From Classicalness to Massicalness : Productization of Indian Classical Music

Change is a constant phenomenon and Hindustani Classical Music is a living example of how the "classicalness" of music has changed over centuries .. initially from Dhrupad to Khayal , imbibing the folk tunes into the classicalness, new rhythms and thekas , newer forms of "light classical music" in the form of thumris , tappas , gazals and bhajans into the concerts of Indian ( Hindustani ) Classical Music.
As a "Punekar" , every December, over last 20 plus years ,I have witnessed this changing form and face in Pune's very own , the world famous festival of classical music , popularly known as "Sawai". The change is pronounced in last 4-5 years. With the advent of social media , penetration of mobile internet to every nook and corner, cheap internet access and more so , WhatsApp which had immense effect on music / music industry and especially Hindustani Classical Music

This blog post is a continuation of the thought process that was initiated in Dec 2018 through the blog : Classicalness Vs Massicalness - A story of Hindustani Classical Music
  
As I ponder over the basic idea behind starting such festivals like Sawai Gandharva Mahotsav in 1950s , I realize a grim fact that forced musicians to initiate such "marketing" tricks to attract more audience and patrons for the Hindustani Classical Music ! Most of these Classical Music festivals in India were started by musicians themselves to make Classical Music more "accessible" and "popular" among general masses. The gharana gayaki of classical music was limited to "Darbars" and concerts of Princely states until the freedom of India around 1950. Infact , these princely states were instrumental in the growth of gharana gayaki and were the main patrons of all the classical musicians. The rebirth of Jaipur and Kirana gayaki could be attributed to the patronage of princely states of Kolhapur and Mysore respectively.
With the fall of princely states the patronage was lost and these musicians , had to find newer audience to appreciate and pay for their art. Their livelihood was at stake. The emergence of "Natya Sangit" in Maharashtra could be attributed to this initiative to bring classical music near the masses through light classical compositions in dramas ( Natya). The emergence of Gandharva Sangit Mahavidyala to promote classical music was one such step. Active initiatives were taken by various Pandits and Ustads to make classical music appealing to masses , by sometimes diluting it. Pure form of Classical music concerts became rare and each classical music concert was inter-spread with some light classical compositions like thumris , tappas , natya sangit , gazals , qawwalis etc , for commercial reasons.
This lead to disappearance of pure classical genre like the old Jaipur gayaki ( based on three schools of Dhrupad ) and the Dhrupad itself from the concert scene.

The Hindustani classical music is like a flowing river, constantly changing its form from the Dhrupad ,to Khayal of Amir Khusroo to Modern day Khayal of Gharanas to Current mix of Khayal and light classical blend. This transformation is ongoing for ages and the audience is the determining factor that decides the further growth and transformation !
We all connoisseurs are just spectators and unbiased witness to this change and transformation !
 

Mumbai ,Bombay : The villages trapped in roads , trains and metro !

Mumbai keeps surprising, every time one visits it!
One other identity of Mumbai I realized this time very clearly is that Mumbai is essentially a huge group of very small villages connected together. Mumbai tries to pretend to be modern city simply because of the pace of the immigrant workers and being the center of financial activities.We all realize this but tend to believe that it is a cosmopolitan planned city, which it is definitely not.
I however do enjoy visiting it once in a while to experience the surprises !
During my recent visit , mainly for meetings and conferences, Mumbai surprised me pleasantly at the Juhu's  Silver beach  with the cleanliness and less crowded peacefulness like one experiences in a serene village beach..
Here are some nice pics and short videos of the silver beach near Juhu..(Facebook Album)


Previously I have written about Mumbai / Bombay as it fascinated me with its dichotomy , the spectrum of diversity and transformation .. from Mills to Malls .. from BKC to small coastal villages , the crowded Eastern and Harbor line to the Western suburbs! Everything fascinates and surprises me! I was a "Mumbaikar" for 2 years (1996-98 ) as "worker" for WHO and ICMR but have never dared to be back as resident. I do visit Mumbai now and then for business meetings and conferences and that is enjoyable and surprising simply because the stay is only for few days!!

