Magical, Musical Monsoon

A thumri festival in the Capital with stalwarts performing stirs up colourful emotions , reports SONAL SRIVASTAVALight mist settles gently on the wet leaves across the rain-drenched trees of Delhi. The pitter-patter of raindrops falling on purple-ribbon like roads, adds to the music of the monsoon. The season is in full swing across the country and perhaps, the best way to enjoy it is with a hot cup of tea, piping hot samosas and some soulful thumris.There is something about the monsoon which inspires hundreds of musicians to play divine ragas, and to make music about rain and the romance that sizzles in it. Little wonder then that when Girija Devi, thumri maestro sang a soft thumri, Kahe kare lu guman goria sawan main - Why should I be arrogant in this season, the audience swayed along to the lilting tune. The legendary singer performed recently at the Thumri Festival organised by the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR).The festival opened with a performance by Purnima Chaudhuri who represents the Banaras Gharana of Indian classical music tradition. Her performance was followed by Savita Devi, a specialist in the Dadra, Chaiti, Kajri and Tappa styles of singing.Age And SpiritThe highlight of the evening was a melodious rendition of old thumris by the petite, octogenarian Girija Devi. She defied her age as she sang one song after another with gusto. She started by saying she hadn’t practised for a while so the audience should forgive a mistake, blaming it on the budhiya - or old lady, that she now was. But she soon proved that age has nothing to do with spirit!The singer’s repertoire for the evening included Mori sudh bisrayi re, aisi basiya bajayee kanha - I was so mesmerised when you played the flute, Kanha. The subtle variations in her singing came to the fore as she played with the sargam, and her voice soared to touch the ceiling through her notes - then she skilfully brought them down softly with a charming daintiness.It’s All Thanks To GodThe word thumri is made of thumak and ri; it’s that form of music which has the shabd or word ‘thumak’, ‘swaying’ in it; ‘ri’ is used to address a maiden, an imaginary friend of the singer. The genre is mostly romantic and devotional. “Nothing moves without God’s will,” says Girija Devi, and to her, singing has always been the way to connect with the Divine. “Most thumris are about Radha-Krishna, as bhav or feelings can be expressed through them. Most of the rasas or emotions such as love, fear, anger and compassion can be beautifully brought forth through a song on Krishna and his beloved,” she adds.The style is said to have originated from the Gangetic belt of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and the songs are sung in Braj Bhasha and Awadhi dialects. Nawab Wajid Ali Shah of Lucknow was a great thumri exponent and wrote many compositions which enriched the genre.Thumri was adopted by three main musical traditions - by the Banaras, Patiala and Lucknow Gharanas. This classical style has a delicate charm and many different forms and styles such as dadra, hori and sawan. There is bol banao thumri and bol bant ki thumri, a faster and more rhythmic style that originated in Lucknow.Ganga ki reti pe bangala chhavaay de - make me a bungalow on the sands of the Ganga, sang Girija Devi. I could almost visualise the scene in the auditorium, feeling the lehers, the waves of the Ganga and Yamuna swirling at my feet.