Festive melodies

The house of Ramkanai Adhicary has continued its tradition of celebrating Jhulanjatra for over two centuries. Dedicated to the special bond between Radha and Krishna, the
celebration has always embraced music as an integral part of its spirit. Carrying forward this legacy, the family, particularly through the initiative taken by Utpal Adhicary, organised a five-day music festival this year too.

The festival opened with a vocal recital by Swami Kripakarananda. His resonant voice evoked the festive spirit and the devotional essence of Jhulanjatra. Exploring the many shades of Raga Malhar, he presented compositions in Raga Gaud Malhar, followed by one in teentaal in Raga Nanak Malhar. He also rendered an arresting dhamar and a jhula. Pradip Palit on the harmonium, Rajnarayan Bhattacharya on the tabla, and Mithun Chakraborty on the pakhawaj provided able accompaniment.

Omkar Dadarkar Shilpi Sambhamurthy

On the second day, the violinist, Manoj Baruah, from Guwahati, entertained the audience with a recital rooted in tradition. He began with an alaap and a jor before moving on to the gats in Raga Bhupali. Although the raga has a limited structure, the artist made a sincere effort to keep his presentation engaging. He also played a tuneful dhun that recalled the melodic outline of the famous bhajan, “Payoji maine”. Ashoke Mukherjee accompanied him on the tabla with confidence. Next came a vocal recital by Sonali Bose in Raga Kedar. The mood of the late monsoon found expression in her vilambit and drut kheyal renditions, which held the listeners’ attention. Surajit Saha and Pradip Palit supported her on the tabla and the harmonium, respectively.

The third evening featured the sarod player, Kalyan Mukherjee, who elevated the musical atmosphere with his recital in Raga Shree. A raga of many layers, Shree offered ample scope for exploration and the artist approached it with great care. Progressing from an alaap and a jor to a jhala, he continued with gats, elaborating on them through vistaars and taans. Raga Shree was followed by an arresting rendition of Raga Puriya Kalyan. Ashish Pal provided accomplished accompaniment on the tabla.

The sitarist, Mita Nag (picture, left), further enriched the festival with a recital in the rarely heard Raga Meera Malhar. Her fluid movement through the key notes during the alaap, jor and jhala left a distinct impression. She also presented the ragas, Surdasi Malhar and Jayant Malhar, carefully bringing out the individual beauty of each. She concluded with a kirtan, accompanied expertly on the tabla by Ashoke Mukherjee.

The final evening featured two vocal recitals, one by Maitreyee Roy Dadarkar and the other by Omkar Dadarkar (picture, right). Maitreyee’s sweet voice conveyed the serenity and the melodic beauty of Raga Shyam Kalyan. She chose popular compositions in vilambit and drut madhyalay kheyal, presenting them in an engaging style. Omkar’s voice has a distinctive ability to interpret a raga unconventionally. Beginning with Raga Maru Behag, he created a mood of peaceful joviality. In the vilambit and drut kheyal renditions, his mellifluous voice traversed all three octaves, embellished with taans and vistaars. In Raga Tilang, he rendered two compositions, captivating listeners with their elegant compactness. The festival concluded with his delightful rendition of a Marathi bhajan. Bivash Sanghai on the tabla and Jyoti Goho on the harmonium provided able accompaniment for both artists.