Here are some of my previous blog posts about Mumbai (since 2014 till date )

Revisiting Mumbai 
 
A Western Trail : Photo-diary of walk along the western suburbs 

Bombay : The Mumbai of mill workers .. from mills to malls 

Girgaon : The forgotten heart of Mumbai

Bhendi Bazar : The area , gharana , the gayaki 

Three part series on History of Mumbai

History of Mumbai : Part I  A quick read compendium

History of Mumbai : Part II

History of Mumbai : Part III

Mumbai is a great place to visit , at least once a year especially for business and meetings. It is meant for "Business", people "exist" and survive here to make money. Living is altogether a different thing! I have seen Mumbai closely since 1996 or so ..very closely. I like it for the way it is, it gives me a good perspective of life. I however feel more proud and blessed that I was born as Punekar, raised in Pune and have been groomed in the culture of Pune. I must mention here that there is absolutely no comparison here. These are two different "cultures" and worlds separated by around 200kms !

Beautiful Ganesh idols - Ganpati Festival of Pune

Pune has been traditionally a cultural capital of Maharashtra and India. The Ganesh festival , also called Ganeshotsav, is one of the most popular and famous festivals of Pune with a cultural tradition of over 100 years !
Idols of Ganpati ( Ganesh) in Pune are known for their pristine beauty. Their eyes speak for themselves and illuminate a divine aura.
Here is a slideshow of some of the beautiful idols of Ganesh from Pune.

Here is  a link to the album of 2019 Visarjan Miravnuk in Pune from a facebook page

The Ganeshotsav in Pune is also popular for the traditional bands (troupes) of  "Dhol-Tasha" , also called pathak (पथक ). The rhythmic plays of Dhol , Tasha , zhanj along with the dancing of the Dhwaj ( ध्वज , Flag ) is the hallmark of the festival and Pune.
Here is a facebook page that is dedicated to the Pune's Dhol-Tasha pathak culture ( ढोल - ताशा पथक संस्कृती )

पुणे ढोल ताशा पथक प्रेमी :  https://www.facebook.com/DholTashaPremi

2018 - Yearly Review & 5 year roundup !

As the year 2018 ends , I look at previous 4-5 years of my attendance at various classical music festivals and the way the scenario is changing over years.
One definitive trend that I have realized over last few years is that of Massicalization of Classical music festivals.
The productization of Classical music is also a trend that has brought mass following but has converted classical into light-classical music.
The season of classical music in Pune and adjoining regions was typically December and January. There has been a shift to November for good. This year the concerts I attended in November were some of the best of the year !
I have become more choosy in selecting my live concerts , from few years back when I was eager to attend each and every concert over the weekends and almost all the classical musical festivals possible, I have trimmed my bucket list down to selected few. The one deletion that came this year is that of the famous Sawai Gandharva Music Festival of Pune. I gave it a miss in-spite of being free in Pune. The primary reason for this was the disappointing lineup that was filled with volume and lacked in quality. Too many concerts of 1 hour each. The second reason was the change in venue of the festival that was inconvenient to me to commute. Moreover , I have developed a kind of reluctance in attending such "massical" festivals of classical music (jalsas). Small ,indoor and high quality concerts with each artist getting 2 hrs is the kind of format that I feel comfortable and enjoyable. Though there is a different kind of charm in attending jalsa type concerts and festivals ( the likes of Sawai or 8prahar etc ) , currently I am giving them a pass. Maybe , few years later I may revisit them , but currently am quite comfortable with small concerts and recorded music !
Here are the links to blog-posts related to Surashree Kesarbai Kerkar Samaroha  
2016 to 2018

2016 : 

Viva Goa 

 https://prasadbhave.wordpress.com/2016/11/10/viva-goa/ 

36th   Surashree Kesarbai Kerkar Samaroha , Goa 

https://prasadbhave.wordpress.com/2016/11/10/surashree-kesarbai-kerkar-sangeet-samaroh-panjim-goa/

2017 :

37th  Surashree Kesarbai Kerkar Samaroha , Goa -  November to Remember 

https://pbhave.blogspot.com/2017/11/november-to-remember-surashree-kesarbai.html

2018 :

38th  Surashree Kesarbai Kerkar Samaroha , Goa  - Annual Sojourn to Goa

https://pbhave.blogspot.com/2018/11/annual-sojourn-to-goa-38th-surashree.html

A memorable November of Concerts to Remember

https://pbhave.blogspot.com/2018/11/a-memorable-november-of-concerts-to.html 

Here are links to my blog-posts related to Sawai Gandharva Music Festival from 2014 to 2018

