Shadaj, a non-profit, Lexington based music organization founded by Shri Rajesh Godbole and assisted by a team of dedicated volunteers has presented several top-ranking artists in chamber style concerts in the year 2016. Vidushi Smt. Arati Ankalikar-Tikekar, Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan, Arshad Ali, Pandit Jayateertha Mevundi, Pandit Raghunandan Panshikar, Pandit Bhuvanesh Komkali have performed for Shadaj. Many of these artists have conversed with the audience about the intricacies of the Hindustani classical music system in an informal manner either during the concert or on a day before the concert at Shri Godbole’s residence. Members of the audience have benefitted by a discussion of the musical concepts and special stylistic features with the artists being applied in live performance settings.

The Diwali concert organized by Shadaj on Saturday, October 22 featured an instrumental segment followed by a vocal segment. The program commenced at 4:30pm with a sitar recital by Shri Partha Sarathi Chatterjee accompanied by Shri Amit Kavthekar on the tabla.  Shri Chatterjee, a nephew of the renowned Kolkatta based vocalist Smt. Meera Banerjee husband learned the art of playing the sitar from the late Pandit Indranil Bhattacharya of the Maihar Gharana in the Guru-Shishya tradition.

Shri Chatterjee started the sitar concert with a presentation of South Indian raga Lathangi which was a wonderful amalgam of Ragas Yaman and Ragas Basant. In the opening meditative alaap segment, the artist alternated developing the chosen raga from the Yaman angle (*Ni Re Ga ma, *Ni ma Ga, Pa Re Sa) and the Basant angle (Ma dha Sa* Ni dha Pa) creating a wonderful ambience. In the Jod and Jhaala segments that followed, the artist played modulated phrases revolving around various focal centerpoints, for instance, around metered phrases such as “Pa ma, Pa Ga, Pa re” in the middle octave. The Sa-Pa tuning of the sitar and the use of heavier gauge strings gave the listeners the effect of sur-bahaar/veena instrument. The tantrakaari style, an important characteristic of Maihar gharana was evident in the rendition of raga Lathangi.

Shri Amit Kavthekar, the talented disciple of the legendary tabla artist Ustad Alla Rakha provided sensitive accompaniment on the tabla in a composition set to slow tempo teentaal (16 beat cycle). The manner in which the two artists conducted musical conversations with each other created a feeling of joy in the audience.  

The next raga presented by Shri Chatterjee was Jhinjhoti. It was rendered with emphasis on the gaayaki style. Two compositions by Ustad Baba Allaudin Khan and one documented by the scholar Pandit V.N Bhatkhande in medium tempo ektaal (cycle of twelve beats) were presented in raga Jhinjhoti. Taans (fast melodic passages) played in varying tempos often ending on well-constructed tihais showed the artist’s command on rhythm. Once again, excellent coordination between the sitar and tabla made the rendition exciting. The sitar recital finished on a high point with a fast jhaala. “I learned for 24 years from Baba Allaudin Khan’s disciple, the late Pandit Indranil Bhattacharya and his music lives in me” said Shri Partha Sarathy after the recital.

A colorful display of festive Diwali crafts and a snack counter serving sweets greeted the members of the audience in the foyer of the Pilgrim Church in the intermission. A memorable vocal jugalbandi by two sisters Smt. Apoorva Gokhale and Smt. Pallavi Joshi awaited the audience members in the second half of the concert. Shri Sanjay Deshpande on the tabla and Shri Chinmay Kolhatkar on the harmonium provided able support to the vocalist duo.

Starting with a khayal “Jab te peeho sapne me aaye” in the evening raga Jaitashree set to slow tempo teentaal (16 beat cycle), the artists sang dynamic alaaps that flowed lockstep in rhythm, alternating turns and giving each other ample space to showcase imagination.  The presentation had attractive bol-alaap and sargams (solfege sequences) with the tabla artist improvising simultaneously to land on the first beat (sum) in a climactic fashion. A drut laya  composition “Bhaja mana ram charan din raat” in fast tempo teentaal was melodious as well as rich in layakaari (play with rhythm).  A variety of aakaar and gamak laden taans were sung to make the presentation appealing.

A traditional khayal in the beautiful raga Malgunji “Bunuh me charaavata gaiyya” set to Tilwada taal (16 beat cycle) came next. Once again, the richness in layakaari, aakaar and gamak laden taans engaged the listeners. The occasional touch of pancham note, the sweeping forays into the taar saptak (upper octave), the manner in which one sister would build an imaginative melodic passage and let go so that the other sister could pick up from the departure point to build her own was brilliant. “Raina kaari daraavan lagi re” was the drut composition rendered in fast tempo of teentaal (16 beat cycle) had a particularly impressive moment in the manner Smt. Apoorva Gokhale approached the taar (upper octave) shadaj note. The harmonium player Shri Kolhatkar shadowed the sisters in a close fashion without unnecessarily impinging on their territory. Together, with the tabla artist, he played some delightful solo sequences that added to the overall presentation. Good harmonium and tabla accompaniment can go a long way in building a powerful mood and Shri Kolhatkar and Shri Deshpande proved the point with their instrumental accompaniment.

Next, the artists presented a composition in Raga Gaud Malhar.  “Saiyyan mora re” in fast tempo teentaal (16 beat cycle) had impressive bol-taans from the get-go. Short sargam sequences and aakaar taans taking flight from a variety of launch points in the raga, culminating on gandhaar note, were the highlight of the presentation.  In Smt. Apoorva Gokhale’s singing there was elegant restraint while in her sister Smt. Pallavi Joshi’s singing one heard spontaneous release with phrasing and timbre reminding the listener of the singing by great Ustads of yesteryears.  Both sisters were equally matched but had different qualities of voice as well as personality in the style of presentation

A poignant alaap soaked in melodious raga Bhairavi with a catchy composition “Mahadev Maheshwara Devana Pati” set to teentaal (16 beat cycle) was how the concluding presentation of the evening. . It is rare to find sisters presenting jugalbandis in the field of classical music and it was therefore, a wonderful musical treat for Boston audiences.  Shadaj volunteers, Shrimati Madhu Nene’s fabulous Diwali decorations in the concert hall, Shri Jitendra Kulkarni and Shri Suresh Marathe attentive management of sound and Smt. Suraja Roy’s introduction of the artists deserve special mention.

The last concert to be presented by Shadaj will be in collaboration with Kalavaibhav at Chelmsford Center of Arts on the evening of November 18. The concert will feature Indian SaReGaMa music show champions Mugdha Vaishampayan and Prathamesh Laghaate accompanied by Smt. Sarita Deshpande on the harmonium and Shri Amit Kavthekar on the tabla.

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