Karnatic Hindustani Music Circle (KHMCNewEngland.org) is a non-profit Organization promoting Karnatic and Hindustani music in New England area. KHMC has niche in hosting home concerts in casual setting with enthusiastic members attending concert performed by local and visiting artists. KHMC is brain child of Dr. Suresh Mathur who started the organization and nurtured for many years till it was converted to a non-profit Organization run by volunteers. KHMC is guided by Board of Directors and Executive Committee. Currently Smt Durga Krishnan is Chairman of BOD and Smt Jeyanthi Ghatraju is President of EC and they will hand over the responsibility to Sri Sudhakar Rao and Sri Praveena Naduthota from April, 2011.

KHMC had a wonderful start to 2011 concert series with Karnatic and Hindustani concerts in Guru-Shishya concept. Both Karnatic and Hindustani concerts are well attended (more than 150 people) and well received, in spite of snow and cold. And lot of credit goes to hosts - Sudhakar and Usha Rao of Westwood, MA in taking logistics, stage etc.

Hindustani segment of January 2011 KHMC Concert
- By Shuchita Rao

The Hindustani segment of the KHMC concert featured sitar performances by students of Jawwad Noor  who teaches sitar at Learnquest academy, Waltham, MA.   Achal Srinivasan, a seventh grader studying at Jonas Clarke Middle school in Lexington played a confident  Shyaam Kalyan, while Bhaskar Rao, Sumana Mallya and Steven Bates played sweet Alhaiyya Bilaawal with pleasing coordination.  Nimesh Patel played a composition in Raag Des set to 12 beat cycle, Ektaal with crisp taans - the distinct character of each taan  showed Nimesh's ability to play fast melodic patterns with clarity. Jay Matrona, student of Ustad Shahid Parvez, also played a pleasant composition in Raag Des set to fast paced 16 beat cycle, teentaal . Jay showed good command in playing the sitar and played several excellent taans that spanned more than two octaves. Young Pranav Ghatraju provided able accompaniment on tabla. Pranav also presented a short tabla solo that showed both budding talent and a promising, bright future.

Jawwad Noor, a senior disciple of the renowned sitar player, Ustad Shahid Parvez, started his two hour long presentation with the popular evening raga Yaman. Harshal Tole provided sensitive accompaniment on tabla. A contemplative, detailed alaap followed by  jod and jhaala filled the recital hall with the essence of Raga Yaman and established a mature foundation for further exploration of the raga. Two beautiful compositions set to seven beat cycle roopak taal and sixteen beat cycle teentaal followed the alaap, jod and jhaala.  Imaginative melodic sequences, perfectly timed taans and tihais, creative interaction between Jawwad and Harshal made the performance highly engaging.  A fast paced jhaala at the end of the Yaman recital made for an exciting finish.  For his concluding item, Jawwad sang a couple lines of a Khamaj thumri, “Piya kay aawan ki mein sunata khabariya…” and then played a composition set to teentaal.

Jawwad is alert to the craft of developing compositions, tuned to attaining perfection in pitch and his music displays a desire to bring out dual qualities of sweetness and virtuosity through his music. Jawwad's recital reflected a serious approach to classical music and demonstrated in ample measure that as an artist, he is driven by the value of classical music as art as opposed to casual entertainment.   A highly engaged audience not only appreciated Jawwad Noor and Harshal Tole several times during the concert, but also gave them a  fitting, thunderous applause at the end. Boston audiences  look forward to hearing more of such high-calibre music in the coming months.

When it rained music… Karnatic segment
- By Sunanda Narayanan

Fans of Carnatic music in the Greater Boston area were in for a rare treat on the wintry evening of Saturday Jan 29th, 2011. In a laudable effort to present Gurus and their students together in performance, KHMC featured eminent Guru Tara Anand and her talented disciple Suhas Rao in a chamber violin concert to the mridangam accompaniment of reputed Guru Pravin Sitaram and his promising disciple Ullas Rao. The concert commenced just after 8pm following dinner, and the large audience that had braved the winter weather to attend the event, sat captivated by the enchanting music for the next three hours.