Pilgrimage of Sawai :

https://prasadbhave.wordpress.com/2015/01/07/sawai-an-yearly-pilgrimage-of-classical-music-connoisseurs/

Who was Sawai Gandharva ? :  https://pbhave.blogspot.com/2017/12/sawai-gandharva-who-story-of-sawai.html

2014 :   https://prasadbhave.wordpress.com/2015/01/06/the-finale-sawai-report-day-4-sunday-4th-jan-2015/

2015 :  https://prasadbhave.wordpress.com/2015/12/14/the-finale-63rd-sawai-sunday-dec-13th2015/

2016 : https://prasadbhave.wordpress.com/2016/12/12/sawai-2016-the-finale/

2017 : https://pbhave.blogspot.com/2017/12/65th-sawai-gandharva-music-festival.html

2018 :  Classicalness to “Massicalness”

   https://pbhave.blogspot.com/2018/12/classicalness-vs-massicalness-story-of.html

२०१८ - सवाईत ले “सवाई”  (Marathi)

 https://pbhave.blogspot.com/2018/12/blog-post.html

My musings and takeaways from the year 2018:
1)  This year , I became a fan of Agra gayaki style that combines nom-tom with the Khayal in a very delightful fashion. The rendering by young torchbearers of Agra gharana , Bharathi Pratap and Waseem Ahemad Khan has impressed me.
2) The baithaks by Pt Arvind Parikh with various stalwarts ( available on you tube ) are something that influenced my thoughts about Indian Classical Music, in a big way.
3) Hindustani Classical Music has groomed my lifestyle over last 5 years, when I was immersed in the music all day and night. The inherent reflex of automatically tuning into the Raags of the ongoing prahar of the day is a magical phenomenon. Upon true immersion , these raags become inherent part of your daily routine and one reflexly tunes in to a raag appropriate to a prahar and mood. I experience this every now and then , routinely as I continue my daily chores ! This I think, is a thing to experience after deep immersion. Words fail to explain this phenomenon or conditioning to "Raag - Kaal Chakra" !
4) Last five years , I wished that Ut Bade Gulam Ali Khan saheb , be awarded "Bharat-Ratna". I tried my best to convey this to the authorities that I could reach. If anyone deserves a Bharat Ratna , the first person in the list from the domain of Hindustani Classical Music would be Ut BGAK saheb, His life story is not just inspiring , but he is responsible for the kind of Khyaal gayaki that is being enjoyed in world today. Indian Classical music has vanished in Pakistan now and we must feel glad and obliged that Ut BGAK saheb decided to come back to India in 1949. His influence on Hindustani Classical Music and its growth is immense. We all must thank Murarjibhai Desai , for his efforts to bring Ut BGAK back to India and award him citizenship of India.  I only hope that Ut Bade Gulam Ali Khan gets the "Bharat Ratna" award posthumously as soon as possible, that he truly deserves. That is my wish while concluding this year !
5) The flavor of  this year seems to be Raag Purvi  and Raag Bihag , Raag Bageshree and Raag Bahar.  Raag Jog and Raag Yaman for vocalists and Raag Jhinjhoti for instrumentalists are now kind of routine bread-butter .. "Running items"

Attending classical music concerts has been an enriching experience for me , especially in last five years. I must have attended over 300 concerts over this period for sure. Blogging about the concerts too has given me immense pleasure. Interacting with patrons and readers of blog has been an additional joy ! As I bid adieu to 2018 and prepare myself for 2019 , the only concerts/festivals of this year, that I plan to watch on TV  / attend over web are parts of Tansen Samaroha of Gwalior (Dec 25-29) and Harivallabh Samaroha on Dec 28-30th. That would surely be a wonderful way to end the year !

भवतु सर्व मङ्गलम् !


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Post Script : ( 8am , Dec 31, 2018 )

Attended both , Tansen Samaroha of Gwalior (Dec 25-29) and Harivallabh Samaroha (Dec 28-30th) via web cast and live feeds from facebook and Youtube.

