Son-rise in the moonlight
There's a new star on the classical music scene
BOMBAY :
It was absolutely amazing. In a stunning display of musicianship, santoor maestro Pandit Shivkumar Sharma and his 25-year-old son Rahul enthralled the Nehru Centre crowd last night. Ustad Zakir Hussain's brilliant tabla only added to the enthusiasm.
Titled Santoor Virasat, the show was unique in that Sharma and Rahul played together from start to finish, unlike most concerts where the disciple plays only in the supporting role. The guru and shishya have shared the stage in Norway, U.S., Canada, Holland, Switzerland, Italy and Spain, but yesterday's event was obviously extra-special
.
It was the youngster's first show in India. Like his father, Rahul has loads of charisma. And throughout the performance , the santoor exponents displayed impeccable co-ordination and control. So positive was the impact that the people lined up backstage to get their passes autographed.
The evening began with Hansadhwani. The alap, jod, jhala sequence created an ideal build-up. Strong melodic movements were combined with deft touches and intricate meends.
With the tempo being set , the tabla came into play. Zakir provided perfect accompaniment on two Hansadhwani compositions, in medium and fast tempo respectively. All this provided for a charged-up atmosphere. The second half began with a dhrut laya in Mishra Khamaj, played in a dadra taal accompaniment. The haunting strains of the santoor led to feather drop silence. A speedier Mishra Khamaj
composition in teen taal brought the show to an incredible climax.
Conceived and managed by Banyan Tree Events, the concert was held in celebration of the Godrej centenary year. The guests included Ustad Alla Rakha, Gangubai Hangal, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia and Pandit Jasraj. For classical music , this was an out and out treat.
By By Narendra Kusnur, The Times of India
©COPYRIGHT 1997 Shivkumar Sharma Associates