As is usual with the ITC Sangeet Sammelan, one of the most prestigious classical soirees in India, a rich mix of both stalwarts and upcoming musicians was offered in Kolkata recently. Most of these aspirants, trained at the ITC Sangeet Research Academy, accept this challenging trial with commendable competence – a reassuring outcome of institutionalized guru-shishya parampara resulting out of a sustained corporate commitment to this priceless Indian tradition. This year the Sammelan featured several such Young Turks whose talent and dedication to their gharana actually promise to uphold the styles against all odds.
Shashank Maktedar
Among them vocalist Shashank Maktedar, undeniably, stands a head taller. This former SRA-scholar is an erudite disciple of Pandit Ulhas Kashalkar. Now a PhD in Music, he is a dedicated guru with Goa Music College and has already carved out a niche for himself as a performer. He is a blue-eyed boy of purists who demand unalloyed raagdari.
The wistful strains of his version of raga Marwa reverberated in the sylvan greens of SRA-lawns with the sun bidding adieu to the soiree’s final evening. Perhaps it was the perfect timing and ambience, or it was the simple and direct approach of yore without any preamble, or the devoted adherence to all the eight segments of khayal-singing following the traits of Gwalior gharana, or all of these; Maktedar’s music cast its spell. Veterans like Suresh Talwalkar (tabla) and Jyoti Goho (harmonium) evidently enjoyed sharing innovative music with this young traditionalist who blended emotion with skill in equal measures without coercing the raga’s inherent persona to show every possible ornament – a popular trend now.
When encores led him to sing another piece, he changed the mood with a beautiful bandish in Bahar. Marwa’s desolate mood had given its best in the lower and middle octave earlier; now the frivolous nature of Bahar bloomed in the upper half of the middle octave and beyond with differently ornate taan patterns. This is a usual style of Maktedar and it never fails to display his versatility despite his dignified antipathy towards heedless showmanship.
Deborshee Bhattacharya
Caught between a brilliant academic career and music, Deborshee had decided in favour of the latter and with telling effect. Judging by his fans, this vocalist in his late twenties, blessed with a deep resonant voice like Ustad Rashid Khan, is already knocking at the doors of stardom. With a mellifluous recital in raga Shuddh Kalyan, he inaugurated the evening that promised a nightlong session featuring stars like vocalist-duo Pandits Rajan-Sajan Mishra, Pandit Ulhas Kashalkar, sitar maestro Kushal Das, surbahar exponent Pushparaj Koshti, Vidushi Subhra Guha, junior guru Arshad Ali Khan and young fellow scholars Saket Sahu (violin) and Ratan Bharati (slide guitar).
Deborshee’s soulful rendition proved that his earlier grooming in Kirana style is carefully nurtured by his guru Ajoy Chakraborty. It has resulted in a beautiful blend of extra-slow tempo-based emotive raga-elaboration, sparkling skill and heavily ornate taankari. The young virtuoso concluded with a dadra following the style of his mentor who encourages all his disciples to master the art of playing harmonium and accompanying themselves while singing lighter genres like thumri, ghazal etc. Deborshee has tried his hand in all these with success.
Debosmita Bhattacharya
As the penultimate artiste, Debosmita Bhattacharya (sarod) was literally sandwiched between Shashank Maktedar and none else than the ‘star’ of Kolkata’s music lovers Pandit Venkatesh Kumar. But she handled the unnerving hour with superb dexterity and etched Jhinjhoti with melody-dipped key-phrases. Having established this lovely raga equally beautifully she displayed power-packed skill-play with the support of Ashoke Mukherjee’s compatibly fervent tabla. This young but brilliant SRA-scholar, training with Pandit Buddhadev Dasgupta, proved worthy of the Sammelan’s high standards and promises great future in this male bastion.
Keeping the tradition of ITC SRA alive, the inaugural evening had commenced with the felicitation of a living legend. This year Carnatic violin maestro L Subramaniam was felicitated with ITC Sangeet Samman on the inaugural day that was held at the Victoria Memorial Hall this year.
This was followed by his brief recital. A thrilling rhythm ensemble by Subhankar Banerjee (tabla), Gopal Burman (Srikhol) and Sridhar Parthasarathy (mridangam) was next and Ajoy Chakraborty’s was the concluding recital of this glamorous evening. The rest of the soiree was held at SRA’s lawns, its original venue.