Some of the artists from Tansen Samaroha who impressed were :
1) Ritesh and Rajaneesh Mishra
2) Vaishali Deshmukh ( who also presented at Harivallabh Sammelan later, same presentations of Bihag and Bhoop "Sahela re" )
3) Ram Deshpande
4) Gautam Kale - Mewati Gharana
5) Ajay Prasanna with his daughter - Bansuri
6) Ut Nishat Khan - Sitar was truly classical with his Malkauns

Some highlights of Harivallabh Sammelan :
Almost all the artists performed to their best and it was very enjoyable watching from the comfort of home on Youtube channel. I was glued to the channel all three days from 7pm till the end. Day 1 and 2 concluded by 4am ( when I switched to TV for the #BoxingDayTest matches #NZvsSL and #INDvsAUS  ).
Some of the artists who impressed me were :
1) Pta Sulochana Brahaspati and her accompanist vocal support ( her shishya )
2) Pt Vishwamohan Bhatt - Mohan veena with all the power of strings , Sitar-Veena-Sarod-Guitar
3) Mahalakshmi Shenoy - vocal , she is disciple of of Pt Vishwamohan Bhatt and in my opinion , one of the best I have heard in year 2018. Surely ,a promising young artist to watch for in future.
4) Balwant Singh Namdhari - Tilwandi gharana
5) Indrani Mukherjee 
The final day , day 3 started around 5pm and concluded by 6am !!

A wonderful way to conclude the year and classical music festival season 2018 !

The all nighter, overnight concert that started with Bahar and continued with Bageshree Bahar , Maru Bihag , Mishra Kafi, Kirwani , Sohoni , Abhogi Kanada , Shankara ,Khamaj , Maru Bihag , Vibhaas , Pilu .. and the Finale with Lalit and Bhairavi ! There could not have been a better way to conclude the year on Dec 31st morning with a vigor to take on year 2019 !

सवाईत ले "सवाई"

सवाई गंधर्व संगीत महोत्सव हा पुणेकरांच्या जिव्हाळ्याचा आणि अभिमाना चा विषय आहे. हा उत्सव जरी शास्त्रीय संगीताचा असला तरी चोखंदळ पुणेकर हक्काने अगदी भक्तिभावाने आपलं “पुणेकर” म्हणून एक कर्तव्य म्हणून हजेरी लावतो. अनेक वेळा नक्की कोण कलाकार गातोय ( अस्सल पुणेरी भाषेत ..कोकलतोय ) , काय गातोय , कुठला राग वैगरे काहीही माहित नसेल ..किंबहुना गाणे संपल्यावर हि  “हा मगाशी गाणारा कोण होता ?” असा भाबडा प्रश्न हि विचारायला काही जण कमी करत नाहीत . पण एक
नक्की, कि गाणं चांगलं झालं कि भरभरून कौतुक हे चोखंदळ पुणेकर सवाई रसिक नक्की करतात .. एक वेळ “शास्त्रीय” माहिती नसेल हि कदाचित पण गाणं चुकलं कि ह्या सवाई पुणेकरांना लगेच लक्षात येते .. आणि चांगलं झालं तर नक्कीच दाद मिळते !

सवाई हा फक्त एक उत्सवच नाही तर महोत्सव आहे .. एक जलसा .. एक जत्रा जिथे गेल्यावरच तिचा आनंद अनुभवता येतो ! तर अश्या ह्या आमच्या पुण्याच्या सवाई चे किती गावे गुण आणि किती करू कवतिके असे पुणेकरा ला होणे सहाजिक आहे ..ह्या सवाई वर रसिक कविता करतात , लेख लिहितात (तुम्ही तो वाचताय !), ओव्या ,अभंग ह्यांची हि बरसात सवाई वर होते. गेल्या काही वर्षात जरी सवाई ला एका “इवंन्ट” (Event) चं रूप आलं असलं तरी त्याचा “खाणे आणि गाणे” ह्या साठी रसिकांची पंढरी म्हणून लवाजमा अजून तरी उत्साहात गाजतोय.
सवाई च्या "कथा आणि व्यथा" एका बाजूला असल्या तरी इथले “नमुने” हे सुद्धा एक वार्षिक पर्वणी होऊन येतात ..

"रेकॉर्डर काका"
ह्यांचं काम एकच .. प्रत्येक गाणं-वाजवणं रेकॉर्ड करून मित्रांना पाठवणे .. WA ग्रुप्स , फेसबुक ग्रुप्स वर टाकणे ह्यात त्यांना आनंदच नाही तर अभिमान असतो .. एखाद्या संगीताच्या WA ग्रुप चे हे हमखास Admin असतात आणि ग्रुप मेंबर वाढवण्या साठी त्यांचे marketing - sales हि चालू असते.

