Bengaluru has always had a secret love affair with Hindustani classical music – a fact confirmed with the full attendance the recently-held Devnandan Ubhayker Yuva Sangeet Utsav saw. Entering its 31st year, the Utsav was the culmination of young talent and old-school appreciation.
The Utsav commenced with a dhrupad vocal recital by young Meghana Sardar Kenjale, a disciple of Pandit Uday Bhawalkar. The subtle performance not only pleased the hearts of the gathered music enthusiasts but also made her guru proud.
Saket Sahu, a disciple of Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty also delivered a stunning performance on the first day of the festival. The audience were on their feet applauding his exemplary presentation of ‘megha malhar’ on the violin. Kumari Rimpa Siva’s tabla accompaniment was competent.
On the second day of the music festival, the morning session started with a mesmerising performance from Agra Gharana by Nishant Panicker who is a disciple of Vidushi Lalith J Rao and also the receiver of the NCPA Hindustani Vocal Scholarship. Kumari Rimpa Siva, the daughter and disciple of Pandit Swapan Siva of Farukkabad Gharana enthralled listeners with her energetic tabla performance proving her worthy of the title ‘Princess of the tablas’.
The final session of the Utsav featured a magical vocal recital by Pandit Uday Bhawalkar. A notable synchronisation of talent, restraint and melody made his performance of the ‘gaud sarang’ raag exquisite. Sukhad Manik Munde’s nuanced ‘pakhawaj’ was also uplifting. Pandit Uday Bhawalkar, who was a participant in the Devanandan Ubhayaker Yuva Sangeet Utsav many years ago, says, “The contributions of this music event to the Hindustani classical music culture are praiseworthy. This was designed to provide a platform for young disciples of various gurus. Seldom can you find such a classical music festival exclusively for upcoming talent. They invite artistes from various parts of the country as well as from different gharanas. I like to call this a celebration of diversity in traditions and styles of Hindustani classical music. Many artistes love performing in Bengaluru because of the serious listeners here.”