devotee of Raghavendra Swami. I like Karnatak music. My grandfather Seshachar used to sing Karnatak music. That's how I took that song and set it to Simhendramadhyam. Whatever the raga, you can bring the Kirana smapradaya into it.

Besides your guru, which singers do you like?

I like Amir Khan, and Kumar Gandharva for his free thinking.

Did you know him?

Very closely. When he sang at the Sawai Gandharva festival, he told me, "You've learnt for 25-26 years from our Bhimanna. You must sing on your own." And he blessed me.

Does a very faithful adherence to the guru's style affect independent thinking?

No, I don't agree with that. My guru sings his guru's music. He uses his intelligence and so it gets a new form. My guru is proof enough. In my case, I sing what my guru sings. I used to imitate even the way he sat and got up... everything. I later thought these gestures should come from my body. My voice was cultured by him. If you go to Mansur and sing like Joshi, it is absurd.

Were people envious of your proximity to your guru?

That's only natural. For 18 to 20 years I was with him all 24 hours. Observing him closely -- how he talks, how he gets up and walks. I was very fortunate. But now I can't do that. I must bring out my own independent thoughts. I can't spend time with him any more. But I love him more than before.

Some vocalists like C R Vyas have been composing new bandishes. Why is it that Bhimsen Joshi hasn't attempted anything like that? He doesn't feel it's necessary. The existing bandishes give you the raga's gist. What else can you squeeze out of a new bandish? There's maximum beauty in traditional compositions... they have come down to us over many years. Musicians spend something like 40 years with a composition. They still sing it, and it still sounds new.

Why have you chosen to settle in Mumbai?

My work in Dharwad is over. I've sung all over Karnataka, Maharashtra, all over India. It's the same. I have faith in god, my guru. I haven't gone there out of any ill feeling, or because I feel our government hasn't done enough for me. In Bangalore I can give tuitions and make money. That's no use. When people all over India, even in the villages, like one's music, that is certificate enough. I've trained students like Nagarajrao Havaldar and Ramesh Kulkarni.

S R Ramakrishna

Remembering Pt Madhav Gudi

Pandit Madhav Gudi

With a musical tribute to Late Pandit Madhav Gudi, Arya Sangeet Prasarak Mandal will bring back the subtle musical precision of the maestro

The Arya Sangeet Prasarak Mandal is paying a musical homage to the renowned Hindustani classical singer, Late Pandit Madhav Gudi, a senior disciple of Bharat Ratna Pandit Bhimsen Joshi on July 30 and 31.

Pandit Madhav Gudi was known as 'Pandit Bhimsen Joshi of Karnataka' and stayed with Pandit Bhimsen Joshi following the 'guru shishya parampara'. The musical homage which is going to take place at the Sawai Gandharva Smarak is the “remembrance of a great musician by musical performances” says Pandit Upendra Bhat, one of the performers of the day from Karnataka. “Gudi who was a very innocent person was very close to guruji,” recalls Bhat.

Arya Sangeet Prasarak Mandal organises the famous Sawai Gandharva Music festival which is one of the greatest festivals of classical music in India. It started as a small scale affair after the demise of the musical stalwart 59 years back. Bhat will be accompanied by Prasanna Gudi, son of Pandit Madhav Gudi, Arti Ankalikar and Pandit Ullas Bapat on the santoor. The second day will have performances by Shreenivas Joshi, son of Pandit Bhimsen Joshi and disciple of Gudi, Arshad Ali, Kaushiki Chakravarty and Purbayan Chatterjee on the sitar.


The incessant trend of reality shows on every television channel have left the classical musical maestros like Bhat and Joshi with no 'awe'. “Classical music will always be classical music. Reality shows give you temporary fame but dedicated musicians do not crave for fame. Without the blessings of guru nothing happens.” says Bhat who blames the parents for misguiding 'children to turning to mahagayaks in a minute's time'. He feels that youngsters are immensely interested in classical Hindustani music and they fill the first few rows on every such occasion.


Kaushiki Chakraborty, who is coming to Pune for the second time is all praises for Pune as being one of the best hubs for classical music with the quality of listeners and the growing number of young audiences. “I have never met Pandit Madhav Gudi but feel blessed to be able to perform and be a part of this homage,” adds Chakraborty.

(The event will be held at Sawai Gandharva Smarak on July 30 and July 31, from 5 pm to 10 pm)

Pandit Madhav Gudi

Pandit Madhav Gudi

Madhav Gudi (Kannada:ಮಾಧವ ಗುಡಿ, Devanagari:माधव गुडि)(1941 – 22 April 2011) was a Hindustani classical vocalist, specialising in Khayal and light forms

Early life and background

Madhava Gudi was born in Dharwad, Karnataka into a family of keertankars and harikatha (devotional) musicians.
Madhava Gudi was introduced to music at a very early age. His initial training was under Pandit Nageshrao Deshpande and later from the great maestro of Gwalior gharana, Pandit Basavaraj Rajguru. He finally received his most important training from the Kirana scion Pandit Bhimsen Joshi in a guru-shishya milieu which lasted well over twenty six years.

Singing career

Gudi's voice suited for Hindustani classical as well as light classical (dasavani and abhang) music. A top-grade All India Radio artiste, he toured all over India and performed with Pt. Bhimsen Joshi in several centers in India and overseas.

Awards

Among several accolades that he received were the Sangeeta Nritya Academy award from the Government of Karnataka, Surashri, Gaana Bhaskar, Smt Vatsala Tai Joshi Award, Gaana Kala Tilaka and the Yashavant Rao Chauhan Samata Gaurav Puraskar.