The 5th edition of International Convention (Intercon) of the Society for Promotion of Indian Classical Music and Culture Amongst Youth, SPIC MACAY (SM) was held at the IIT Delhi, where the very idea of SM took its first concrete shape 40 years back. This year’s Mahakumbh of more than 1,500 students from every corner of India and overseas had the week-long Ashrama-Vasa at the sprawling campus of the IITD Gurukula, where the day began in ‘Brahma-Muhurta’ at 4 a.m. with various Yoga practices from Nada Yoga to Hatha-Yoga followed by a hectic schedule of activities from shramdan to intensives, lectures and the evening concerts of classical music and dance, that provided them enriching exposure to their rich cultural heritage.
The festival began with the mesmerising inaugural concert by Vidushi Girija Devi and Vidwan T.N. Krishnan. The thumri queen opened her vocal recital with the timely raga Puriya-Kalyan presenting a vilambit and chhota khayal adorned with systematic badhat, aalap, bol-aalap and scintillating taans before entering her own domain of thumri-dadra, kajri and jhoola enthralling the audience. Prof. T. N. Krishnan’s Nalinakanti, Abheri, Behag and the concluding Tillana vouched for his virtuosity on violin. His daughter and disciple Viji Krishnan provided him commendable support. Both the veterans belied their age with their ageless art.
Parveen Sultana, next evening, nostalgically remembered those testing times when the senior artistes sat together and discussed with Dr. Kiran Seth, the founder of SM, how to bring back the youth from Western, Pop and Rock to our own classical music and culture. Notwithstanding the Delhi’s punishing summer heat and rozas that she had observed till a day earlier; there were no signs of any weakness on her mesmerising rendering of khayals in raga Jog, the Hansadhwani Tarana, Meera bhajan, the thumri, “O more Ram, jiya na lage…” and the indispensable “Bhavani Dayani…”, the concluding Bharavi; but for the occasional slips in the jet speed ‘sapaat’ aakar Taans. Her constant interaction with the accompanying artistes Vinay Mishra on harmonium and Mithilesh Jha on tabla and encouraging interactions with the young audience kept the atmosphere cheerful and informal.
The charisma of slim figured Alarmel Valli and her bracing virtuosity continues even in her fifth decade of dancing career resulting the added charm of inner stillness, tranquillity and moving abhinaya. She captivated throughout her Bharatanatyam performance right from the invocatory ‘Devi’ to the ‘Shankarabharanam Varnam’, javali and a tillana like ‘Nritya-Lahari’. Her evocative articulate introduction to each and every item of the traditional margam and the melodious live wing support were added attractions to her captivating performance.
The Carnatic classical vocal recital by Sudha Raghunathan, the Hindustani vocal by Vidushi Ashwini Bhide Deshpande with her serene Shree, thundering Megh Malhar and the lilting Jhoola sung in Dadra style and Pandit Venkatesh Kumar’s mesmerising Yaman, Sur-Malhar, Thumri Khamaj and the concluding bhajan that brought back the nostalgic memories of late Pandit Bhimsen Joshi and the magnetic mridangam solo by Vidwan Umayalpuram K. Shivaraman were some of the qualitative recitals. Pandit Vishwamohan Bhatt with son Salil Bhatt accompanied by Ram Kumar Mishra and son Rahul on tabla and santoor recital by Pandit Bhajan Sopori interspersed with his singing along with the ‘dhuandhar sangat’ by Mithilesh Jha on tabla, Rishi Upadhyay on pakhawaj and the ghatam provoked repeated clapping by the fun loving youngsters enjoying the loud showmanship. Devotional music session had the Capital City Minstrels Music-in-Prayer, soothing Gurbani by Alankar Singh and Sufiana qawwali by Warsi Brothers from Rampur.
The concluding overnight concert from dusk to dawn, opened with Carnatic vocal concert by T.M. Krishna’s contemplative todi; who advised the young audience not to bother about the ragas and just enjoy the music. He hushed up the excited claps that habitually came when he reached the mandra shadja during the alapana; explaining the youngsters, “It’s not a great feat to sing low. Stop this nonsensical applause, as if we are doing some feat.” He sang Behag and Sahana before he sang an invocatory poem for Madhorubhagan (Ardhanarishwara). The poem was written to him by Perumal Murugan, the contemporary Tamil poet who was harassed, attacked and was forced to apologise for his literary work “Madhorubhagan”. Murugan gifted TMK 40 verses he wrote during the period of his silence. The concluding varali went through many ragas like Kapi and Dwijavanthi, before he concluded with ‘Vaishnava Jana…’ in his own composed tune. Shri Shriramkumar on violin and Arun Prakash on mridangam provided him the most sensitive support.
Pandit Ulhas Kashalkar assisted by his disciples Ojesh Pratap Singh and Sharma on vocal, Pandit Suresh Talwalkar on tabla and Vinay Mishra on harmonium opened his impressive recital with a detailed treatment of raga Jogkauns singing a vilambit Ektal bada khayal “Sughar var payo…” and the popular chhota khayal “peer parai…” in Teentala. He also regaled the audience with a vilambit khayal and tarana in raga Des before concluding with “Hari ke Bhajan bin…” a Bhajan like Bandish set to Jhaptala.
Delineating raga
Vidushi Shruti Sadolikar took the stage thereafter and treated the audience with the typical Jod - ragas of Jaipur Atrauli Gharana like the rare Sawani-Nat and Kafi-Kanada in the authentic style of her esteemed gharana. She explained the meaning of the famous Tilak-Kamod composition “Sur Sangat Raga Vidya...” to the young audience “What is a raga? It is just a combination of notes that is ‘Sur Sangati’.” She also reiterated this composition is born with the ‘chhand’ or the seven beats cycle of Rupak tala and cannot be sung in any other tala. Shruti also delighted with the thumri khamaj “Chhavi dikhla ja Banke Anvariya…” with the sensitive touches of Vinay Mishra’s melodious harmonium and the brilliant laggi on tabla by Vinod Lele.
Kapila Venu’s Koodiyattam performance took the audience to another world with her subtle abhinaya and chanting like dialogue delivery. The depth of her demanding performance was enhanced with the magic of mizhavu by Kalamandalam Rajeev and Narayana Nambiar and edekka by Kalanilayam Unnikrishnan.
The detailed alapchari and dhrupad in raga Ahir-Bhairav by Ustad Wasifuddin Dagar welcomed the first rays of the dawning sun next morning and concluded the overnight concert.