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Saurangi Festival In New Delhi

Tribute
K.N. Dakshinamurthi

The sonorous sound of the sarangi is closest to the human voice. Hence it has been used as an  accompanying instrument in both classical and folk traditions of  North India for  ages. By virtue of its ability to replicate patterns of vocal music, like meend, which is an essential aspect  of singing, it is an ideal accompaniment to Hindustani classical music. Sarangi is rightly referred to as 'saurangi' because its versatile sound can produce hundreds of shades adorning a musical performance with rang (colour). The subtleties that can be acquired through sarangi cannot be attained by harmonium due to its limitations but  lately the sarangi is being replaced by the harmonium as accompaniment in vocal recitals just for convenience. Its popularity is on the decline also because of the fact that it is a very difficult instrument to learn and master, which  has led to a situation where it is becoming rare to hear a good sarangi solo. The maestros of the old generation can be counted on one's fingers and very few from the new generation want to  learn it. In such a bleak situation the Saurangi Festival came like a whiff of fresh air to sarangi lovers and an inspiration to a number of talented and ambitious youngsters who wish to pursue a career as a sarangi player. 

Siddique Ahmad Khan
A tribute to Ustad Siddique Ahmad Khan, the 'Saurangi Festival' was organised by Saurang Parampara in association with Dainik Jaagaran and Red Earth at the Kamani auditorium, New Delhi on 9th and 10th May. The two-day festival showcased the sarangi  in solo recitals, as accompaniment to vocal and instrumental music and in a group ensemble of thirteen sarangi players along with some Western instruments and tabla. The curtain raiser was a vocal duet by Shiraz Ahmad and Faraz Ahmad that underlined the interesting nexus between sarangi players and vocalists where sarangi players take to vocal music and vocalists learn from sarangi maestros. Young Shiraz and Faraz Ahmad started their training in Hindustani vocal music under the late Siddique Ahmad Khan and thereafter under  Ghulam Sabir Khan, both sarangi players of repute. They sang an impressive Shyam Kalyan with a bada khayal in vilambit Ektala, a chhota khayal in Teentala madhya laya, followed by a tarana in drut Ektala, accompanied by Asif Ali Khan (sarangi), Mahmood Dhaulpuri (harmonium) and Sudhir Pande (tabla).

A sarangi solo came next, by Sarwar Hussain from Bhopal, one of the most accomplished sarangi players of the younger generation. The grandson and disciple of the eminent maestro Abdul Latif Khan, Sarwar has imbibed the intricate delicacy of his mentor. The contemplative repose of his sombre Marwa with the slow bada khayal in ati vilambit Jhoomra tala of 14 beats cycle, belied his young age. After the methodical sur-dar sur badhat to elaborate his opening raga, he proceeded to fast and intricate taan-s in the slow composition before he  played a Teentala madhya laya and a faster bandish in drut Ektala. He went on to play the difficult raga Harikauns with extraordinary virtuosity with the kind of ease that comes after years of intense taaleem and riyaz, before concluding his recital with a melodious dhun. Nafis Khan, also from Bhopal, accompanied him on the tabla.

The first evening concluded with a superb vocal recital by Shubha Mudgal, who held the audience spellbound with her rendering of raga Kedar. The slow composition in vilambit Ektala Jhankaar pari had its mesmerising sam on the tara shadja. The chhota khayal Damini damake  in Teentala, a composition of 'Raamrang'-- her guru Ramashraya Jha-- was striking in terms of both poetry  and music. Shubha's  instinctively creative temperament was mirrored not only in the  detailed exploration of her main raga, but also in the delicate treatment of the concluding Desh. The commendable vocal support by her disciple Sweta Deshpande  proved Shubha a worthy guru as well.  She had  an inspired tabla accompaniment  by Aneesh Pradhan, and Muraad Ali's sarangi and Mahmood Dhaulpuri's harmonium reflected her minutest nuances.

The next day's programme started with a sonorous sarangi solo by Muraad Ali. Initially trained by his grandfather Siddique Ahmad Khan and further groomed by his father Ghulam Sabir, Muraad belongs to the legendary Muradabad gharana's sixth generation in an unbroken lineage of sarangi players. An 'A' grade artist of AIR and Doordarshan, Muraad has not only accompanied top musicians but also has a sarangi solo CD to his credit. He had the privilege to play for the ensemble 'Kalyaan' under sitar maestro Ravi Shankar's  direction. Muraad opened his concert  this evening with the pathos of the sandhi-prakash raga Poorvi. The fine elaboration of this challenging raga was followed by a lively Sankara where he showcased his talent in full measure concluding the recital with a lovely dhun. He had the able support of Ghulam Ghaus Bharati on tabla.

Sarangi was next presented in accompaniment to the tabla solo of Aneesh Pradhan from Mumbai. A disciple of the illustrious tabla maestro Nikhil Ghosh, Aneesh has a repository of traditional compositions from Delhi, Ajarada, Lucknow, Farukhabad and Punjab schools of tabla. A perfect foil to vocal, instrumental music or dance recitals, Aneesh is now regarded as one of the best soloists in tabla featured on national and international record labels and festivals. He has earned fame as a versatile composer as well. His rich repertoire this evening regaled the discerning audience with the rarest of compositions  from various gharana-s of tabla, such as the andaaz of Ameer Hussain Khan, Ahmad Jaan Thirakwa and Haaji Vilayat Hussain Khan-- founder of the Farukhabad gharana. The 'poorab ang ka gat-quayada' had a particular theme which Aneesh played with innumerable variations. The use of 'tak tak' bol, or the intricacies of rela, palta, the rhythmic variations of Teentala and above all his crisp parhant were highly appreciated. But the soul stirring sarangi nagma in raga Pahadi played by Kamaal Ahmad was the added attraction of this mesmerising performance. Kamaal not only proved his name but also the name of the 'Saurangi' festival--  providing hundreds of shades to the single line lehera as he provided accompaniment to Aneesh's tabla.

The two-day festival concluded with the grand finale of the Saurangi Ensemble where thirteen sarangi-s played with keyboards, drums, bass and tabla accompaniment. The imaginative musical score was arranged in raga-s Hamsadhwani, Jog and Keeravani by Ghulam Sabir Khan who also conducted it with great verve. The festival was well organised. On display at the photo exhibition arranged in the foyer of the Kamani auditorium, were the rarest of photographs and information about the Moradabad gharana. 

MANJARI SINHA

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