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| Rashid Khan (Picture by Shambhu Hazra) |
Ronita Dey, a young pupil of Bade Ghulam Ali’s grandson Raza Ali Khan, displayed a firm grounding in the Kasur Patiala style in a recital at the start of the Sabrang Sangeet Sammelan at Kala Mandir last Saturday night. Singing khayals and a tarana in the raga Puria, she showed clear signs of good training and individual talent.
At the outset of the night-long programme, Girija Devi presented a cheque for Rs 1.55 lakh on behalf of Sabrang Music Trust to Ms Rupali Moulik of Matrisangha Janakalyan Ashram. The Ashram’s medical wing provides free medical treatment and medicines to aged musicians nominated by the Trust.
Girija Devi herself was the second artiste of the night and sang khayals in Kedar. The straight and looping movements in the vilambit and the boltaans of the drut khayal were sung with usual expertise. She also sang a Khammaj thumri and a bhajan. Samar Saha provided stimulating tabla accompaniment.
Next, Rashid Khan started his ati vilambit khayal in Bageshri with a slow phrase elaboration that was rich in raga mood and ample recourse to the mandra saptak.
The Amir Khan-style ga-Re ga Ma phrase was also very much in use. The sargams and taankari at the end of the vilambit and in course of the drut ektal khayal were sung with characteristic expertise. Equally well sung was the drut khayal in Kaunsi Dhvani and the Pahadi dadra.
Then came a tabla duet in teental by Sabir Khan and his son Arif. They presented in the vilambit portion rarities such as peshkar a la Nanhe Khan, a chalandar Ajrara quaida, and quaidas by Nissar Khan. A marathon bout of bayan work by Arif drew applause. In the drut portion there were relas, tukdas and gats.
Next, one found a touch of the unmistakable Vilayat Khan magic in his son Shujat Husain’s sitar alap in Charukeshi. A long, skilfully developed taan in the drut jod drew applause. The vilambit and drut teental gatkari was also good to listen to and received intelligent support from Bikram Ghosh’s tabla.
The programme ended with a recital by Ulhas Kashalkar. His khayals in Ramkeli, sung in the characteristic Gwalior style, ushered in the morning in the manner only excellent Hindustani music can. He also sang khayals in Hindol Bahar and a piece in Bhairaviz.