Mumbai: — “Albela sajan ayo re yeri sakhi man ata sukh payo re…”
But this is a well-known traditional bandish composed by Manrang (early 18th century). The lyrics describe “the joy brought in by the arrival of the beloved”, while the melody chiselled in raga Ahir Bhairav, a morning melody, aptly depicts the personality of the raga.
Highlights of the festival
- Second successive year of the festival “Bandish”
- A festival that will showcase compositions of legendary composers such as Faiyaz Khan, Inayat Hussain Khan, Alladiya Khan, Kumar Gandharva, Kabir, Tulsidas & Surdas
- Historical compositions sung by eminent artistes like Ghulam Husnain Khan, Rashid Khan, Shubha Mudgal, Anup Jalota, Ashwini Bhide Deshpande, & Vasundhara Komkali
- NCPA Chalk Talk lecture series on “Understanding Bandish” at Crossword Bookstore, Kemps Corner on 30th June & at Tata Capital , One Forbes (for Tata Capital employees only) on 5th July
This two-line excerpt is not just poetry. These words hold the power to unfold a raga of immense complexity; of unparalleled beauty. They hold within them a composition including a melody, rhythm and text. Let it wash over you and you will see unfold, a delicate mingling of literary text set to tunes and patterned to a certain format of rendering and presentation.
This bandish that you just read is by Kumar Gandharva in Raga Todi. Last year, when the National Centre for the Performing Arts, India’s premier arts and culture institution, launched ‘Bandish’, it was with this very aim of allowing you to revel in this celebration of these legendary composers and their compositions; to transcend through music, its musings and its unravelling. This year, Tata Capital has partnered with the NCPA in this unique event. The ‘NCPA Tata Capital Bandish: Festival of Legendary Composers’, will be held from July 7-9, at Tata Theatre, NCPA, and will bring you some gems from our past, being performed by the most prominent vocalists of our generation.
This fascinating three-day festival (July 7 -9, 2011) will be held at Tata Theatre, NCPAand will showcase compositions of some of the legendary composers such as Faiyaz Khan of Agra gharana (1886-1950), Inayat Hussain Khan of Rampur – Sahaswan gharana (1849-1919), Alladiya Khan of Jaipur-Atrauli gharana and Kumar Gandharva and other saint-poets and renowned figures such as Kabir (1398 AD), Tulsidas (1532-1623) & Surdas (c. 1479 – c. 1586). Their bandishes will be presented by renowned artistes like Ghulam Husnain Khan (also known as Raja Miyan), Rashid Khan, Shubha Mudgal, Anup Jalota, Ashwini Bhide Deshpande, Vasundhara Komkali and thereby offering unique renditions of priceless compositions. NCPA Tata Capital Bandish2011 will present a fantastic, eclectic mix of composers from all main and sub-genres of Indian classical music transcending any timeline or genealogies.
Indian music, be it art, semi-classical, light, folk, devotional or popular music, centers on well-structured melodic and rhythmic compositions also known as bandish. It represents a central idea or base upon which the edifice of the performance is sculpted and realised. A ‘bandish’ is that which is bound, encased and pre-composed in a sense. It is used in the context of vocal or instrumental music. The term ‘bandish’ essentially means to tie or bind, and is hence rightly used with reference to taal or beat and raga or tune.
Khushroo N Suntook, Chairman, NCPA, says, “The NCPA is privileged to have these extremely talented artistes perform and showcase a wide repertoire from various eras and works of legendary musicians. This festival, which garnered great reviews last year, will be held in July and will feature eminent artistes from across India who will present compositions of select composers. In line with our commitment to presenting our audiences with the best talent from across the world, we are proud to present this festival of legendary composers. We would also like to thank Tata Capital for supporting us in this endeavour. World over, corporate support for the arts is a crucial need.”
The Tatas have always supported the preservation of Art and Culture and helped NCPA in such noble efforts. In keeping with this philosophy, Tata Capital has enthusiastically come forward to support NCPA in the 2011 version of Bandish.
Dr Suvarnalata Rao, Curator of the festival & Head -Programming (Indian Music), NCPA says, “Festivals such as these present an opportunity to showcase the treasure of the great Indian music to the present-day audiences. They serve the purpose of creating awareness about how lively and vibrant the art form is despite its long past. Indian music is not stagnant and the bandishes are not relics of the past. The tradition is kept alive through the guru-shishya parampara by which the shishya, while still adhering to the traditional tenets, lends a fresh interpretation each time it is rendered.”
On curating the festival, she adds, “The first step is to select composers from the treasure of composers available to us today. Once we’ve chosen the composer, we decide on the artiste on the basis of whether he/she is the heir to the repertoire (Rashid Khan’s great grandfather is Inayat Hussain Khan, and Vasundhara Komkali is Kumar Gandharva’s wife), how closely the artiste is connected to the gharana to know its intricacies well or how deep is the artiste’s knowledge of the composer (Shubha Mudgal, for instance, has done extensive work on 20 saint poets). At the end of it, the attempt is the present the best rendition of that particular composer’s work.”
