As I listen to Rashid Khan sing Raama Mujhe, I cannot help recalling, with wistful longing, the winters in B’bay when the season of classical music concerts would kick off. Various festivals would begin. One of the oldest one is Janfest, conducted by IMG at Xaviers’ College.
Borrowing from an earlier blog on Sulekha…
St. Xavier’s College, Bombay hosts a music festival every year on its premises called Janfest. This festival runs on for 2-3 days and on the last day, the programme goes on all night long. Most often, the last performer who performs through the night is Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, the renowned flute exponent and he plays till dawn, 26h January that signifies the end of Janfest. My family used to attend the festival every year as far as possible. One year was especially tiring because the festival was going on through the week and all of us used to rush from school/college/office to Xavier’s and then attend the programme. It was an exhausting week and on the evening of 25th January, all of us were exhausted. Panditji started playing sometime middle of the night and I dozed off. I don’t recall much of what happened but I remember waking up to the sweetest melody I’ve heard. Raag Pahaadi was being played and it was nearly dawn. The quadrangle was cold and slightly misty and everyone seemed to be recovering from the night. Panditji played patiently and I recall that exact feeling: God, thank you for giving me this experience, the ability to taste this part of life, hear this divine piece of music in this magnificent place…
and
Another time, my parents and I had attended this concert by the famous vocalist, Kishori Amonkar. She is truly the diva of Hindustani classical music and has been honored with the title ‘Gaanasaraswati’. She is known to be a temperamental and fastidious performer. That particular day, she was late. The organizers of the show kept assuring us that she’d commence the performance soon but she didn’t make an appearance. Finally she took the stage after nearly an hour. She started singing ‘Babul Mora Naihar chhooto jaaye…’ K L Saigal has also sung this song in his distinctive style. That night in December, even in the not-so-chilly Bombay winter, in the open ground, Kishori Amonkar’s mellifluous voice and that song made a deep impact on me. It struck a hugely sentimental chord within. The plaintive note in her voice, the wistful longing, I was blown, really. A strange feeling welled up within and all I could capture was: Wow!
What wouldn’t I part with to attend a classical music concert?
deelight says:
I have to narrate this incident to you…When we were organising our college fest, a friend of mine who was in charge of the Classical Music section albeit with no knowledge on the subject, had to figure out some prominent judges for the event. She called up Kishori Amonkar and being ignorant of her gender, addressed her as Mr. Kishori Amonkar…ofcourse she got a mouthful from the lady, who was absolutely livid. We ofcourse cracked up at her embarassment. It was quite something!
July 15, 2004 — 11:12 am
Lakshmi says:
God! Can’t even begin to imagine the extent your pal would have got ‘jhaaped’…!
July 15, 2004 — 11:20 am
deelight says:
hehhee…Ya big time!
July 15, 2004 — 11:22 am
parag says:
There are a lot of Hindustani/Carnatic classical music concerts all over US every Summer/Fall. Keep tuned to your local Indian Association and depts of Performing Arts or Music at a University nearby.
July 15, 2004 — 11:14 am
Lakshmi says:
Yes, need to find that out.
July 15, 2004 — 11:20 am
rileen says:
Precisely what i was going to suggest, if one can find Indian classical music here, it should be far easier in the US!
July 15, 2004 — 12:15 pm
Lakshmi says:
Yes, it is. In fact, places in California have more concerts than B’bay too, I bet!
July 19, 2004 — 6:38 am
hariputtar says:
the first classical concert i attended was @ iisc, bangalore. it was an all night concert – and i slept off sometime towards the morning … all i remember is the absolutely amazing sensation of waking up to the renditions of “bhor bhaya … jago nand laal …”. (and indeed it was almost dawn …)
i do not know who was the artist on stage at that time. it sounded like hindustani classical – and her voice made those lines magical … i actually woke up thinking someone was talking to me … i have never had a more touching wake-up call. what an eye-moistening experience.
July 15, 2004 — 12:06 pm
hariputtar says:
that day i bought my first classical music cassettes. 🙂
July 15, 2004 — 12:07 pm
arunshanbhag says:
wonder why Kishore A is referred to as “Gaan Saraswati”? Ofcourse her album “Gaan Saraswati” is a classic.
Like referring to MS Subbulakshmi as Suprabhatam MS Subbulakshmi? I wonder.
I too think it is easier to catch the big-shots here in the US than in Bharat. If you are in the right place at the right time, you could even drive them around! 🙂
July 15, 2004 — 1:44 pm
Lakshmi says:
Kishori Amonkar, right? ‘Gaanasaraswati’ is a title, I think.
July 19, 2004 — 6:39 am
Anonymous says:
Classical Music, Great
You are my daughter. For me also music is everything. I can live a couple of days without water or food, but not without music, at least a hummimg of a Kathakali song.
Achhan
July 15, 2004 — 8:16 pm
shri says:
I am quite clueless when it comes to recognising the different raagas of Indian classical music, but I have heard Pt.Bhimsen Joshi and did like it.
I have also seen Pt. Shivkumar Sharma perform live, and I think the sound of the santoor is the best sound on this earth. It fills your heart with peace. Like my cousin brother says, if you listen to the santoor and close your eyes, you are transported to a different world. Truly, the music for the soul. 🙂
July 16, 2004 — 2:55 am
Lakshmi says:
I can say that about music, in total, Shri. Music has transported me to some of the most amazing highs I’ve ever touched… No drink or drug can do that, I swear!
July 19, 2004 — 6:40 am
hemya says:
When U talk about a classical music concert. I am reminded of this…
http://www.virtualpune.com/html/localguide/cityfacts/html/sawai.shtml
and the winters are actually chilly:)
July 16, 2004 — 6:50 am
Lakshmi says:
Oh, I’ve wanted to go for this fest so bad. Wonder when it’ll happen…
July 19, 2004 — 6:40 am
vote_sobriety says:
Hmmm..and I thought I was the only weirdo who listened to classical music.I usually listen to hindustani thought…carnatic can be gaudy sometimes.
July 16, 2004 — 11:33 pm
vote_sobriety says:
Pardon the blasphemy…it’s just easy listening for me.
July 16, 2004 — 11:34 pm
Lakshmi says:
Gaudy? Now that’s a new term for me…:-)
July 19, 2004 — 6:41 am
vote_sobriety says:
“Gawdy”?Whatever….
July 20, 2004 — 1:34 am
Lakshmi says:
:-))
I meant, ‘gaudy’ in relation with Carnatic classical music…
July 20, 2004 — 6:27 am