Bengal Classical Music Fest
Diverse music, dance move Dhaka audience
With her rhythmic movements onstage, the Indian bharatnatyam maestro vidushi Alarmel Valli sometimes created image of the wave on the stagnant water and sometimes resembled the resonance of the flattering
wings of a beautiful butterfly.
Synchronised with the rendition of four poems on different ragas, the dancer from Chennai moved the Dhaka audience presenting the authentic form of the classical bharatnatyam.
One of her stunning presentation was Gyanmohe Uchcharan, based on raga hamsanadam, where the bharatnatyam maestro narrated a wife’s love for her husband through very complicated but artistic stances, expressions and foot works.
She also enthralled the audience presenting three more lyrical-poem based performances narrating love and emotion in her solo performance on Friday at the Army Stadium.
Other attractions of the second day’s evening of the four-day Bengal Classical Music Festival were vocal recitals by pundit Ajoy Chakrabarty and vidushi Bombay Jayashri, sitar recitals by Ustad Rais Khan and pundit Purbayan Chatterjee and violin presentation by Saket Sahu.
Bangladeshi classical singer Asit Dey also performed in the evening.
Violinist Saket Sahu presented the romantic raga bihag which is usually presented on the second quarter of the night. Hundreds of audience in the Holiday evening enjoyed romantic sentimental tune played by Sahu in pin-drop silence.
Next was seasoned South Indian musician vidushi Bombay Jayashri, who moved the audience through her signature carnatic style.
Accompanied by mridanga and violin, Jayashri enthralled the audience through her improvisations while presenting the well-composed South Indian ragas, which is completely different from the North Indian ragas, usually practiced and performed in the rest parts of the Indian sub-continent.
Sitar player pundit Purbayan Chatterjee appeared onstage after the midnight and presented a recital on raga jaijaiwanti, which is appropriate for the middle of the night. For the delight of the Dhaka audience, Chatterjee improvised on the traditional bhatiali tune of the Bengal.
Pundit Ajoy Chakrabarty appeared onstage in the last part of the night and presented a late-night raga malkosh. Ajoy Chakrabarty captivated the audience through his mastery on modulating the vocal from lower octave in slow tempo.
In the dawn, pundit Ajoy Chakrabarty, a leading singer of the North Indian classical music, presented raga bhairav, the morning raga.
He wrapped up his presentation with a raga jogiya-based Bangla song Jamini holore bhor.
The only Pakistani participant in the festival, sitar player ustad Rais Khan was the last performer of the second day programme.
Ustad Rais Khan satisfied the thirst of the classical music lovers who were present till the end of the nightlong show presenting raga charukeshi and an improvisational sitar recital to welcome a new day in life.
A satisfied audience Taimur Tushar said, ‘I’m enjoying each and every performance by the best musicians of the subcontinent.’
‘The festival is an exceptional experience in my life. I enjoyed the dance recital most,’ said another audience Rashid Mamun.
The second day of the festival was dedicated to the late Bangladeshi classical maestro pundit Barin Mazumder.
-With New Age input
