Winds of change at Sawai festival

PUNE: Sawai seems to be shedding old skin. The 51st edition of the festival of Indian classical music saw new blood being infused, both on stage and off it — and how! Until now, organisers Arya Sangeet Sabha, as well as the discerning audience, were a bit apprehensive about the changes a digression from parampara (tradition) could bring.
But the seeds of future have to be sowed, the sooner the better.They were. Septuagenarian S.V. Joshi, who as joint secretary used to shoulder the entire responsibility of the festival till last year, has given way to executive secretaries Srinivas Joshi and Shrikant Deshpande. Although Pandit Bhimsen Joshi remains secretary and the last word in the management, the entire groundwork was this time carried out by Srinivas, Shrikant and treasurer Govind Bedekar.
Shrikant, who is the grandson of Sawai Gandharva, told TNN: "This had to happen some day. Nice it happened this year. About the new crop on stage, Shrikant said they were confident of it as it is only after performers attain a certain status that they are given an opportunity at Sawai. No one disappointed, neither the new event managers, nor the performers. The acoustics this time round were the best till date, with even the farthest listener getting a earful, and also eyeful, of enjoyment.
Also, there was no untoward incident — unlike during some of the earlier editions, when there have been sporadic fights among the audience, either for space or for a better view! Veteran music critic Datta Marulkar, who has been in the front row of the press box at the Ramanbaug school grounds for over 15 years, was happy with the changes. "The managers had taken great care to make the event a lifetime experience for the listener. The best acoustics were in place, as also huge screens, so that people could get to know the intricacies of the performances."
He was also satisfied with the debutants, but for Rahul Sharma, who, he said, went a little overboard. "He did not study the Sawai tradition before coming here and played to the gallery." Others — vocalists Kalapini Komkali and Sangeeta Katti Kulkarni, sarod players Ken Zuckerman and Aman Ali Bangash and sitar exponents Ustad Rafiq Khan-Shafiq Khan — tried their best to keep the Sawai tradition intact, Marulkar said.
The Khans have a bright future, he said of the sitar players, as also Aman Ali Bangash. Vijay Dixit, who has been witness to 47 Sawais, including the latest edition, was all praise for the change. Almost all stood to expectations, he said. "There were minor glitches, but just that. These kids took to Sawai as fish to water."