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Vocalist Kaushiki Chakrabarty Deshikan shows caliber by Prem Mohlajee

Rolling Meadows, IL: Listening to Patiala Gharana’s young vocalist Kaushiki Chakrabarty Deshikan on the evening of August 26, 2006 in the Meadow Corporate Auditorium, Rolling Meadows, Illinois, the classical music aficionados were convinced of the veracity of an old adage “Child is the father of a man”. Kaushiki, the prodigious young artiste is the daughter of Pundit Ajoy Chakrabarty, the doyen of Patiala Gharana of Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. The perceptive connoisseurs of Indian classical music; after listening to a good blending of rich techniques and beauty of the melodious notes from Kaushiki would discern the influence of Great teachers on her Gayaki. This whiz kid has learned North Indian classical music under the tutelage of her father Pt. Ajoy Chakrabarty and her grand Guru Pt. Jnan Prakash Ghosh-her father’s Guru. She has further enhanced her musical ingenuity by receiving training in South Indian music from genius Karnatak musician Shri Balamurly Krishnan.

The young classical music virtuosity from Kolkata convincingly showed that she has emerged as a well groomed and worthy daughter of versatile Pt. Ajoy Chakrabarty. She displayed brilliant quality –so individualistic to a singer of high caliber – of enjoying herself while performing for the pleasure of her audience with great dignity.

The fabulous musical evening opened with a Vilambit Khayal with a complex evening raga Puriya Kalyan. Kaushiki unfolded the slow tempo (alaap) presentation in a leisurely manner generating reposeful feelings. The twenty minute expansive alaap was embellished by some impeccable Sargam (note names) taans (combinations) that created musical beauty manifesting the excellent raga depiction. Kaushiki continued to render many rapid phrases in Puriya Kalyan elaborating the raga with brilliant progression of very unique and sparkling Sargam taan patterns. The fifteen minutes drut (fast tempo) composition set to teen taal of sixteen beats was luxurious with quite high speed Sargam taans that had the pleasing effect on the audience.

Following the first rendering of the fabulous musical evening, the classical music lovers received an awesome surprise when another young artiste by the name of Parthasarthy Deshikan was invited to the stage to continue the grand raga evening. Parthasarthy, husband of Kaushiki began his recital with an evening raga Behag belonging to Bilawal group of ragas. It may not be inappropriate to state that Parthasarthy’s presentation symbolized an excellent blend of his wife ‘s and his Guru Ajoy Chakrabarty’s vocalism. The Vilambit Asthai (composition) set to Jhaptal of ten beats was begun in a very majestic manner. The musical phrases like ‘Ni Sa Ga Ma Pa Ni Sa’ of raga Behag were rendered uncannily – unique features of Kirana and Patiala Gharanas. The Vilambit was followed by a teen taal Drut Khayal in raga Behag where Parthasarthy Deshikan showered an array of his unique Sargam Taans with sonority akin to the singing of Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan.

A very unique Karnatak raga Hamsadhvani, which has been adopted by the musicians of the North for many decades, was performed with adroitness by both husband and wife that showed their prowess to perform like the veterans. The Vilambit portion of raga Hamsadhvani was sung in Karnatak style, the composition lyrics were in praise of Shri Ganapati. The fabulous Madhya laya work of art sung in praise of Lord Shiva is probably the only masterpiece sung by the North Indian musicians. “Laagi Lagan Sati (Parvati) Pati (Shiva) sung, Puran Sukh Ati Anandan, Ang Sugandhan Chandan Mathey Tilak Dharey, Dhrigan Anjan, Anachal Pavan Det, Amar Muni Ati Kaaje Sajna” is a beautiful Khayal composition by a very gifted composer Ustad Aman Ali Khan (1884-1953) of Bhendi Bazar Gharana of Bombay.

Both Kaushiki and Parthasarthy presented a tour de force – over three hours of singing with one intermission and enthralled the music lovers of Chicago area. Kaushiki presented two fabulous Dadras in ragas Mishra Pahadi and Mishra Piloo. These were followed by a beautiful ditty in praise of Lord Rama by Parthasarthy who further continued with various compositions in different ragas. Kaushiki sang a famous Marathi Bhajan of Lata Mangeshkar and a Bengali Bhajan from Bengal.

At 11:30 P.M. Kaushiki Chakrabarty Deshikan announcing that in thirty minutes, the day of Ganesh Chaturthy would begin, concluded the evening with very sweet singing of Ganesh Vandana .

The two phenomenon artistes of the evening were provided able accompaniment on the Tabla by Anil Datar with good assistance by Brijeshwar on the harmonium. Both proved to have a great rapport with the main artistes and between themselves.

This evening of August 26, 2006 by Dhrishti commenced with a very majestic homage paid to India’s greatest Shehnai player, Bharat Ratna Ustad Bismillah Khan (1916-2006) who went to his heavenly abode at the age of ninety during the month of August.

An illustrious evening of Seasonal Ragas by Ashwini Bhide-Deshpande by Prem Mohlajee

Rolling Meadows, IL: In the evening of April 29, 2006 the Indian Classical Music adherents walked to the Meadows Corporate Auditorium, Rolling Meadows, IL from the parking lot inadvertently trying to protect themselves from the April Showers of Chicago to attend a glorious vocal concert by Ashwini Bhide Deshpande who has transpired as an excellent vocalist with a unique genus typical of her Jaipur-Autrauli Gharana, she owes her allegiance to.