सेल्फी स्टार्स
सगळीकडे सेल्फी घेण्या साठी यांचा जन्म झालेला आहे. हे आता सर्वत्र आढळतात. सवाई च्या सेल्फी स्टार्स चं वैशिष्ट्य म्हणजे त्यांच्या सेल्फी मधे मागे दुसरा सेल्फी स्टार हि दिसतो .. जाकीट हवंच !

"बर्ड वॉचर्स"
शिक्षणाचे माहेरघर असल्या मुळे पुण्यातल्या अनेक कॉलेजेस मधील तरुण ह्या वर्गात मोडतात. ह्यांची संख्या मोठी आहे आणि दिवसन दिवस वाढत आहे. सवलतीच्या दरातील पासेस मुळे युवकांची ५ दिवसाची "सोय"होत असते.. कधी-कधी गाठी जमून हि जातात हे वेगळे सांगायला नको

"खादाड"
गाण्या पेक्षा खाण्या-पिण्या कडे ह्यांचे लक्ष असते. बायकोला गाणं आवडतं म्हणून तिच्या बरोबर आलेले अनेक नवरे ह्या वर्गांत मोडतात. त्यांची सोय सवाई ला नेहमीच चांगली असते त्या मुळे ते नेहमी "सवाई fan" म्हणून वावरतात.


"संगीत "विशारद"  
यांचा मुख्य उद्देश "राग ओळखणे" व आसपास च्या लोकांना कॉमेंटरी करत रहाणे हा असतो. त्यांचा आसपास च्या लोकांना त्रास होत असावा पण त्यांना सहन केलं जातं .. ह्या विशारदा कडून प्रेरणा घेऊन पुढच्या वर्षी आसपास बसलेला एखादा किंवा एखादी पुढच्या वर्षी "विशारद" पणा करण्याचा निश्चय करते

अतृप्त "रसिक"
हे लोकं नेहमी अगदी मागे उभे असतात , उभे राहूनच रोज एक दोन मैफिली ऐकतात. ह्यांना "सवाई" तला  चहा सुद्धा चांगला वाटत नाही, गाणं तर नाहीच नाही .. "गेल्या वर्षी किंवा "भीमाण्णा" होते त्या सारखा सवाई आता राहिला नाही" हे वाक्य दर १० मिनटांनी ते येणार्या जाणार्या ला सांगायला चुकत नाहीत. त्यांच्या बरोबर आलेला एखादं ७-८ वर्षाचं पोर हि हे काम चालू ठेवतात.
असं असलं तरी हे "रसिक" दर वर्षी सवाई ला हजेरी मात्र लावता तच !

संगीत समीक्षक ( फेसबुक कृपा )
सवाईत ला सर्वात वेगाने वाढणारा वर्ग म्हणजे हा समीक्षक वर्ग. रोज फेसबुक , WA वर व अन्य सोशलमिडीया-ब्लॉग्स  वर रोज सवाई च्या मैफिली बद्दल लिहिणे हाच ह्यांचा सवाई ला येण्याचा मुख्य उद्देश. गायक वादकांनी काहीही आणि कसेही असले तरी रोज नवे-नवे मराठीतले शब्द ,रंगवून - फुलवून प्रत्येक गायक वादका ची प्रशंसा .. "सुरात न्हाऊन निघणे", "सिंहगर्जना",
"सुरांचा नाजूक आविष्कार" , "स्वरमयी उत्तुंग चिदानंद रुपी अनुभव" इत्यादी गोष्टी ह्यांना "च" लिहिता येतात. हे घरी बसून हि असे लेख लिहू शकतात (किंबहुना अनेक लेख आधीच लिहून तयार असतात ! ) .. दर रोज फेसबुक वर "likes" मिळवणे हा ह्यांचा मुख्य "सत्चिदानंद" असतो.

