Shiv Kumar charms Audience
LUCKNOW :
Uttar Dakshin Cultural organisation's presentation last evening was surely the best one organised so far, by the organisation in the current Tansen Thyagaraja Samaroh.
The organisation last evening , presented Shiv Kumar Sharma, the famous player of Santoor. An obscure 116 strings instrument of the Kashmir Valley, apparently resembling a harp. Shiv Kumar plays this complicated instrument with remarkable precision by striking the strings with two sticks made of walnut wood. Producing a peculiar hypnotic effect. Shiv Kumar takes you to transcendental realms, the moment he strikes the strings of the instrument.
Indeed, the instrument has some inherent limitations, but at the same time it has some virtues also. The numerosity of the strings, if handled with care can help the player in depicting the subtlety of the raga. This Shiv Kumar knows very well to do.
He started with alap in Hansadhwani, then switched to jod and finally jhala. Then he took Mishrashivranjani, in which he played alap and jod. This was followed by Bageshwari--the best item of the evening-- in which he played alap, jod and jhala. The last item of the three-and-a-half-hour non-stop rendering was a Pahadhi dhun.
Providing accompaniment on tabla was Ishwarlal Mishra. Indeed, the programme would not have been so successful had there been somebody else on the tabla. Ishwarlal never tried to dominate Sharma and all through the programme gave an easy-going but accurate accompaniment to the santoor player. The two with their joint efforts made the evening memorable.,
by a staff reporter, INDIAN EXPRESS
©COPYRIGHT 1997 Shivkumar Sharma Associates