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 Artistes perform at Suradhara, a musical evening organised by Kalinga Kalakshetra, at Jayadev Bhavan in Bhubaneswar. Pictures by Ashwinee Pati |
Bhubaneswar, May 29: Suradhara — the aptly titled music festival held at Jayadev Bhavan on Sunday — won over the audience with its flow of melodies throughout the evening.
Organised by Kalinga Kalakshetra, Suradhara saw exponents of Hindustani classical perform to some of the most intriguing and soulful jananas (devotional songs).
Vocalist Anita Goswami’s Hindustani classical was exemplary in every respect. The singer started off with Bajra nari hira re, a song set in raga Bihag. The raga, known for its soft romantic quality, suited Goswami’s beautiful voice.
Her next song was Kaha bansi swana based on raga Kedar. This popular raga named after Lord Shiva, is known for its complex and intricate notes and change in rhythm. It was a treat listening to Goswami as she effortlessly moved on with the song and the passion in her voice instantly touched the audience’s heart.
Her last rendition on raga Nand — Kahiki rabuchi bansi — spoke about the tales of love of Radha and Lord Krishna. The songs written by Harmohan Khuntia were replete with moving verses that connected readily with the listeners.
After Goswami, well-known vocalist Bijay Jena’s rendition on Baraj bidhure ana, ana pheri sahire, was another surreal presentation. Jena, a maestro in classical music, mesmerised the listeners with his powerful and sonorous voice. His janana — Kete kahibi go mo dukhha kahani — requesting the Lord to listen to his prayers, created an atmosphere of devotion and dedication in the auditorium.
Bringing about a change in the mood was tabla player Kulamani Sahu and mardala player Harmohan Khuntia. The duo, through their music, captivated the attention of the audience for almost an hour together. The entire act, especially their jugalbandi, was spellbinding. Sitarists Seema Patnaik, Sucheta Priyabadini, Chakradhar Khuntia presented a marvellous sitar performance based on raga Dhun. The musical journey ended with another tabla performance, this time by a young tabla player Sarthak Das. To give a perfect close to the beautiful evening was a recital by Odissi dancers from Dhenkanal. The group presented a beautiful piece on devi bandana, praising and thanking Goddess Durga for her wonderful gifts to mankind. The audience was all praises for the wonderful classical evening that was collaborated by Odisha tourism.
“Vocal, instrumental and dance, all three under the same roof. Nothing could have been better. Also, we got a chance to hear sitar performance after a long time. It is such a melodious instrument. I wish there are more programmes on sitar,” said Minati Padhi, a viewer.