Kanebua Pratishthan of Sangli, Maharashtra, recently streamed an unusual three-hour concert titled ‘Das Thaat,’ comprising 10 raags from the 10 ‘thaats’ or groups that Hindustani music is currently divided into.

The ‘thaat’ system was formulated in the early decades of the 20th century by Pt. Bhatkhande. However, some musicians do not follow this system as they feel it is neither comprehensive nor logical. Thus, Kafi thaat includes diverse raags such as Shuddha Sarang, Miyan Malhar, Pilu and Nayaki Kanhra. (Earlier groupings listed out the six main raags and raags with the same characteristic note phrases as wives, children, male or female).

In beautiful voice

The first singer at the concert, Raghunandan Panshikar, disciple of Vidushi Kishori Amonkar, presented his guru’s signature raag, Bhoop or Bhupali. The composition ‘Sahela re’ is her creation.

Starting in madhya laya, Raghunandan created a nostalgic mood, systematically taking the raag forward; the taans towards the end of the concert were reassuringly familiar. His excellent open voice with its hint of gravelly undertones is truly a pleasure to listen to.

Surprisingly, the second piece was a morning raag, Ramkali, sung by Manjusha Patil, disciple of Pt. Kanebua and now, Pt. Ulhas Kashalkar. The khayal, again in teen taal ‘Un sung laagi’ has been immortalised by the iconic Ustad Faiyaz of the Agra gharana, and Manjusha presented characteristic Agra gharana bol baant sequences.

Later, unable to resist the temptation to render her characteristic double speed taans, she as usual did not fail to enthral. There is a lovely ringing clarity in her voice which comes into its own in the high notes.

Morning raags

The next raag Jaunpuri, again a morning raag from Asavari thaat, was sung with expertise by Aarti Ankalikar-Tikekar, disciple of Pt. Vasantrao Kulkarni, Pt. Dinkar Kaikini and Vidushi Kishori Amonkar.

The bandish ‘Ree main na janoo’ composed by Pt. Shankar Abhyankar was set in Rupak taal, again in madhya laya. The senior most in the trio, Aarti effortlessly etched out the raag. Her music is a skilful amalgamation of all her teachers’ influences, and creditably it’s hard to discern which gharana (Gwalior Agra or Jaipur) has predominance. Her second piece was in Ek taal, ‘Bhanak sunni aavan ki,’ composed by Jagannathbua Purohit ‘Gunidas’).

The next three raags sung in the same sequence by the artistes were Hamsadhwani (‘Ganapat vighan hare’), Marwa (‘Ho gunijan mel’, Ek taal) and Kafi. Aarti’s tappa, ‘Madho Mukund Murari’, composed by her guru Pt. Dinkar Kaikani in Kafi, was sung with mastery. Hearing a tappa in Hindi rather than Punjabi was welcome. She followed it up with a delightful Thumri, ‘Aaj kaisi braj mein dhoom machaayi’.

The final set of raags started again with a morning raag — Raghunandan sang a tarana in madhya laya, ek taal in Mian ki Todi, which perhaps lacked the majesty it would have had if sung in dhrut. Manjusha excelled in her Thumri in Khamach; the required bhaav and theraav most appealing. Aarti reverted to a beautifully rendered khayal in Puriya Dhanashri, in Jhaptaal, then a self-composed tarana in Aarra chautaal, ending in the ever-popular ‘Paayaliya jhanaka’.

Raag for all times

Bhairavi, the sada suhagin raag (it can be sung at any time) was rendered in three different ways; Raghunandan sang a bhajan, Manjusha a thumri (‘Baaju band khul khul jaaye’) and Aarti fittingly concluded with a tarana, again composed by Pt. Dinkar Kaikini. Bhairavi is dedicated to Devi and the tarana had an ode to the goddess.

While the attempt to present something different was truly laudable, it was bewildering even for a seasoned listener to hear such brief presentations, one after the other, mostly in madhya laya. They were without the expected adherence to the time theory of raag presentation. Streaming each concert as a separate piece, instead of as a three-hour presentation, would have allowed the audience to hear what they wanted to, and in the order they liked. What made the concerts interesting to younger listeners was interspersing them with anecdotal information about the raags.

The accompanists were the same throughout. Rohit Majumdar on the tabla and Tanmay Deochake on the harmonium. The concert was shot in a beautiful traditional wada outside Pune; the wood-panelled room, with wide windows overlooking leafy green trees made for an unusual visual treat, without the usual backdrop with sponsors’ names.

The Delhi-based author writes on classical music.