On a beautiful spring like day in the middle of winter (Jan 28, 2012), Karnatic Hindustani Music Circle (KHMC) held its first concert of the year at the residence of Usha and Sudhakara Rao of Westwood. A large crowd of more than 150 people were treated to mesmerizing concerts of both Carnatic and Hindustani style as well as to sumptuous food and inviting hospitality provided by the hosts. The concerts were presented by the local students & well known artists from the North East region. As a special, a unique Laya Vinyasa program was presented by the Prasiddhi School of Percussion.

KHMC (KHMCNewEngland.org) is a non-profit organization promoting Karnatic (Carnatic) and Hindustani music in the New England area. KHMC has niche in hosting home concerts in casual setting with enthusiastic members attending concerts performed by local and visiting artists. KHMC is a 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 an Executive Committee.

Carnatic segment – By Janaki M.  Subramanyam

The Carnatic segment was opened with a mridangam Laya Vinyasa performance by students of Dr. Pravin Sitaram. The first piece in Rupaka talam performed by Bharath Chari, Saketh Jayanthi & Suvithan Rajadurai was a short korvai (korvai - a Tamil word for “patterns” which is based on pure mathematics made interesting by rhythmic syllables by percussion artists). The korvai was followed by a reduction (Koraippu) in Khandam (patterns of five). The children moved from the reduction pattern to playing a mohara which is a sort of crescendo played by percussion artists & another korvai to complete the piece. The next presentation by Tharun Sankar and Gapilan Sivasithampiran was a conventional thani played in Mishra chapu thalam with a Thisra Koraippu (reduction patterns of six) followed by a mohara and korvai to complete the piece.

At this juncture, Dr. Sitaram, a renowned mridangam artist & teacher, announced the name of his school “Prasiddhi School of Percussion” with much encouragement from local patrons of Carnatic music in the Greater Boston area. In honor of this auspicious occasion, a pallavi "Gananyakam Vinayakam Bhajeham - Shubha Karam PRASIDDHA” composed by Violin Vidwan K.V.S. Vinay in the ragam Shanmukha Priya set to Adi Talam - 2 Kalai, was performed by Shri K.V.S. Vinay on the violin accompanied by Tarun Bangalore, Sudharshan Tirumalai & Ullas Rao on mridangams. The pallavi was rendered in four speeds followed by  joint Thani avarathanam by the three mridangists. They played a series of rhythmic patterns before Tarun played an extensive piece in Tisram (pattern of 3), Sudarshan in Khandam (pattern of 5) & Ullas in Misram (pattern of 7). They  then launched the finale involving the reduction pattern in Misram and concluded with a mohara and korvai.  The amazing precision and synchronization exhibited by these players, enthralled and energized all the listeners.

The Laya Vinyasa presentation was followed by a vocal concert by Ashvin Bhogendra with one of his disciples, Vijay Narayan, providing vocal support; they were accompanied by the Rao brothers from Boston - Suhas Rao on the violin & Ullas Rao on the mridangam. Ashvin is a well known musician from NJ area who has displayed a remarkable devotion to the traditional bani of his maternal grandfather Kalaimamani Late Shri T.K. Rangachary. Ashvin has a rich resonant voice, an inborn sense of laya and one of the outstanding attributes of his music is a proper understanding and delineation of sahitya or lyrics. Ashvin works as a management consultant in Princeton, NJ and is also a faculty member at the Mason Gross School of Music at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ.

