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Gayathri Girish and Dr. Lakshmi Sriram presented a lively and enjoyable' Jugalbandi' (Carnatic and Hindustani Music) recital under the auspices of the Sarvani Sangeetha Sabha at the Music Academy Mini Hall on Tuesday evening last before a house-full audience.
The two-hour concert had for its content five numbers including a presentation in Ragam Tanam Pallavi format of Ragas Bimplas (Hindustani) and the corresponding Karnatakadevagandhari of the Carnatic Music.
Both the young musicians averred later that the term Jugalbandi meant an integrated presentation of the two systems of music (Hindustani and Carnatic) highlighting the innate nuances of corresponding melodies (ragas) or a binding pair, pair bound by common links (Jugal- pair; Bandi - binding force). They expressed the view that a concert by any pair (sisters: brothers: &iends) could also be termed a 'Jugalbandi', though the connotation in present times and in Chennai specially has come to indicate the recital, by a pair, of two or more systems of vocal music or even instrumental music. It is fusion music if the Western system of music is also included along with oriental music. Their aim was to project and forge a common link for the intrinsic charm of the two systems of lndian music.
Veteran Violinist of yesteryears late Prof. Parur A. Sundaram Iyer has gone on record with the view that there is only one system of music in our land, namely 'Bharatiya Sangeetham' and that there is absolutely no difference at all between Hindustani and Carnatic Systems of music. "The fundamentals are one and the same, their original source is the music of the Vedas and the distnction is only in the style of rendition.".
Coming back to the Jugalbandi recital of Gayathri and Lakshmi, they began together with a slokam and krithi on Lord Ganesa (the obstacle remover: the binding divinity) in Aabhogi and Aabhogi Kanada with relevant combinative and imaginative, appropriate alap interjections. The mutual rapport was evident even from this opening item.
Lakshmi then took over with a melodious exposition of Puriya Dhanashree, 'Payaliya Jhankar' a Teen Taal Bandish which was followed by Gayathri's Pantuvarali (Kamavardini - 51 Mela Karta) 'Siva Siva Ena..' The differences and similarities between both these sampoorna ragas were presented quite captivatingly. The exchanges were aesthetically pleasing.
The next short and sweet Bandish (composition) 'Chaturasukaraa' in Durga (Teen Taal) of Lakshmi was well matched by Gayathri's 'Kaalaharana Melaraa Hare' (Tyagaraja: Suddha
Saveri) rendition.
Thereafter, the evening's main piece the RTP presentation - Bimplas and its Carnatic counterpart Karnatakadevagandhari, with ecstatic explorative delineation of corresponding notes and raga- identity were fully praiseworthy for the comparative depictions. Gayathri's Pallavi - 'Kamalasani Sundari Chandravadani' (in two Kalai Aadhi Taalam) was sportingly matched by Lakshmi's rendition ofthe same lines in innovative style (Teen Taal). Lakshmi elucidated later that the RTP was a novelty presentation where the 'nom tom alap' rendered as counterpart to Camatic Taanam is not usually heard in present day Khayal singing as it is more an aspect of Dhrupad singing. She departed from this approach and preferred a novel direction. She also observed that the raga time association was not maintained in the
Jugalbandi.
The fast paced finale TilIana- Tarana in Hamsanandi (Alap etching by Gayathri) and the Hindustani Sohini by Lakshmi proved to he the icing on the cake that evening. Lakshmi was so much lost in the fine presentation by Gayathri that she almost forgot to continue with her lines - a rich tribute to her partner.
M.A. Krishnaswami on the Violin and Kuldeep M Pai on the Harmonium were elegantly supportive. R. Ganapathiraman on the Mridangam and R. Suresh with his Tabla played their assigned roles comfortably. Suresh, however, took a long time in coming to terms with his instrument.
The duo Gayathri and Lakshmi deserve a lot of plaudits for their complementary projections achieving unity in diversity, and harmony in melody. "We wanted to give to our audience a different kind of aural experience without compromise to traditions. We worked together, we learnt together. we presented together and in this joint enterprise we derived a lot of satisfaction. If we have passed some of it to our rasikas we would take the view that we have achieved our desired objective" - chorused Gayathri and Lakshmi. Incidentally, Gayathri has received the Karthik Fine Arts 'Isai Peroli' Award for this year which wil1 be presented to her in the oncoming music festival season. Lakshmi, it must he noted,. is an accomplished Carnatic vocalist.
R Srinivasan
18A Fourth Main Road,
RA. Puram, Chennai - 28.
TcI : 2435 55 76
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