Music genres blend to enthral audience

(Above) Eminent vocalist Damodar Hota and (below) students perform at the Tridhara classical music conference in Bhubaneswar. Pictures by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, May 30: Three genres of Indian music came together at a concert organised by Swara Ranga on Thursday in the city. Veterans of Odissi, Hindustani and Carnatic music presented soul-lifting melodies through renditions of corresponding ragas at the event, Tridhara Sangeet Mahotsav, held at Jaydev Bhawan.

Odissi vocalist Krushna Chandra Das first rendered the invocatory item in the form of the raga Kamodi based Sarpa Janana penned by Kabi Surya Baladeb Rath. His performance was followed by a spellbinding recital by the doyen of Odissi music, eminent singer and musicologist Pandit Damodar Hota.

The musician, who is also an exponent of Hindustani music, has been hosting the Tridhara music concert for five years, to portray the similarities in Hindustani, Carnatic and Uddra paddhatiya sangeeta of Orissa, also known as Odissi music today.

Pandit Hota rendered a Gauda raga based piece of Champu that enthralled listeners of all ages at the concert. The septuagenarian then left the audience in awe with his breathtaking performance on Triputa Tala on the vibrant song Dhale ta dhalilu nahin.

“It is amazing how he performs with such remarkable precision and ease at this age. We could sit hours together listening to his mesmerising voice,” said music lover Deepak Tripathy.

After his fascinating rendition, Kerala-based Carnatic singer, K. Sashi, regaled the audience with Yadukala Kamodi, the corresponding Carnatic raga of Odissi raga Gauda. Surinder Singh from Delhi presented raga Champaka and Jhinjhoti in Hindustani classical.

“Though Hindustani does not have a corresponding raga of the Odissi raga Gauda, I presented the closest ones,” said Singh. Both the veteran vocalists cast their spell on the music lovers of the city.

“The ragas performed here were strikingly similar in each style of music. The festival is really special for its effort of bringing out such interesting features of music,” said Chittaranjan Sahoo, a viewer.

“Through Tridhara, we make an attempt to explore the remarkable resemblance that exists in the three different genres of Indian classical music,” said Pandit Hota.

Present at the occasion were many members of the music and culture fraternity, including Laxmikant Palit and Raghunath Panda.