 |
|
| ARTS TRIBUNE | Friday, April 13, 2001, Chandigarh, India |
Master of Dhrupad form The free spirit of art
|
|
Rababi’s unfulfilled desire WITH an ardent desire and hope in his heart, Bhai Lalji, the 17th generation descendant of the family of Bhai Mardana, came to Amritsar from Pakistan, to perform kirtan at Sri Harmindar Sahib. All his hopes were dashed when the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandak Committee (SGPC) refused him permission, upholding the ban imposed on non-Sikhs performing kirtan at the Golden Temple. A visibly distraught Bhai Lal, a ‘rababi’ and Muslim by birth, in a special interaction with The Tribune said, “Even my old age does not allow me the comfort of the claim of having achieved all in my lifetime, as a fervent desire still remains with me of performing kirtan for the one last time at the Harmindar Sahib. The craving for blessing from Guru Ram Dass, the founder of the Golden Temple, after performing kirtan is the life’s only mission left unfulfilled”. The ‘rababi’ who performed kirtan for two hours at the Golden Temple for one last time in 1962 besides 14 kirtans at Akal Takht asks emotionally, “Will I go back once again to Pakistan with an unfulfilled dream?” The ban was imposed soon after his last performance in 1962. Belonging to the generation of Bhai Mardana, a Muslim ‘rababi’ of the time, being nine years older than the first Sikh Guru Nanak Dev, he started accompanying the Guru. Then for 47 years at every forum that the Guru sojourned to, Bhai Mardana performed kirtan with him. So much so, many of the ‘banis’ of ‘rababis’ were incorporated in the Guru Granth Sahib. In the footsteps of his forefathers, Bhai Lal too, is completely devoted to the traditional ‘parampara’ of kirtan. He can perhaps be counted amongst the few ‘kirtankaars’ of the world today who can sing kirtan using all 31 ragas without eyeing a paper. Sikh history and historical moments are on his fingertips. Born in 1929 as Ashik Ali at Goindwal where his father was a “rababi” performing kirtan at Goindwal Sahib, Lal Singh learned the Gurmukhi (Punjabi) at a local primary school. Then he was sent to learn kirtan from Bhai Khisita at Amritsar at the age of 11 years in 1940. After two years of tutorship under him, Bhai Lal started kirtan under ‘rababi’ Bhai Chand; “Since then I came to be known as Bhai Lal and have been addressed so, ever since,” he recalls. Thereby Partition led him to flee India, and he and his father settled in Lahore where he got married and fathered four sons. While his sons enjoy kirtan and accompany him somehow none of them have actually followed in their forefathers’ footsteps due tolack of patronage from Sikh institutions and Sikh bodies. “Two of my sons are electricians, while one polishes utensils and the youngest remains a free roamer despite having passed plus 2,” he says with regret. On his last visit to India in 1999, Bhai Lal was honoured with 19 awards by various Sikh organisations. These included the honour conferred at Anandpur Sahib by the SGPC, one by the Delhi Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee another by Damdami Taksal, Patna Sahib, Hazoor Sahib and others. Talking about Pakistan, he says, “Who is interested in kirtan in Pakistan?” and reveals that the chance to perform kirtan is only during the Indian jathas’ visit at Nankana Sahib, Panja Sahib and Dera Sahib Gurdwaras or occasionally when a Sindhi devout of the Guru, invites him for kirtan. Sindhis, he says are the only Pakistanis who thoroughly enjoy kirtan and hold it in great regard. Meanwhile, in a fervert appeal to the SGPC on behalf of ‘rababis’ and Bhai Lal, the International Bhai Mardana Yaadgari Kirtan Darbar Society president Harpal Singh Bhullar says the SGPC going against the very tenets of Sikhism which follows the tradition of denouncing discrimination on all levels, including religion, caste and colour by disallowing ‘Rababi’ Bhai Lal to perform in the Golden Temple, while no ban exists on them in any other gurdwara in the world.
