SPIC MACAY Presents Classical Music Concerts
02/10/2025
Jammu, October 01 (KIP)-Abhinav Theatre in Jammu witnessed an ethereal evening today as internationally acclaimed Hindustani classical maestros, Padmabhushan Pt. Sajan Mishra and his son Pt. Swaransh Mishra from Varanasi, presented a mesmerizing vocal concert. The event was organized by SPIC MACAY in collaboration with the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages.
The maestros were accompanied by Shri Harnam Singh on Tabla, Dr. Harvinder Singh on Harmonium and Dr. Jasmeet Kour on Tanpura.
Representing the fifth and the sixth generations of nearly 400-year-old Banaras Gharana of Hindustani classical music, the father-son duo enchanted the full house with their sopranos and stirring vocals.
The concert began with an elaborate exposition of one of the rarest ragas, Salag Varali Todi that is traditionally sung during the second prahar of the day, the very schedule of the today's concert. In this raga, the komal swaras are Rishabh, Gandhar and Nishad and the rest are all Shuddha swaras.
Madhyam is its forbidden note. Tumhi ek aadhaar was the bandish taken up for the delineation of the raga. The duo complimented each other so well that the vocal transitions between them were so seamless that one would often miss them altogether. The entire audience watched the exposition in hypnotic silence, much in contrast with the audience in Varanasi where they unreservedly applaud every nuance of the performance. Many would compete with one another to secure their place right on the stage itself, surrounding the performing artistes. Not the case with the audience here, which was highly appreciated by the artists!
The maestro then took up the famous Tulasidas composition, Hey Janani Main Na Jiyun Ram Bin, in raga Gowri Manjari. The composition describes the painful outburst of Bharata against his mother Kakeyi when he finds that his eldest brother Rama had been exiled for fourteen years, along with Laxmana and Sita, on account of his mother's wish. Hairs stood on their ends and hearts melted with nostalgia of the mythological legend on hearing the long taans and high notes of the rendition, beautifully composed by Late Pt. Rajan Mishra, the famed elder sibling of the lead artiste.
The concert had a rare surprise for the audience. Pt. Swaransh Mishra rendered a beautiful, rap-like swarajathi, composed by himself. It had a fast-paced and rhythmic display of saptaswaras, starting with shadaja and ending with nishada on a beautiful plain of succession all through in between. Prior to this, the young artiste indulged the audience in singing various combinations of swaras.
Later, he rendered another rap-like composition, Aghori Chalisa, albeit a capella, that is, without the accompaniment of any instruments. Composed by the young artiste himself, the verses reflected literary wizardry of the highest order.
Sadho, Rachna Ram Banai, a famous composition of Guru Teg Bahadur was rendered next. It is said to be routinely sung in Gurudwara Darbar Saheb in Amritsar. In a reverential homage to the Divine Mother on the eve of Durga Ashtami, the artistes ended the concert with a bhajan, Bhavani Dayani, in Bhairavi raga.
The maestro highlighted the importance of classical music and its all-pervasive nature in the creation. Reminiscing his last performance in Abhinav Theatre in 1995, he expressed his joy at this opportunity and hoped that the efforts of the Academy, SPIC MACAY and others will certainly provide impetus to the scenario of classical music in the present Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir.
The programme was attended by the music lovers from in and around the city. They included prominent citizens, artistes, professors, students and general public. Ms. Sonali Arun Gupta, Additional Secretary, J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages felicitated the artists and young student Aanandita Dutta conducted the proceedings. Retired Judge and the Receiver of the Panjavaktar Mahadev temple in the city, and the Chief Coordinator of SPIC MACAY, Sh. Suresh Kumar Sharma, presided over the programme.