On Day-7 of the music series of Sri Ramabhyudaya Sabha at Alammana Choultry in Srirampet, an unusual jugalbandi concert was presented by Sangeeta Kalanidhi Vidushi Kanyakumari (violin) and Ustad Arshad Khan (esraj) accompanied by Vid. K.V. Prasad on  mridanga and Pt. Rajendra Nakod on tabla. Shivateja, one of the students of Kanyakumari, accompanied her on violin.

Esraj is a relatively recent instrument used in Sikh music, Rabindra Sangeet and Classical Music. It is a modern variant of dilruba, looks more like a sarangi, differing slightly in structure. Esraj is rested on the knee of the player or on the floor while sitting. Ustad Arshad Khan is a leading exponent of this rare stringed instrument and is so associated with the instrument that he is more known as Esraj Arshad Khan.

The first woman violinist to receive Sangeeta Kalanidhi from Madras Music Academy, Kanyakumari’s violin playing is admired for many exceptional qualities like vocalism and innovation. Three generations of the brightest Karnatak violinists have trained under this one legend. I vividly remember attending her concerts accompanying MLV amma about 40 years ago.

The present concert was the first of its kind with these two great artistes performing a jugalbandi together. On this day, the 12th of April, three adorable concerts were arranged in Mysuru at different places and it was hard for the music lovers to decide where to go or which concert to attend.

It is a humble request to the concerned music organisations to see that grand concerts like these do not overlap on the same days. It is understandable that they are the Ramanavami events but as they spend heavily for each concert, it would be good to see the concerts attracting full hall to make them more successful. But when this happens the audience gets distributed.

Also music lovers/ connoisseurs are deprived of listening to the other two concerts though they very much want to. In view of this, it will be good if the concert series are arranged one after the other so that they do not clash.

The duo took up Hamsadhwani first in which they presented the very popular ‘Vatapi GaNapatim bhaje’ by Dikshitar. Then came Harikambhoji from Kanyakumari amma, who rendered a comprehensive alapana followed by ‘RAma nannu brOvara’ suffixed by energetic swaras with Shivateja. Rashid Khan played Yaman unhurriedly, bringing out the beauty of the raga with attractive phrases, unleashing a variety of bowing and fingering techniques.

The toast of the evening was the RTP in Keeravani. The raga and tanam in both the styles were enchanting to listen to. The lyrics of the pallavi were simple: ‘RAma Sri RAma RaghuRAma SeethARAma’ set to Adi tAla in two kalai. The pallavi was rendered in detail, with colorful swaras, both by the senior violinist and her disciple alternatively and on esraj in ragamalika. A grand taniyavartanam followed by senior mridangist K.V. Prasad and veteran tabla artiste Rajendra Nakod.

In the post-tani part, the duo played some catchy numbers. ‘Raghupati RAghava RAjArAm’ bhajan, ‘SrinivAsa gOvinda Sri venkatEsha govinda’ another popular bhajan on Lord Venkateshwara and the devaranama ‘Venkatachala nilayam’ by Sri Purandara dasaru with a short sketch of the raga Ganga created by the senior violinist inspired by the seven hills of Tirumala.

It was a rare treat to the audience but unfortunately people were scattered because of the other two grand concerts happening at the same time. And many of the listeners (like me) were found attending two of them, one after the other.

—Dr. Padmavathi  Narasimhan