Sawai audience fills up its senses with best of vocals, instrumental

PUNE: Veteran vocalist Ulhas Kashalkar had the appreciative audience asking for an encore as day three of the 65th Sawai Gandharva Bhimsen Mahotsav drew to a close on Friday.

The best of the day came a little after 8.30pm in the last performance when Kashalkar took stage. A Sawai veteran, and much admired by the audience over the years, he simply outdid himself.

He was felicitated by the organizers on receiving the Tansen Samman by the Madhya Pradesh government. Kashalkar then readied for a performance with his troupe. He was accompanied on tabla by the illustrious Suresh Talwalkar. The audience then knew they were in for an hour-long treat.

Kashalkar announced that he will present Raag Nanda, in both vilambit and drut, set to teen taal. The bandish he started with also seemed to be a popular one. Every member listened to his voice in a trance, gazing at the giant screens as Kashalkar's concentration and free-wheeling passion were reflected in his expressions.

When Kashalkar ended with Raag Nanda around 9.30pm, the audience would not let him go, his popularity soaring to new heights. The audience requested a khyal. Kashalkar agreed, and set it to Raag Adana. Day three started on a sombre note but ended with a bang.

The first performer was up-and-coming vocalist Gayatri Joshi who belongs to a family with deep musical roots. She was on Sawai stage for the first time. Gayatri is a disciple of Aarti Anklikar-Tikekar who will perform in Saturday's marathon session.

Presenting the afternoon Raag Madhuvanti, Gayatri performed two bandishes, one in vilambit, the other in drut, before rounding off her performance with a bhajan originally composed by Mirabai, and as a tribute to her roots, she finished with an abhanga composed by her gurus.

The only instrumental performance of the day was from another debutant, acclaimed sitar player Kushal Das's. With an alaap, Das called a slightly new and different in style, when he presented the sunset Raag Marwa, before completing his performance to loud applause with a popular bandish.

Samrat Pandit, a sixth generation of a music-bound family and an emerging Patiyala Gharana exponent, took the stage after five years. His accompanists were no less in name and fame- Pandit Ramdas Palusle on tabla, and Dilshad Khan on sarangi. In vilambit, Pandit presented a bandish to Raag Gorakh Kalyan. An hour's performance was topped off with a well-applauded and popular thumri.