Saturday, May 18, 2013
Think of the classical Indian flute and the first face you can associate with it is that of Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia.
But for someone who began training as a professional wrestler — not daring to upset his father’s wishes — a career spanning nearly seven decades as India’s foremost classical flautist, composer, Bollywood music director and fusion collaborator sounds distinctly removed from his initial (although reluctant) ambition.
It is perhaps due to this background as a wrestler that at 74, Pandit Chaurasia’s prowess on the flute have retained the same beauty, versatility and stamina as when he first performed for All India Radio in 1957.
That prowess was on display at its full splendour at Sangam, a unique concert organised by Dubai-based Tambourine Live, where Pandit Chaurasia teamed up with Gwyneth Wentink on the harp, Pandit Shubhankar Bannerjee on the tabla and Gino Banks on the drums for a memorable confluence of Indian and Western music.
The first half of the evening began with Pandit Chaurasia playing Madhuvanti, a sweet romantic Hindustani classical raga (melodic mode) in the unorthodox Rupak taal (rhythm) in a three-cycle tempo. Accompanied by the tabla and a support flautist, the melodious medium-tempo evening raga marked the beginning of a great journey into the heart of Indian classical music. In an age where most classical musicians rely on the electronic tanpura (a slender-necked plucked lute in acoustic form, a small square box in the electronic) to produce the supporting rhythmic drone, it was heartening to see an actual tanpura accompanist on stage, performing with the music legend.
The first raga was followed by a short traditional Carnatic composition, where Pandit Chaurasia played with the same accompaniments.
The focus of the concert then moved to Dutch musician Wentink on the harp — where she played two compositions. A three-movement sonata by 18th century Czech composer Jan Lavislav Dussek enthralled the packed auditorium with its mix of Bohemian and late Classical period style of playing. The second piece, a variation on the late 18th century traditional folk tune The Carnival of Venice, demonstrated why the harp is one of the world’s most melodious and intriguing musical instruments.
Daughter of Dutch and Hungarian parents, Wentink began playing the harp when she was five years old, and has performed as a soloist for several top orchestras around the world. As a protege of Pandit Chaurasia, she has also performed several fusion and duet concerts with her mentor, but it was the first time that the eclectic ensemble performed in Dubai together.
The first true taste of fusion for the evening came when Gino Banks joined Wentink on stage. Banks, son of Louis Banks — often dubbed the godfather of Indian jazz — raised the tempo for the evening with the duo playing an extempore improvisation on various themes.
The second half of the evening saw the entire ensemble perform together, with Pandit Chaurasia setting the tone for an experimentation with raga Yaman — another nocturnal pillar of Hindustani classical music. While staying true to its classical core, Wentink and Banks provided an apt counterfoil to traditional Indian instruments. It was a doubly difficult task for Wentink, for her 47-string harp is controlled by seven pedals which modulate the tone pitch and make it impossible to draw anything resembling the sound of sliding notes so typical of Indian music. But that didn’t deter Wentink and her mentor from producing an exceptional variation of Yaman that would please any ear.
The finale for the evening was a popular north Indian folk tune played out by the eclectic ensemble, and temporarily hijacked by a powerful and exciting Sawal-Jawab (rapid melodic exchange between two musical instruments in the format of questions and answers) between the tabla and the drums.
Bridging cultures which are centuries and continents apart, Sangam was a brilliant example of why music is the most universal language of mankind.
By Chiranjib Sengupta, Hub Editor
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