The concert commenced with a brisk varnam in Pantuvarali rendered in two speeds.  This was followed by the invocatory “Maha Ganapathe” in Hamsadhwani, a composition of Indira Natesan. The kalpanaswara exchange between Guru Tara and Sishya Suhas was spirited and included beautiful patterns where the math was effortlessly couched in melody. The next song was the demanding Chaturdasa Ragamalika (14-raga) masterpiece “Shri Vishwanatham Bhajeham” by Muthuswami Dikshitar. The ragas starting with Shree and ending with Bhoopalam that have their names woven into the fabric of the lyric were rendered with a deep reverence, and each raga emerged in glorious form, simultaneously moving and majestic thanks to the weighty handling by the duo.

The first raga alapana of the concert in Bilahari was handled by Suhas, setting the required ambience for the rare Swati Tirunal Kriti “Santhatham Bhajaami” in Misra Chapu Talam. Suhas’s manodharma sangeetam showcased his commendable virtuosity. The charanam line “Chinthitha daayakam, Chinmayaa kaaram” taken up for neraval elaboration was first sung and then played on the violin so its emotive appeal was retained. The percussive accompaniment by Guru Pravin Sitaram and Ullas embellished the languorous misra chaapu gait in an unobtrusive and sophisticated way, the experience of the Guru showing in the finesse with which each sangati was rendered in rhythm.  A refreshing shower of Amritavarshini came next with the popular “Sudhamayi”. In the charanam line, “Sarasijaakshi Jaganmohini”, Tara and Suhas engaged in a quick dialogue of variations in the strain of a neraval, but that was informal and engaging.

Tara took up an alapana in Jhankaradhwani as a prelude to the Tyagaraja kriti “Panipathi Saayi” at this juncture. Her deeply emotive playing was rich with remarkably beautiful phrases, replete with the essence of the raga in each note. What was most commendable, both in the selection of the rare Bilahari kriti as well as with the handling of this raga, was that it deviated from an instrumentalist’s expected impulse to stick with familiar pieces that score an easy win with the audience. “Raghunatha Nannu” in Swararanjani, an instrumentalist’s delight, was a glittering flash that perked up audience interest and that set the stage for the demanding ragam-tanam-pallavi to follow.

Guru Tara Anand took up the elaboration for the Kalyani raga, building it phrase by phrase from its foundation to its crescendo, always maintaining the vivid imagery of its larger context. Tara was so involved in her melodic output that she seemed oblivious to her environment and all the distractions that it posed. Suhas added to Kalyani’s texture with his alapana, contrasting his more “treble” bowing with the resonant “bass” sound of his teacher’s bow. It was interesting to note the individuality of each performer emerge in their rendition of the raga reflecting their innate feel for it. To this writer, this revealed not just the immense scope that the raga offered, but also the creative space offered by the Guru to the Sishya where his imagination had free rein while maintaining every element of the grammar. A stupendous tanam followed where Tara created the impression of an orchestra playing it with “chord” effects, all from the strength of her single violin. It was amazing to witness the fidelity to the raga that was preserved without a trace of gimmickry in the process! The Pallavi with lyrics in praise of Muruga and set to Khanda Jati Triputa talam was given the traditional handling in three speeds and tisram with graceful ease. A bewitching medley of ragas unfolded in the ragamalika swaraprasthara played in alternation by the teacher and disciple. They matched each other perfectly in style and substance and there was a feeling of completeness in hearing each raga despite its succinct handling. Guru Pravin Sitaram and Ullas stepped in at the culmination of the grand RTP with an intricate tani avartanam. The vinyasa rendered as alternating rhythmic sequences between the duo gradually built up to the koraippu and the resounding final korvai, serving as a beautiful climax to the entire RTP presentation.

Evergreen tukkadas in the form of Bharati’s “Theerada Vilayaattu Pillai”, Annamacharya’s “Bhavayami Gopalabalam”, and Dayananda Saraswati’s “Bho Sambho” came in rapid succession like sweet desserts after a lavish meal. The peppy Behag Tillana that rounded up the concert was a foot tapping, happy number that lit up the audience’s hearts and faces. The ovation that followed was genuine evidence of the audience’s appreciation for the 4-member team and their brilliant performance. The Gurus had certainly shared their legacy with their talented Sishyas!

It was most heartwarming to see the number of young children in the audience that evening and their enthusiastic and spontaneous enjoyment despite the late hour – a true testament to the power of classical music.

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