Pt. Janardhan Mitta is a versatile sitar player who has served the music field for the past six decades. His illustrious career spans Hindustani, collaborative ventures and film music.

This Chennai-based veteran presented a recital under the aegis of Hamsadhwani at the Youth Hostel in Adyar as part of the 24th NRI Music Festival. He delighted the audience by exploiting the freedom Hindustani music offers in the elaboration of raag, which is especially true of instrument players.

A sedate beginning

The concert’s main course was raag Puryakalyan (close to Carnatic Purvi Kalyani with some slender variances in the prayogas). The raag started on a sedate tone before the notes gave way to powerful sancharas, which gained further momentum.

The jod in teen taal was characterised mostly by the fast-flowing phrases with the energetic interludes of tabla by Chandrajith.

The smooth slide from one note to another produced enchanting music, which was lapped up by the audience.

The second one was a Bengali Dhun, a light instrumental piece with folk flavour, which saw swift switch of raags.The routes took different paths to return every time to the refrain. The concluding piece was in raag Sindhubhairavi. Janardhan Mitta’s experience, musical acumen and creativity made the raag an exemplary musical expedition with the tabla pitching in with rhythmic support.

Before the concert, Pt. Janardhan Mitta was felicitated by R. Sundar, secretary of Hamsadhwani, and veteran musician T.V. Gopalakrishnan.