Spellbound by the sounds

It was a mesmerising game of melody incorporating ragas and rhythms, taal and laya, gamak and meend, pukar and murki, taan and behelawa that world's finest music maestros presented in the five-night long world's largest Bengal Classical Music Festival, that ended on a high note on December 2 morning. 

On the concluding night, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia set off the flute recital with playing Raga Kirwani. The melody that the Lord Krishna of our time styled evoked unfathomable sorrow of the deep sea. The legend's unique beautification of the raga, especially in the pukar ang, weaved a garland of melody. Revolving around each dhun, the way the maestro embellished rare musical phraseology was priceless.

“Bangladesh is a country of flute. I hope to continue teaching at Bengal Parampara Sangeetalay, Dhaka, from next February. I want everyone to keep a flute with them,” asserted Pt. Chaurasia prior to starting his recital.

Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia

Pt. Chaurasia next played an uncommon morning Raga Jait, quite similar to Raga Bhatiyar. Pt. Shubhankar Banerjee generated torrents of aesthetic beats of rupak taal and teentaal while the flute maestro was elaborating vistar ang. Pt. Bhawani Shankar's pakhawaj joined in the jugalbandi styled musical proceedings where Pt. Chaurasia made his flute bloom the diverse essence of the komal rishabh (Re-flat) note. The Dhaka music lovers experienced a zealous offer of sawal-jawab between Pt. Chaurasia's flute and Shubhankar Banerjee's tabla.

The melody of metaphor, nostalgia and euphoria reigned supreme in the recital of Bhatiali where Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia poured all passion and produced mesmerising melody in the kirtan-ang dhun.

Ustad Rashid Khan, the unparallel master of khayal rendition, started off his musical flight with performing Raga Jogkauns (intermingling of Raga Jog and Chandrakauns). The pristine melody of vilambit teentaal bandish “Sugar Bar Payo” coupled with emotive pukar styled by Ustad Rashid Khan charmingly mingled with the sarangi recital by Murad Ali Khan. The maestro of making instant musical phraseology gave a roaring rendition of drut bandish “Peer Parayi Janey Na Dhit Balamuwa”, incorporating melodious sargam taan, speedy akar taan and mind-blowing jamjama taan. The living legend's decorative design of sargam, effortless and melodic ups and down in three octaves, precious murki and marvelous ragdari took the music lovers in a state of bliss. Pt. Shubhankar Banerjee precisely produced riveting rhythms on tabla accompanying the legend.   

Ustad Rashid Khan

It was an amazing experience of the audience who got enchanted by Rashid Khan's romantic rendition of a Sufi song “Naina Apne Piya Se” (penned by Hazrat Amir Khusro and set on Raga Gawti). Towards the end, Ustad Khan weaved a garland of melody fitting in several ragas -- Sohni, Pahadi, Chandradhwani and a rare odd phrase of Kaunshik Dhwani -- with the timeless Bade Ghulam Ali thumri “Yaad Piya Ki Aye”.

Gripping the grave melody of Raga Darbari Kanada, Irshad Khan immaculately diffused the devotional and peaceful moods all around reciting his Surbahar, baptised at this year's festival. Pt. Yogesh Samsi beautified the evocative performance. A rare game of gamak and meend continued for long while. Melodic elaboration in three octaves, fascinating gaut, fantastic taan, majestic ragdari and fabulous gamaki tehai thoroughly enthralled the audience. The recital evoked many melancholic moods like a father's moaning of his only son's death.

Ustad Shujaat Khan played Raga Rageshri, Bageshri and presented a song on vocals, “Tumhare Shehar Ka Mausam” at the festival, while promising vocalist Sameehan Kashalkar offered a beautiful rendition of khayal set on Raga Jog. Bangladeshi artiste Animesh Bijoy Chowdhury and troupe earlier opened the concluding day's proceedings with a dhamar on Raga Desh, and a chaturanga.