|
|||
Archives Contribute
|
05/04/2023
A Memorable
Concert by Kaushiki Chakraborty Kaushiki Chakraborty, an
immensely popular vocalist of Indian Classical music dazzled the audience at
Cary Hall in Lexington on April 30th, 2023. The concert was
organized by Shadaj, a 501 C(3) non-profit organization dedicated to
cultivating and promoting Indian Classical Music in the Greater Boston area
(www.shadaj.org). Padmashree Dr. Shrikant Datar, Dean of Harvard Business School
was the chief guest of the event. Dr. Datar inaugurated the 2023 concert season
and honored the artists. After a few
initial remarks by the organizers, Kaushiki took the stage accompanied by
Tanmay Deochake on harmonium, Murad Ali Khan on sarangi and Sandeep Ghosh on tabla
in front of a completely packed audience of 850 people. She started the concert with raag
Jog. The initial phrases in her crystal-clear
voice immediately introduced the raag. She chose a traditional composition ‘Piharava
Ko Biramaye’ in vilambit Jhumra. After outlining the asthai of the composition,
she started the beautiful aalapi. An important feature of Kaushiki’s gayaki is
that she clearly delineates the raag. She shows the landscape of the raag with appropriate
phrases leaving no doubt of the identity of the raag even for novice listeners. As the exploration of raag progressed to taar saptak,
her awe-inspiring range of voice left the listeners spellbound. She executed
the key feature of Patiala gharana, the movement in all three octaves with ease
and perfection. The mellifluous expansion of the sthayi led to antara where she
continued to show her creativity. The raag exploration progressed seamlessly
into bol aalap, layakari, and behalavas. Saragama is another characteristic
feature of the Patiala gharana. The ease, clarity, and precision of her
saragama are truly remarkable and greatly appreciated by the audience. Her
layakari, especially ‘atit’ landing on sum was spectacular. The momentum
gathered during the exploration of vilambit khayal culminated in the madhya
laya Jhaptaal bandish ‘Tom Tanana’. It was followed by a drut bandish ‘Banara Bani
Aayo’ composed by Pandit Ratanjankar. She sang the drut bandish in an unusal
taal called Ikwai (16 beats) and then switched over to Teentaal demonstrating
her command of taal. Swift taans and the interplay of taan patterns with taal
is a beautiful feature of her gayaki. Her powerful and galvanizing taan patterns
are interwoven precisely with taal. The speedy taans spanning the three octaves
were crowd-pleasers again. The audience thoroughly enjoyed the rendition of raag
Jog. After a brief break, she chose
raag Rageshree for her next presentation in which she presented madhya laya
bandishes in taal Rupak and Ektal. Kaushiki did full justice to the raag
with beautifully embellished aalapi, saragama, taans, and layakari. The
flexibility of voice, command of various vocal techniques, rich tonal quality,
and robustness of taans and saragamas show the amazing skill set she has
developed with years of training and practice. Kaushiki is a versatile artist,
and her vast repertoire was evident in the next presentation of thumri in
Pahadi including her signature thumri ‘Rangi Sari Gulabi Chunariya’. The
audience was smitten by the expressive, delicate and nuanced rendition of the
presentation. She concluded the concert with a beautiful bhajan. The accompaniment provided by
Tanmay Deochake, Sandeep Ghosh and Murad Ali Khan was definitely noteworthy.
All accompanists are accomplished artists who frequently play with prominent
musicians. The playful interaction between Kaushiki and her accompanists served
well to enhance the experience for the listeners. Harmonium accompaniment by
Tanmay Deochake was complimentary to Kaushiki’s gayaki. So was Murad Ali Khan
on sarangi accompaniment. The harmonium and sarangi both followed Kaushiki
precisely and enhanced the melody when appropriate. Tabla accompaniment by Sandeep
Ghosh was restrained, steady and authoritative. Kaushiki provided ample
opportunity for them to present their skills and talent and they earned ovation
from the audience at various times. Kaushiki’s concerts are never
disappointing. As expected, this was an impeccable and flawless concert. She
has found the magic formula that has attracted a much wider audience than just classical
music aficionados and experts. She must be applauded for bringing romanticism
to Indian Classical Music and broadening its appeal. Equally impressive is her
presence on stage. Her charming personality, ease, careful attention to each
detail, and pleasant demeanor make her concerts an audio-visual treat. Her
respectful behavior with her accompanists and organizers and her reverence for
the audience are her noteworthy qualities as well. Despite the magnitude, the
event was perfectly executed from start to finish by Shadaj team. The
well-oiled machinery of Shadaj volunteers carefully planned and effectively
implemented all details of the concert. This event was a big success only
because of the dedication of selfless, hardworking volunteers at Shadaj. Every
aspect of this concert was praiseworthy and takes Shadaj to a league of its
own. Shadaj in association with
Berklee India Exchange also organized a music appreciation session with
Kaushiki where her fans, music students and anyone interested in learning more had
a chance to hear her thoughts on music. The event was on May 2nd
from 7 PM to 9 PM at Berklee School of Music. You may also access this article through our web-site http://www.lokvani.com/ |
| ||
Home | About Us | Contact Us | Copyrights Help |