Music buffs in the city get the best of mohan veena

Grammy award-winner and mohan veena artiste Vishwa Mohan Bhatt’s recent performance at the Rajagiri Centre of Business Studies was a breathtaking experience for music lovers. Before unfurling the intricacies of Hindustani classical music, he made sure that a quick briefing was given about what the musical night had in store for the audience and also detailed them about the nuances of each song that he would be playing.
Bhatt said, “We maintain the tradition but don’t just recite different ragas and compositions.Instead we improvise through the imagination of each artiste.”
He pointed out that about 85% of the performances are not pre-rehearsed or pre-composed, but created by the artistes as they perform. On that day too he ensured the same. The musician started off with one of his own compositions titled Vishwa Ranjini, a combination of ragas Shivranjini and Madhuwanti.
The ethereal song had elements of romanticism, but from the middle portion it gained more vigour and brought out a sense of restlessness. He explained, “The entire composition is based on women’s empowerment and was created against the backdrop of the December 16 incident.”
Sung in Aalap-Jod-Jhala, (Aalap: the opening sequence, Jod: when rhythm overpowers the melody, Jhala: climax) , the song traversed from the lower to the higher octave depicting the beauty of each note and the mood of the raga. Divided into three parts, the first part of it was completely a solo rendition, followed by which the beats of tabla was merged with the mohan veena through Teentaal, a 16-beat cycle. His precise explanation of the background of the performance at the outset helped the audience to enjoy the recital understanding even the minutest details.
As a medley of Vande Mataram, Vaishnav Jan To Tene Kahiye and Raghupathi Raghava Raja Ram flowed through the hall, a sense of patriotism evoked in every listener, and the audience literally got goosebumps.
Young tabla artiste Abhishek Mishra sought Vishwa Mohan’s blessings to do justice to the great responsibility of aptly matching the musical exuberance of the maestro.
The coming together of the tabla and the mohan veena became a musical treat to the audience, as Mishra showcased his best skills to suit the tunes of Vishwa Mohan. No doubt that the seamless jugalbandhi won the hearts of the audience and received applause lasting several minutes.
Akhil Raj, an MBA student said, “The striking aspect of the concert was that it was a spontaneous one and none of the improvisations were pre-planned. It added to the aesthetic appeal and there was a powerful impact that lingers in the audience’s minds.”
As the performance neared a close, on public demand the national anthem was also performed by the duo on their respective instruments.