Ashvin opened the concert with a brisk varnam in the ragam Darbar, followed by the Dikshitar classic Vatapi Ganapatim in the ragam Hamsadwani.  He painted a very colorful picture of Hamsadwani with brisk Kalpana swarams in the kirthanam.  This was then followed by a sedate Ananda Bhairavi (Mariveregathi).  Ashvin then presented  a spectacular ragam rendition of Kamavardhini (Pantuvarali).  Suhas’s delineation of the ragam on violin was equally impressive.   Following that, Apparamabhakthi  - a Thyagaraja gem - was  rendered in Panthuvarali ragam set to Rupaka thalam with neraval and swaram.  After a brisk Sevvikkavendum in Andolika , Ashvin picked Kamboji as the main piece with the Thyagaraja magnum opus “O Rangasayee” set to Adi thalam.  He gave the opportunity to Vijay to render the ragam who showed how well he had been tutored in the nuances of the ragam by his guru Ashvin.  It was a wonderful rendition of this great krithi transporting the audience with the purity of the rendition of the kriti.  After a few rounds of swarams, he gave Ullas the opportunity to showcase his laya skills.  Ullas played a short and brisk thani. His splendid thani and vocal accompaniment showed how much he has evolved in the past years as a mridangam player.  The concert concluded with Jagadhodharana , the classic composition by Purandaradasa,  in ragam Kapi.  
We all wished we could hear more from this rising star in the Carnatic music world, but had to allow the remaining part of the evening for the Hindustani section of the concert series. We hope to hear Ashvin more often in the New England area in the future.

Hindustani segment - By Purba Debnath

A full house at the first KHMC concert of 2012 was treated to a rare Hindustani performance by Shri Pradeep Shukla (vocal), Shri Harshal Tole (tabla), and Shri Ravi Torvi (harmonium).  After a brief yet adept solo tabla performance by Shri Rajesh Pai accompanied by Shri Pradeep Shukla on the harmonium, Manasi Danke, Tushita Gupta, Antara Pal, Riya Savla, and Priya Sharma, students of Shri Pradeep Shukla, opened the Hindustani vocal segment. They proficiently sang a lilting Deepawali mixed raga composition, "Mangal Deep Jaley," followed by a beautiful composition based on Raga Basant Bahar, "Jhanan Jhanan Jhan Payal Baje." The second segment was a skillful and bhava filled solo recital by Radhika Jangi who presented two compositions in Raga Durga: a slow madhya-laya bandish, "Sakhi Mori Rum Jhum," set in Jhaptal (10 beat cycle) followed by a drut bandish, "Manamohan Ja Ja Ja Hori Khelan," in Teental (16 beat cycle). Smt. Priti Chakravarty on the harmonium and Shri Rajesh Pai on the tabla provided strong accompaniment to the young vocalists who showed a very promising future in the years to come with more riyaz.

Shri Pradeep Shukla started his performance with a leisurely exploration of the popular night Raga Yaman evoking the soulful essence of the raga. His detailed melodic elaboration set to a slow tempo in the 12 beat cycle, Ektal composition, "Kahe Sakhi Kaise Ke Kariye," was followed by the playful composition, "Mein Vari Vari Jaungi," set in Teental. Blessed with a rich voice and expansive vocal range, his expertise was apparent from his thoughtful alaps to the pulsating tanas that showed the affective interactions between the harmonious notes of Yaman. The virtuosic yet sensitive accompaniment provided by Harshal Tole and Ravi Torvi further enhanced the sonorous performance. Shri Pradeep Shukla's second presentation was Raga Chandrakuns: a madhya-laya bandish in Jhaptal composed by Dr. Prabha Atre, "Saguna Sarup Nandalal," followed by a tarana in Teental, "Dir Dir Tanana Tana Dere Na Dim Tananom." Particularly, the performance of the tarana stood out due to the authentic nature of rendering the genre with its characteristic syllabic improvisations that effectively unfolded the kauns ang of the raga. At the request of an engaged and appreciative audience, Shri Pradeep Shukla performed one more lively and complex item, a legendary composition by Pandit Kumar Gandharva, "Rang Na Daro Shyamji," in Raga Sohini.

The classical segment was followed by devotional compositions featuring two bhajans originally sung by Pandit Bhimsen Joshi. Much to the delight of the kannada speaking members of the audience, the first bhajan was a beautiful Kannada bhajan, "Yadav Ni Ba Yadukula Nandana," based on Raga Bhimpalasi. The concluding item was yet another classic, the Bhairavi bhajan, "Jo Bhaje Hari Ko Sada," with Shri Pradeep Shukla's passion and devotion palpably visible in the rendition.

All three musicians performed seamlessly on the stage with their musical interaction providing a stimulating as well as peaceful space for the audience. Connoisseurs as well as novices of Hindustani music came away feeling joyous with a memorable musical experience marking the beginning of the year.

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