Strains of sitar strike the right chord

AHMEDABAD: Day two at Saptak opened with Sarod recital by Arnab chakraborty who presented Raag Nand, a melodious raag from the Kalyan family with a non-linear progression.The sarod is known for a deep, weighty , introspective sound. It is a fret less instrument able to produce the continuous slides between notes (meend). The highlight of the performance was an imaginative alaap by the artiste.Tabla accompaniment was ably provided by Abhishek Mishra from the Benaras gharana. Arnab Chakraborty concluded his performance with a composition in Raag Shahana.
Young vocalist Arshad Ali Khan from Kirana Gharana took the stage next. Born into the family of musicians he has trained for 25 years under his maternal uncle Ustad Maskoor Ali Khan and later Ustad Mubarak Ali Khan. It was a power packed performance from the artiste despite suffering from a throat infection. Bestowed with a rich voice Arshad Ali Khan gave a soulful rendition of Raag Shudh Kalyan. The glide from Sa to Dha note through Ni as well as the glide from Pa to Ga through Teevra Ma was very effective. His taan patterns were interesting and crystal clear and rendered at a good pace. He expressed that “It was my debut performance at Saptak, something that I have been dreaming of all through“.
There are some performances that just linger on in your mind and keep playing on in the tranquil moments. Undoubtedly the Sitar recital by Vidushi Manjuben Mehta would qualify as one such. Presenting Raag Charukauns, a raag created by he Late Pt. Ravi Shankar, she masterfully balanced the contrasting moods of a deep and sombre Raag Malkauns and an effervescent Raag Charukeshi, o create the fusion of Raag Charukauns. Her off-beat pat erns were sizzling and the control over laya, exemplary . In he characteristic Maihar style, she presented alaap, jod and hala. The highlight of the pro gramme was a brilliant laykari with the talented young percussionist Shri Shubh Maharaj from the Benaras Gharana who provided tabla accompaniment. Shri Hemant Bhatt provided accompaniment on the Pakhavaj.
The much-awaited performance of the day was that of Padma Vibhushan Pt. Jasraj, the maestro from the Mewati gharana. The maestro presented a delightful alaap in Raag Gorakh Kalyan and brought out the melody of the raag through the combination of Dha Ni Re Ma Re Ni Re Sa notes. It was an interesting evening where one got to hear different raags associated with the Kalyan family and of course the very melodious and soothing Raag Charukauns.