Bengal Classical Music Festival

During my late teens, I was returning home from Canada and took a stopover in Delhi. I stayed with my friends former Ambassador Raziul Hassan and wife and they took me to the Kamani auditorium. Through the night Pandit Jasraj's rendering of 'Khambaj Bahar' mesmerized my innocent soul, kept me wondering when will Bangladesh have such whole night concerts? My friends… artists Sujit Mustafa, Urmi De and danseuse Munmun, Anis were all there and they narrated their lives in Delhi, every night spent in joy and splendour with the variety of ragas, talas, dance, topped by cups and cups of tea in earthen-ware (Khuri), enriching their lives with every sip! I was jealous!

Four years back, Abul Khiar Litu, with his team headed by the capable Luva Nahid Chowdhury, brought me back the joy of those nights spent in Delhi, Kolkata (Dover Lane), Allahabad, or whole nights in Stutguard! Music was now at my door and the dawn could now begin with the 'Basant Mukhari' of Pandit Ajoy Chakroborty whom I had personally invited back in 1989. I had hosted the show in the Sheraton hotel and when he met Ferdausi Rahman, he said, "Oh you are my Guru from the radio! I have learnt 'ashey boshonto phulobone' from the radio show where you teach children". This time Ajoy Chokroborty presented an unusual composition in raga Bairagi, a morning raga which has only five notes, yet the brilliance of his permutation, combination, his rendering and above all, his oneness with God, made it so special. The 'bandesh' was coined as 'Allah mere man baso.' A universal plea which had so much 'arti', the soulfulness seemed like reaching the November sky. It was followed by the rendering of a Bangla song in rag Jogia, another special in which Nazrul Islam  has also written a song titled 'Keno go jogini gobheer obhimane'.

With the mention of Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam comes the spell bounding rendition of Dr. Rajan, her team of daughter and two grand-daughters (in violin). On the third night i.e. 29th November 2015, this team gave one of the best gifts to Bangladesh. After their renditions in Bageshree and Khambaj thumree, they presented the famous song (holi) by the National Poet Brojogopi khele holi and what a rendition, what an identical mimicry of the 'gayaki' style for which the Rajan family deserves special mention. Last year, we had artist singing another Nazrul song 'Amar kalo meye rag koreche.'

Kaushiki was in her early teens in 1989 when I had invited them to perform in Dhaka. She had sung in Hotel Sheraton and at fourteen, her rendition was that of a genius!  They had travelled to Mymensingh to see their native village. Today she stands tall as a native from Mymensingh (which she proudly announced on Zee Bangla) and sings with an innocence and beauty, only comparable to the deity Saraswati (in education and beauty). Last year, we heard her crisp Bageshree, a year before 'Madhuvanti', followed by the thumree 'Rangee sari chunari' and the whole of Dhaka music lovers fell in love with her. I find that each year she is growing, she sang raga Malkaus and gave us sample demonstrations of what Ustad Bare Ghulam Ali Khan had handed down, shifting her scales, making the next note her 'sa' and singing the same raga. When she perfects it, it will be a master addition to her already bulging repertoire, God Bless this creative 'child prodigy'.

Dr. Balmurali Krishna, another 'child prodigy' who started singing at the age of 9 and wrote 72 ragas at the age of 16, entered the stage. He had to be assisted by two of his students. When his voice reached the microphone, it needed no help; it captured the heart of the millions, gorging the hemisphere with its roar. His duo with flautist Ronu Majumder added another dimension to the maestro's rendering. Reminded me of another time when he performed in the National Museum , singing a raga with three notes alone, covering four scales, covering the musical universe with various combinations and then Tagore's 'akash bhora shurjo tara'.

My personal favourite is Shubha Mudgal. In her bright pink sari, when she appeared on stage at around 3.30 am, the entire area lit up with her glow. Raga Bhatiyar, with a brilliant ektaal and teental, the latter giving a beautiful bandesh starting from the 'some' 'Kahe karata rar', 'Why are you creating havoc, I have explained many times. When I go to fetch water, often you hinder my stance, I feel like complaining to Yashoda. Next came the ragmala, which was taught to her by her Guru. This ragmala has lines from several ragas, each included in the garland keeping the linguistic flair intact. 'Imon kalyan howe tero' started and I had died and gone to heaven. Ramkeli in madhylaya and Bhairavi thumree followed next, when the dawn broke and azaan was almost imminent.  All in the same tune, call for prayers and those through the ragas.  

The writer is an academic, Nazrul exponent and writer.