|
Master of Dhrupad form UDAY
BHAWALKER is a name to reckon with in the field of classical music. Years ago when he opted to learn this grave form of music, Dhrupad, he must have taken into account his true temperament and bent before going for a style which keeps off all that is trite or vulgar and spurns at the flimsy ornament, and other histrionics that are a part of today’s classical music. Having mastered the imminently difficult form of Dhrupad, Uday made his presence felt right from his first performance at the age of 19 in Bhopal. Uday, who was born in Madhya Pradesh in 1966, belongs to a family where appreciation for music was naturally imbibed. He started his training in music at the young age of eight from his sister. In 1975 he enrolled himself in a music school in Ujjain to attain formal training in the field. He spent six years in this institution and learned the intricacies of music. In 1981, the much sought-after opportunity knocked his door when he received a four-year scholarship from Ustad Allauddin Khan Sangeet Academy to learn Dhrupad emulating the “guru-shishya parampara” of the yore. He mastered this form of music from Zia Fariduddin. His brother, the renowned veena maestro, Ustad Zia Mobinddin Dagar, nurtured his art further. In 1985, he staged his first performance which was widely acclaimed and since then there has been no looking back. He has performed at many prominent music festivals in India and abroad. These include the International Voice Festival at Rotterdam & Barcelona, India Klassiek, Holland, Sangeet Parampara Festival, Berlin, and many others. His other major performances comprise Spice-Macay’s festivals Lec-Sem and Virasat in various cities across the country. Virasat, a classical bonanza staged in various parts in the country, brought Uday to the northern region last year. He had the audience captivated with his trenchant, well dug-in voice, melodious to the core, wherever he performed. His voice is a treat for lovers of music. Even children of Lawrence School, Sanawar, where he staged a programme, were charmed by the melody of Dhrupad. Some of his recordings in the form of audio cassettes and CDs have been brought out by Rhythm House, Pan Music, Makar Records, Nimbus Records, Navras Records and Alurkar Music House. |
The free spirit of art THE Chandigarh College of Art upholds true ethics of art inspiration for beginners and artists-in-the-making. Since its establishment the institute through its multi-dimensional academic and display curriculum has been able to provide for several young energetic and aesthetically volatile minds, an arena of competition, especially in terms of art impetus. In keeping with their tradition of promoting a varied spectrum of art forms, the college held an exhibition aptly titled ‘Chitraankan 2000’ literally a portrayal of pictures. Prepared by final year students of the college in a period of 90 days, the extremely colourful, expressive and emotive display appears to be a novelty in itself. The assimilation of all types of art mediums by the 17 aspiring artists compels the viewer to take a second glance at the captivating exhibits. In each and every frame and image, there is a visible perception of an evolving and questioning intellect, wanting to settle and anchor in its own way. The thrust of each student’s display rests on the fact that art cannot and should not remain confined to the realms of virtual reality alone. It flows unconditioned and untempered in the spontaneity of the moment. Some of the works and the hands behind them need sufficient mention. For instance, the panel of Kamaldeep inaugmates Chitraankan with an assortment of medium. He (incidentally, the only “he” amongst 16 shes!) specialises in computer graphics and the oil on canvas reveals his preoccupation with the contradictions of society. Sliding and coiling serpents address the evident social reality, that we exist in a pit of snakes where one individual is more venomous than the other (read more ambitious). Following him, is Gagandeep’s photo images relying and highlighting the ‘positive’ aspects of life. “All colours shown in these frames are a reflection of my dreams,” says the photoartist. Shweta, the next in display sequence, realises through acrylic on surface, the utter fakeness of human relations. Hence her collection has ‘mukhote’ (masks) juxtaposed in reality. Salonika, conducts her work in monocrom wandering in the impressionistic style in the subject of life as a study. She also has an assemblage of portraits of her classmates in the art form of a collage. Monika’s installation of back “n” forth gives vent to her “freedom of medium surfaces and love for mathematical calculations.” She also expresses the sentiment of happiness in life through floral motifs. Shilpa displayed her collection of computer drawn images and oil on canvas, besides the pastel watercolours in the effervescent spirit of Indianisation coupled with the pride of being an Indian. As she asserts, “Brilliance of colours that projects the rich Indian culture and heritage.” Apart from these six participants, the attractive objects of art presented by Rilu, Sonia, Preetmohinder, Nairian and Rashmi, gave glimpses of their art expression in subjects of nature, highlighted in landscapes and seasons; kites depicting human aspiration and the auspicious diety of Ek Danta (Ganesha) respectively. The gallery of the college houses tomorrow’s prominent artists of the country. |
