Thus Spake the Audience

 

Ragamala presented Sanjeev Abhyankar in concert on Sunday, April 29, at the Ethnic Cultural Theatre in Seattle. This is an 'Opinion Collage'  of various members of the Ragamala community that wrote in their impressions of the music that evening. 

 

Sanjeev started his recital with the late afternoon Raaga 'Madhuwanti' (also known as Ambika'). He unfolded the Raaga first through a Mewati composition in Vilambit Ektal, “Mehmaanan se kaa ladiye?” and followed it up by a fast composition “Kaahe maan karo sakhi ri ab” in Drut Teental. His presentation highlighted the Mewati style of emphasizing the lyrics and their 'bhaava” (expression). Through play of lyrical phrases and interesting note patterns, he was able to evoke feelings both through the lyrics and the Raaga's melodic structure. He also displayed very imaginative 'patterns' in both sargam and taans, especially some very interesting symmetric patterns of swaras moving up and down the melodic scale. As always, his rendition was impeccable in sur and taal.

Next came the aprachalit (uncommon) Raaga 'Din Ki Puriya'. This was also presented through two compositions-- "Raat bas aayo more mandirva" in Vilambit Ektal and a jod bandish (thematic pair) in Drut Teental, "Chalo chalo ri aali". This is a beautiful evening Raaga derived from the scale of Raaga Puriya by 'flattening the Dhaivat'. The first half concluded with a Bhajan by Kabeerdas.

The post-interval session featured the Raagas 'Rageshri' ('Aali ri palakan laagi' in Vilambit Ektal and 'Kahat na aave baina' in Drut Teental) and 'Kalavati' ('Jiya chaina nahin' in Madhyalaya Roopaktal and the popular 'Bansi ke bajaiya' in Drut Teental). Again, creative pattern-oriented aalaps and powerful taans made all the Khayal features enjoyable.

He then switched to lighter forms and presented a 'Hori pada' that started along the lines of Tilang and then used many other Raagas as well as other interesting note combinations. This was his own composition and showcased his skill as a composer. He concluded the concert with two Abhangs in Marathi-- the first by Sant Ramdas and the last one (by audience request) in Raaga Sindhu Bhairavi. He was very ably supported by Harshad Kanetkar on the Tabla and a very talented Milind Kulkarni on the Harmonium.

On the whole, it was an excellent performance, showed Sanjeev's progress as concert performer, and was well appreciated by Ragamala's audience.

 

-- Ragavani Music Critic

 

"It was like a breath of fresh air and indeed a very enriching musical experience! His renditions of compositions in Din ki Puriya, Rageshree and other ragas, while imbibing all the nuances of classical music expressed the tender moods of love, longing and devotion in a beautiful manner. "Kahat na aave baina" in Raag Rageshree is one such example. His renderings of taans reminded me of his Guru, Pandit Jasraj-ji. Abhyankar's confident rendition of the ragas showed his command of both sur (melody) and laya (rhythm). His melodious and flexible voice wove a magic spell."

-- Deepa Banerjee (Singer, Music teacher and Librarian)

 

"Din ki puriya was my pick of the day. The komal dhaivat in the raag had a very romantic and folksy feel, something I haven't heard elsewhere, since komal dhaivat is typically dissonant in its flavour. All the pieces were well paced, and the presentations coherent and balanced. The singer did full justice to the hori and the abhang towards the end, enhancing the meaning with apt musical phrases. The harmonium player was exceptionally capable and was able to reproduce all ornaments and movements of the singer. Minus the Bhairavi, which was more or less forced by the audience, the concert was a very satisfying experience."

-- Mausam (Musician and Computer Scientist)

"Sanjeev has a beautiful voice and a very charming way of conducting the concert. His taan-kriya is very good. However, 'swar bharnaa' and 'laykari' are somewhat lacking. Those elements could add more 'vazan' (weightiness/depth) to his Khayal."

-- Anonymous

"What I heard was a melodious presentation of music by an artist with an infectious passion for the art. The choice of ragas seemed balanced. I would have liked more diverse variety in the themes presented. I enjoyed his rapport with the accompanying artists and the audience."

-- Gauri Deo (Student of Khayal)

"Good concert despite the initial confusion over audio and subsequent over-amplification. The badhat was a bit busy but quite nice overall. The harmonium player was quite remarkable."

-- Anonymous