Chandigarh, March 20
The four-day All-India Bhaskar Rao Nritya and Sangeet Sammelan commenced with a mesmerising vocal recital by the celebrated Carnatic musician Dr M. Balamurali Krishna. Noted for vibrancy of his voice across the world, Dr Balamurali Krishna performed in style, almost reproducing the ageless musical traditions before the audience of Tagore Theatre this evening.
As is said, music and poetry complement each other, Dr Krishna, a poet composer, presented some of his finest creations during the inaugural session of the concert which was formally thrown open by Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Lt-Gen
J.F.R. Jacob (retd). The highlight of his presentation was a musical tribute to Maa
Durga. Composed with just four notes, the bhajan reflected the power of music in plenty. As the musician challenged himself after every melody that he struck, the power and compassion of goddess Durga stood bared before the audience. The beautiful composition reflected the creator’s genius who made the raga look complete with just four notes.
Conversing with himself, reacting to his own sounds and to their incredible variations, Dr Balamurali infused his music with ever fresh life. In a peculiarly inimitable style, he presented the most complicated forms of the Indian classical music and made them sound simple. As he progressed from one presentation to another (he also rendered the Hindi bhajan for which he won the national award as best playback singer), the age-old divide between the Hindustani and the Carnatic music fell to pieces. All that remained was music — with one body, with one soul.
The hallmark of Dr Balamurali’s recital was the care that he took to involve the instrumentalists. Engaged in a musical confluence was the legendary singer himself, along with his accompanists on the flute, the mridangam and the
tabla.
Often it seemed as if an ocean of melody had sprung out of nowhere, casting a magical spell all round. As the best exponent of Carnatic music displayed exemplary command over voice by varying the notes every now and then, the gathering woke up to real classical music. The zenith of bliss arrived with Dr Krishna’s Rabindra Sangeet recital — which he presented with great affection, as if literally caressing the notes with tender love.
As the guru gave way, it was time for the renowned dancer Dr Saraswati to present an evening dedicated to two South Indian dance traditions — the ever delightful bharatanatyam and the graceful
kuchipudi.
The beginning of the presentation was made with a varnam, written and composed by Dr Balamurali Krishna and presented in bharatanatyam by Mala and in kuchipudi by Priya
Jayaraman. He pays tributes to Lord Krishna, saying that all rhythms of the world emanate from the flute of Krishna. And since this rhythm is divine, each of the seven notes are divine too. The dancers portrayed the poet’s feelings beautifully.
The following dance sequences went well with the serene mood of the evening which commenced with melody and concluded with the same.