SIGHT &
SOUND ONE must concede that when Zee TV first appeared on our screens, it gave the first big jolt to Doordarshan, the first real challenge to DD’s Hindi monopoly. What is more, it introduced some liveliness into entertainment, with meaty serials and fun and games such as “Saanp Seedhi”, where it played very rough snakes and ladders with unhappy participants whom it even doused with glee. Its periodic spats with Murdoch notwithstanding, it more or less held its own until the rat race started and it started endless channels in many languages. Bringing it right up to date and its unfortunate attempt at fighting “Kaun Banega Crorepati” by raising the ante to 10 times that amount, one could see clearly that it was losing its cool and that the rate race had finally upset its equilibrium. In fact, in some of Zee’s recent efforts to retain its head start, one has seen equally clear signs of hasty planning and lack of originality. Sometimes it has started a “tu, tu main, main” strategy which has rebounded. If it has a think-tank, it is time it started thinking and not rushing in mindlessly. Apart from the embarrassment of the 10- crore gambit that failed, because it was put together hastily and copy-catted too soon, there was the business of the Tehelka tapes. It started with first pick and then every news channel went to town on them. So when it had this idea of running the full four-hour version in instalments on every channel within its reach, its think-tanks should have realised that (a) The most juicy bits were deja vu and (b) That just as there are viewers who are not interested in cricket, there could conceivably be viewers who had had enough of Tehelka and wanted their routine entertainment programmes. Once again, it had miscalculated. And finally, there were M.J. Akbar’s three-part interviews with General Musharaff. Prime time stuff, one would have thought, so they were put on at 11 p.m. Personally, I wanted to watch all of them, but having had a tiring day on Saturday, I fell asleep. Bad timing this time. By virtue of Mr Subhas Chandra’s position in the NRI sponsorship of the Clinton visit, Zee got many exclusives for coverage. There was Surya Prakash, doubled up in the plane, interviewing Mr Clinton, and its reporters at the Ahmedabad temple amongst photogenic robes and rituals. Good visual stuff. But when they showed little vignettes of the visit, guess what they called them? “Clinton trivia”, which is not very polite. Then Zee’s final trump card, apparently beating Star to it with “Pradhan Mantri” which came days before Star’s Hindi version of “Yes, Prime Minister”, produced with the BBC’s supervision. I have only watched the opening episode so far and am glad that Ketan Mehta, whose work I admire, has taken time off from designing sets and training untrainable newscasters in DD News and returned to his real forte of making satirical films. I found the idea good, the characters credible and at times bearing a no doubt deliberate resemblance to some of our netas. But having said that, I found a surfeit of characters and the tempo, for an introductory programme, far too fast. Viewers are not used to such fast cutting and I would advise Ketan not to sacrifice coherence for speed. Zee has recently made strenuous efforts to improve its news channel with varied new programmes, new anchors and a much wider reach for its news. But let it not forget the old adage: More haste, less speed. Tennis lovers had a hard time finding out when DD was telecasting the Davis Cup from Tokyo. However, it was good to find two competent commentators. Asish Roy, if I remember right, started life as a sports commentator from AIR, then went on to the BBC then Chief of Bureau of CNN in our part of Asia and now runs his own mediaoutfit in London. He made a good duo with Krishna Bhupathi, Mahesh Bhupati’s father and coach. Asish would suddenly go informal and say: “A brilliant ace from your son” but the father refused to be drawn and was strictly fair when criticising a lapse from his son, and scrupulously correct in his comments about both the Japanese and Indian players.Which is what professionalism is about. TAILPIECE: It was interesting last Tuesday to find Deepak Chaurasia of “Aaj Tak” interviewing Jyoti Basu who spoke sometimes in Bengali-Hindi about Bengal politics as well as world communism. And later in the evening, Paranjoy Guha-Thakurta on CNBC interviewing present Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, I think for the first time in English. Both interviewers had done their homework and it was fascinating to find Jyoti Babu more contemporary in his comments than his younger successor. |
 |
|
