It rained virtually incessantly throughout the weekend, with just brief spells of respite in between. It was breezy as well with what felt like gusts of icy winds coming down the mountains and chilling me to the bone.
I did a Webinar with an all India group of cardiologists on Saturday evening shivering inside an all weather jacket. I admire the sagacity of the ancient masters who devised raags to depict various times and seasons. The right raag at the right time will evoke the perfect feeling in the listener’s body and mind. It somehow just doesn’t seem right if you listen to a late night raag first up. So also the association with the season. If it is monsoon and raining, it has to be Megh or some form of Malhar. Just check out this melody in Megh. https://youtu.be/AtUVPL4E2CU
Wonderful verse by Farhat Shahzad.
कोंपलें फिर फूट आईं शाख़ पर कहना उसे
वो न समझा है न समझेगा मगर कहना उसे
वक़्त का तूफ़ान हर इक शय बहा कर ले गया
इतनी तन्हा हो गई है रहगुज़र कहना उसे
जा रहा है छोड़ कर तन्हा मुझे जिसके लिये
चैन न दे पायेगा वो सीम-ओ-ज़र कहना उसे
रिस रहा हो ख़ून दिल से लब मगर हँसते रहे
कर गया बरबाद मुझको ये हुनर कहना उसे
जिसने ज़ख़्मों से मेरा 'शहज़ाद' सीना भर दिया
मुस्करा कर आज प्यारे चारागर कहना उसे
The heart and soul of a good ghazal has to be an excellent piece of verse that must be savoured word by word, line by line, just as one would enjoy a fine beverage. It isn’t meant to be gulped down thirstily, one has to spend time checking out nuances of each syllable. That verse rendered languidly by a great vocalist who spends time expounding the nuances of each word, going through the ash’aar slowly, sometimes returning to one that’s already been recited. A set of five ash’aar is the bare minimum to put a ghazal together. Mehdi Hassan is the undisputed master of the genre, alone at the top.
I recently heard a very interesting rendition in Megh. A Jugalbandi of a kind between two of my favourite artistes. Pandit Jayateerth Mevundi with Pandit Pravin Godkhindi. Pandit Jayateerth Mevundi is one of the best disciples of Bharatratna Swarbhaskar Bhimsen Joshi. And one which has absorbed all the wonderful teachings of the teacher. It is impossible for anyone to be able to come anywhere close to Bhimsen ji. But this wonderful singer could easily lay claim to the throne. The tonal quality of his accomplished and undeniable vocal skills are reminiscent of the great man. That class is clearly reflected in the truly fantastic singing of a very humble singer. This is really well complemented by the flautist Pandit Pravin Godkhindi who is truly wonderful. https://youtu.be/f5NRAVadPug
Have a wonderful day and week ahead, folks. Tomorrow is the day we finally were relieved of the rapacious British rule. We will never give in to their collaborators’ evil design. Nor will we bow down to the international cabal who seek to impose a new world order based on their own greedy designs and plans. Let me wish for a new era of peace, stability and prosperity to dawn upon my country.
Aniruddha Chandorkar 