With torrential rain and lightning flashes outside, the commencement of the evening’s concert was illuminated with aptly chosen rainy season raga Mian Ki Malhar. The exuberantly vociferous performer began her Vilambit (slow tempo) composition set to slow teen taal of sixteen beats – a masterpiece that owes its birth to Sufi Adaarang, a musician in the court of Mohammad Shah the Mughal King. The raga Mian Ki Malhar was the creation of Mian Tansen a musician in Akbar’s court.

Adaarang’s composition “Kareem Naam Tero, too Saheb Sattaar; Dukh daridra sab door keejiye …” was sung with great serenity and the artiste was able to generate tranquil feelings. The seasonal raga picture was delineated intellectually and the audience responded to its net effect. The artiste seemed inspired by the rainy season of Chicago as an excellent picture of Mian Ki Malhar came across whenever both the Nishads (7th notes) were used during the expansive ‘alapchari’ in Vilambit Khayal (slow cadence). Following the forty minutes contemplative unfolding and development of Mian Ki Malhar, Ashwini Bhide Deshpande moved to Drut (fast tempo) composition ‘Boley Re Papiyra…’ set to Teen Taal of sixteen beats. This Drut portrayal of Malhar was melodiously expressive and was illustrated in a delightful technique very much influenced by her great teachers of famous Jaipur-Atrauli Gharana.

The grand evening performer after immersing one and all in the audience with jubilant moisture of Malhar began to croon “Phagwa Brij Dekhan Ko Chalo Re”, another very pleasant spring season raga Basant. This genial spring season raga belonging to Poorvy group of ragas was concluded with a fast composition “Aii Ritu Basant ki…” in a very enchanting mode. The ten minutes pre-intermission Dadra (light classical rendering) “Kare Badal Aye” was a scintillating ditty.

The very pleasant season evening continued during the post-intermission where Ashwini Bhide Deshpande further embellished her performance with raga Prateeksha, a grand rhyme in Jhoola, a superb rendering of Hori (Holi) concluding with a fabulous Bhajan in finishing raga Bhairavi.

Seema Shirodkar provided an imposing harmonium accompaniment. While harmonium play adorned the vocal virtuosity of Ashwini Bhide Deshpande, the very zealous Tabla play by Vishwanath Shirodkar further embroidered the vocal recital. The dexterity of Tabla player did embellish the effect of classical music.

Dr. Ashwini Bhide Deshpande, a graduate in Microbiology and holding a PhD degree in Biochemistry appeared to present a grand Hindustani Classical vocal recital under the auspices of Dhrishti Media, Rolling Meadows, IL. The evening’s program commenced with a traditional lighting of the graceful Diya on the superbly decorated stage

A grand evening of Mystic Sounds in Indian Classical Music by Prem Mohlajee

Schaumburg, IL: “Sur Sur, Tulsi Sasi; Uduogun Keshavdas…”, writing thus a great Hindi poet not intending to draw a comparison between the three, tried to aggrandize the poetic genius of Surdas with refulgence of the sun (Sur), Tulsidas with the resplendence of the moon (Sasi) and that of Keshav Das with the brilliance of the Stars (Uduogan). The classical music aficionados similarly could make no predilection when they attended the “Raag Darpan-Mystic Sounds” concert in the evening of April 14, 2006 at Schaumburg Prairie Center for the Arts in Schaumburg, Illinois. This inimitable concert presented by Dhrishti Media, featured genius flautist Shashank (South), phenomenal Sitarist Purbayan Chatterjee and classical Keyboards player prodigious Abhijit Pohankar. The three young artistes (all under thirty) came on the stage accompanied by their two very luminous percussionists Subhankar Banerjee (Tabla) and V.V. Ramanamurthy (Mridangam) – the stage with an outstanding decorations and unusual lighting system created an ambiance of “Raag Darpan” that really substantiated the great Sanskrit saying Ranjayat Iti Ragah (Manoranjan)-Raga colors (pleases) the mind.

The numinous classical music concert was commenced with early morning raga Todi followed by Ahir Bhairavh played melodiously by flutist Shashank, Sitarist Purbayan Chatterjee and Keyboard player Abhijit Pohankar. It was an elegant choice to play the ragas common to both South & North India that include derivatives of South Indian Melas Chakravak (Ahir Bhairavh) and Mela Pantu Bharathi (Todi).

Like the early morning sun throwing its warm and glittering rays Shashank depicted Alaap in Raga Todi, followed by Sitar rendering by Purbayan Chatterjee smiling warmly and shining brightly like a moon that was further embroidered by the Stars like brilliance of Alaap played by Abhijit Pohankar on the Keyboard. Alaap was followed by superb Jod (combinations) and fabulous Jhala. Each artiste played, repeated, exactly the same music on his own instrument. Ragas Ahir Bhairavh, Bhimplasi and Kirwani were followed to complete the recital that contained morning, evening and night Ragas.

As the concert progressed with the expansion of Ragas, the intensity of the Sun, Moon and Stars grew-the music effect got vehement. To add to the luminosity of three young artistes, percussionists Subhankar Banerji on the Tabla and V.V. Ramanamurthy on the Mridangam joined in to play the accompanying instruments with great dexterity. Each percussionist complimented the main artiste with astute Layakari like the bright Sun compliments the blue skies. The Sun, Moon and Stars seemed to be warming up one all in the exultant audience with penetrating rays of music that took the concert to celestial heights.

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