Last year’s festival saw several musicians presenting a range of work of several composers. Dhrupad exponents Gundecha brothers paid tribute to Miyan Tansen, Ulhas Kashalkar sang the compositions of poets Adarang and Sadarang, Bombay Jayashri sang the compositions of Muthuswamy Dikshitar and Papanasam Sivan and Shujat Hussain Khan sang the compositions of the Sufi mystic saint poet Hazrat Amir Khusrau.
To understand the historical, geographical and social context of Bandish and its place in Indian Music, the NCPA has also organised NCPA Chalk Talk, a lectures series on “Understanding Bandish“, which will be conducted by Dr Suvarnalata Rao, Indian Music Research Scientist and Head – Programming (Indian Music), NCPA. The lecture will empower participants to understand and explore the concept Bandish: The Core of Indian Music. The presentation will encapsulate the composers, compositions and the art of composing in Indian music. NCPA Chalk Talk is slated to take place across various locations in Mumbai like Crossword Book Store, Kemps Corner and One Forbes, Tata Capital (for Tata Capital employees only) and will encompass a range of topics serving as a springboard for lively discussions. The open lecture will be held at Crossword on June 30th at 7.30pm and is open to all. There is no entry fee for this lecture.
The festival is all set to make its much-awaited renaissance in Indian classical music and it is thus likely to be absolute treat for music-lovers.
SCHEDULE: Event Schedule: (7th to 9th July, 2011)
NCPA Bandish 2011: The Festival of legendary composers
Programme
Date
Composer
Artistes
Genre
July 7
Faiyaz Khan of Agra (1886 – 1950)
Ghulam Husnain Khan (Raja Miyan)
Chhota Khayal
Inayat Hussain Khan of Rampur – Sahaswan (1849 -1919)
Rashid Khan
Bada & Tarana
July 8
Kabir (c. 1425 – 1505)
Shubha Mudgal
Doha, Pad, Bhajan
Tulsidas (1532 – 1623) & Surdas (c. 1479 – c. 1586)
Anoop Jalota
Doha, Pad, Bhajan
July 9
Alladiya Khan of Jaipur, Kumar Gandharva
Ashwini Bhide Deshpande, Vasundhara Komkali
Bada & Chhota Khayal, Pad
Thursday, July 7th, 2011
Ghulam Husnain Khan (Raja Miyan)
Ghulam Husnain Khan (Raja Miyan) will present Faiyaz Khan’s (1886-1950) compositions. Known for his chhota khayals, which were chiseled to perfection, Faiyaz Khan was one of the greatest composers of the 20th century. In Faiyaz Khan’s hands, the bandish emerged from its chrysalis, evolving into a three-dimensional, multifaceted, dazzling personality, synonymous with the raga.
Rashid Khan
Rashid Khan will be showcasing the exquisitive and dynamic works of Inayat Hussain Khan, one of the most celebrated vocalists of the Rampur – Sahaswan gharana and a composer par excellence. The gharana excels in the repertoire and distinct style of rendering tarana compositions and power packed speedy taans of various types and lays emphasis on the use of lyrics (bol) in all stages of khayal development.
Friday, July 8th, 2011
Shubha Mudgal
Shubha Mudgal is a renowned singer of Hindustani classical music, khayal, thumri, dadra, as well as popular Indian music. An acomplised compose of works that include rare texts from Sufiana poetry and teachings of Indian poets, she will present the divine works of Kabir (c. 1425 – 1505)
Anoop Jalota
Anup Jalota, a much revered bhajan and ghazal artiste, will present the works of noted saint poets Tulsidas (c. 1532-
1623) and Surdas (1478-1581), who composed famous pieces of literature based on the life and times of Lord Rama and Lord Krishna respectively. These include Ramcharitmanas by Tulsidas and Sur Sagar by Surdas that have been immortalised by their timeless relevance and following till date.
Saturday, July 9th, 2011
Ashwini Bhide-Deshpande
Ashwini Bhide Deshpande has trained in the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana and is known for her melodious tonal quality and
emotiveness, whilst retaining the basic raga framework. She will be presenting the compositions of Alladiya Khansaheb
(c. 1855-1946), known for his immense repertoire of traditional dhrupad, khayal compositions and compound ragas.
Vasundhara Komkali
Vasundhara Komkali, under the expert tutelage of Kumar Gandharva has received training in Indian classical music. She has also being trained in classical music under Dr B R Deodhar, `a doyen of Gwalior Gharana and a disciple of Pt. Paluskar`. Her music reveals an indelible impact of the inimitable style pioneered by Kumarji through his various thematic presentations. Hailed as the harbinger of the avant garde movement in Indian music, Kumar Gandharva was a non-conformist who made bold attempts at assimilating the best from contemporary styles, both art and folk.
Box Office
Bookings for members and non-members has started
Call 66223724/ 66223754 to book tickets.
To use the online booking facility simply log on to the NCPA official website
http://www.ncpamumbai.com / buy-tickets or visit www.bookmyshow.com.