"पहिलट" कर किंवा करीण
बाहेरगावाहून पुण्यात फक्त सवाई साठी आलेले , पुण्यात नोकरी ला लागलेले परप्रांतीय ,"Software"- IT वाले (त्यात काही सेल्फी स्टार्स हि आले ) , रिटायर झाल्या मुळे आता तरी सवाई ला जायला हवं म्हणून येणारे , व काही पुण्यातलेच "चला एखाद दिवस संध्याकाळी जाऊन बघू तरी हा काय प्रकार आहे" म्हणून आलेले. ह्यात एक मुख्य वर्ग म्हणजे "संगीत" शिकायला सुरुवात केलेले "विद्यार्थी".. हे बहुतेक "इंजिनियर असतात आणि त्यांनी अजून ठरवलेलं नसतं कि गायक-वादक व्हायचं का फोटोग्राफर , पुढच्या वर्षी हे वेगळ्या वर्गात जागा मिळवतात !
  
"फोटोग्राफर"
हि फोटोग्राफर मंडळी फार धूर्त असतात .. गाणाऱ्यांच्या फक्त भावमुद्रांचे फोटो काढतात. जेवढ्या उड्या , हातवारे , वाकडे तिकडे चाळे वैगरे हे गायक लोकं करतील तेवढं यांना आवडतं .. विचित्र खाकरणे ,खोकला काढणे , विचित्र आवाज , किंचाळ्या  वैगरे गोष्टी ऐकण्याच्या भानगडीत मात्र हे पडत नाहीत, किंबहुना गाणं हे त्यांच्या साठी ऐकण्याची गोष्टच नाहीये .. फक्त लेन्स लावून फोटो काढत इकडे-तिकडे फिरायचे आणि नंतर त्या फोटोंचे प्रदर्शन भरवायचे , फेसबुक इन्स्टाग्राम वर अपलोड ..शिवाय ह्यांना आता जियो च्या फुकट 4G ची साथ मिळाल्या मुळे काही विचारायची सोय नाही .. फोटो बरोबर , विडीयोज आणि आता युट्यूब चॅनल हि !!

हे खरे सवाईत ले "सवाई"  लोकं आहेत ! 

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References :
PraBhaaVi ( प्रभा वि ) 
सवाई fan page

Classicalness vs Massicalness : Story of Hindustani Classical Music

 Hindustani Classical Music , which was essentially a music in the form of baithaks and mehfils with houseful attendance of 100-200 people (chamber music ) , became widespread with Musical Jalsas and Conferences that were spread over 2-3 days and had multiple artists perform day and night. People enjoyed such Jalsas and it was prestigious to perform and attend such Jalsas and Conferences , that typically occurred once a year. 

Harivallabh Sangeet Sammelan , Bengal Music Conference , Tansen Mahotsav , Gunidas Sammelan and Sawai Gandharva Sangeet Mahotsav were some of the prestigious and popular "Festivals". The attendance in even these festivals were to the order of few hundred to a thousand people.

With the modern electronic advances in Music and PA systems , classical music had to adopt to the change. Huge auditoriums with electronic systems made the festivals and jalsas more popular moving from "Classes" to "Masses". The Festivals , Jalsas and conferences started turning into "Events" , gathering thousands of audience. Musicians started playing to the gallery , to the masses , compromising the "Classicalness" of the music. Thus evolved the current fashion of big "Events"  where 20-30 artists playing to the gallery !  

Sawai Gandharva Sangeet Mahotsav in Pune ,with tradition of over 60 years is no exception. It has now turned into "Event" attended by 20000 "people" from a traditional Jalsa like festival that boasted as mecca of classical music connoisseurs !  Connoisseurs of Classical music dislike this change. The quality of music and concert is compromised , the choice of music played is more to get applause from "masses" than the connoisseurs. The intense and subtle nuances of classical music is losing its charm in such "Events" and connoisseurs feel the loss in an amplified fashion. In an attempt to make "Classical" music "Popular" , the DNA of classical music is lost and connoisseurs are feeling the brunt ! 

The Phenomenon called "Productization of Music"

The productization of classical music has turned "baithaks and mehfils" into "Events" .. “Classicalness” of music is in the "interactive – evolving-impromptu process in the served performance" .. something similar to a service

“Massicalness”  has taken over this process and has converted the service into small products served in the "Event" ..a three minute song , some natya sangeet , some bhajan or gazal..

The irony is that , in even classical performances , it has now become a trend that many of the artists, in order to gain "popularity" among masses , perform light music like song, bhajan , natya sangeet etc to conclude a classical concert performance ! 

Some related posts and links:

Classical Music Festivals of India 

Misnomer of Indian Classical Music 

Previous blog : Musings - Pondering

 

A memorable November of concerts to remember !

The month of November always brings in a treat of Classical Music Concerts. This month however , was really special with some wonderful concerts and festivals
November 2-5 , Panji Goa - Surashree Kesarbai Kerkar Samaroha
November 17th (Saturday) Evening : Pannalal Ghosh Jayanti Sangeet Mahotsav  
November 18th (Sunday)  Evening : Melange by the Rithwik foundation
November 24-25 : Mitra Mahotsav 


The weekend of 17th and 18th November , two weeks after enjoying a full fledged 3 day Surashree Kesarbai Kerkar Festival in Goa , it was a weekend that brought in two festivals over two evenings of Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th November, both at Shakuntala Shetty Auditorium in Pune.

November 17th (Saturday) Evening : Pannalal Ghosh Jayanti Sangeet Mahotsav   
Pt Nishindra Kinjak - Sitar and Pt Arvind Kumar Azad-Tabla  , Purbi Thumri dhun and Yaman
Pt Parasnath- Bansuri  and Pt Aditya Kalyanpur-Tabla , Madhukauns

November 18th (Sunday)  Evening : Melange by the Rithwik foundation
Brilliant Kathak by Rutuja Soman , accompanied on Tabla by Ojas Adhiya

A presentation of Yaman by Pt Pravin Godkhindi

A performance by Rutuja Soman , Ojas Adhiya and Pravin Godkhindi together that was truly a confluence of Taal , Sur and Nrutya together .. truly an entertaining "Sangeet"

Evening proceeded with a Sitar performance by the brilliant , young torchbearer of Senia-Maihar gharana ,Purbayan Chatterjee who presented  aalap , jod jhala in Kaunsi-Kanada ( Called Kaushiki by Senia-Maihar folks). It was followed by a short Mishra Shivaranjani Dhun. He was ably accompanied by Ojas Adhiya on Tabla

The vocal performance of Raghunandan Panshikar failed the expectation one would have from someone who is trained under Gaansaraswati Kishori Amonkar. Either he was really ill or he has serious problem with voice. Jaijaivanti and short Anand-Malhar occupied the hour he took the stage.

The final short but sweet presentation that was impromptu and was announced only during the earlier program was by Pt Jayteerth Mewundi-Vocal and Pt Pravin Godkhindhi-Bansuri jugalgayan-vadan. They presented the famous kannada bhajan "Saubhagyada Laxmi baramma" and a Bhairavi to end the evening , weekend and the festival !


After attending "Pulotsav"(पुलोत्सव) - evening of November 23rd , filled with "GuN gaain Awadi" (गुण गाईन आवडी ) and BhaDiPa che Valli (भाडीपा चे वल्ली )  , it was time for the मित्र महोत्सव 

November 24-25 : Mitra Mahotsav
Mitra Mahotsav in Pune over the weekend of 24th and 25th November was a treat of classical music, short but sweet event over two evenings with four good quality concerts
Sat 24th Nov 5pm-10pm
Anand Bhate - Vocal
N Rajam - violins

Sun 25th Nov 5pm - 10pm
Ayaan Ali Bangash - Sarod
Kaushiki Chakravarti - Vocal

Mitra Mahotsav 2018 kicked off with Puriya Dhanaashree by Anand Bhate .. सुमिरो तेरो नाम ..continued with .. पायलिया झन काये , a "non Kirana" style tappa and tarana from his earlier guru was followed by a "non Kirana" style thumri of Uts Nazakat and Salamat Ali Khan in mishra Kafi.. मोरे नैन लंगर बरसात ... Anand Bhate concluded with तीर्थ विठ्ठल ...

Pta N Rajam with her singing violin had the concluding session of Day 1 .. Bageshree Kanada , Jhinjhoti , Vaishnav dhun and Bhairavi..

Day 2 evening began with a soft but piercing aalap in Lalita-Gauri by Ayaan Ali Bangash - Sarod, in tune with the evening-twilight mood. The jod and jhala was spoiled by his tabalji with loud and fast tempo-ed bangs !
The concert continued with Jhinjhoti, Gaud Malhar,concluding with a Kirwani dhun.

A blissful experience of Mitra Mahotsav was offered in the finale by Kaushiki Chakravarty ... expansive Khyaal in raag Jog , with alaap, beautiful traditional vilambit bandish , tarana, sargam taans and priceless drut bandish "नन्द जोगन लगी नाम संजोग "
A traditional bandish ki thumri in Bihag was the icing on cake ! A true offering of Patiala gayaki with rich "Bhaav and ras" accompanied with powerful "Sahitya". Kaushiki is a beauty from within out and is undoubtedly the darling of crowd. She responded to the "farmaishes" of the crowd , that was mostly light classical.. I did not wait for that final half hour and proceeded with lingering melodies of Jog and Bihag !

Here is a link to the photo album with pictures and some good clips.

Sawai Gandharva who ? : The Story of Sawai Gandharva

While I await and "prepare" myself for the almost weeklong "Sawai sojorn" ( like every year ! ) starting December 13th Wednesday morning at 10am for five days till Sunday December 17th 10pm , I ponder on the evolution of the name  "Sawai Gandharva" and the history of "Sawai". 

( Sawai is a title of honor used in India, the word having its root in Sanskrit language. Sawai literally means a quarter over one (1+1/4) in strength and / or intelligence. In other words it means - one and a quarter of an average man in worth. 
 Gandharva is a name used for distinct heavenly beings in Hinduism and Buddhism; it is also a term for skilled singers in Indian classical music. )
 
Who was Sawai Gandharva ? 
There are a good many connoisseurs of Hindustani music of the younger generation who are likely to ask this question. The more knowledgeable among them pretend to know of him, rather ironically, simply as the guru of today’s musical stalwarts like Gangubai Hangal, or Bhimsen Joshi. Sawai Gandharva ,whose real name was Ramachandra Kundgolkar Saunshi,(January 19, 1886 – September 12, 1952), was a popular Hindustani Classical vocalist and Marathi stage actor of the Kirana Gharana. Also known as Rambhau ,he was the first and foremost disciple of Ut Abdul Karim Khan and was the guru of Bharat Ratna Pt. Bhimsen Joshi. Sawai Gandharva is most well known for popularizing the styling of the Kirana Gharana through his accomplished disciples, including Pt. Bhimsen Joshi, Dr. Gangubai Hangal, Firoz Dastur, and Pt. Basavaraj Rajguru.
Sawai Gandharva was rightly acclaimed the ‘king of mehfil’. His preeminence as an actor-singer and as a classical maestro on the mehfil platform, was hailed as a double distinction. 

How Rambhau Kundgolkar came to be known as ‘Sawai Gandharva’ ?
Rambhau made his mark on the Marathi stage as an actor-singer when the great thespian, Bal Gandharva, ruled supreme. His raga-based Marathi pads(पद) had become the rage of the ‘20s, when Marathi musical drama was at the height of its popularity. His preeminence as an actor-singer and as a classical maestro on the mehfil platform, was hailed as a double distinction.
He charmed his audience by singing his Ustad's ( Khan Saheb Abdul Karim Khan) well known Thumries and Bhajans with that typically emotional fervor. He had thus popularized the “Highbrow” music through his stage -songs and cajoled his “lesser” audience into cultivating better tastes with regard to music.  It was on account of this double achievement that this actor-musician became known as Sawai Gandharva which honorific title was conferred on him by the late Dadasaheb Khaparde, the famed political leader of Berar.
And that was how Rambhau Kundgolkar came to be known as ‘Sawai Gandharva’ !

How did the Sawai Gandharva Sangit Mahotsav start ?

Pandit Bhimsen Joshi started the annual Sawai Gandharva Music Festival in Pune, in memory of his guru Sawai Gandharva, in 1953. The festival was held on a modest scale for first two decades. In the 1970s and 1980s, its popularity of "Sawai" sky-rocketed and today it is one of the most popular and largest Indian Classical Music festivals of world.
The festival is hosted by the Arya Sangeet Prasarak Mandal (ASPM) ,an off-shoot of the Arya Sangeet Vidyalaya founded by Abdul Karim Khan ,the doyen of Kirana gharana and guru of Sawai Gandharva in 1918. The name of the festival was eventually changed by ASPM after the death of Pt Bhimsen Joshi in 2011 to Sawai Gandharva Bhimsen Mahotsav.

This year marks the 65th year of "Sawai" and 6th year of "Sawai Gandharva Bhimsen Mahotsav".


If this information interests you, here are two articles for a good read about Sawai Gandharva :

Guru Pt Sawai Gandharva

A Great Exponent of Khayal - Sawai Gandharva 

Hope to see you all at Sawai in Pune !