The two-day event promised to be an evening filled with music, melody, and joy, and it did not disappoint. The first day of the festival began with a beautiful introduction to the UKKMMS by renowned classical vocalist Smt. Gargi Samadar, who also happened to be the compere for both evenings. She then invited Ustad Sabir Khan to share with the audience the concept of “Naubahaar.”
The evening’s first performance was a vocal recital by Shri Dhananjay Hegde accompanied by Shri Durjay Bhaumik on tabla, Pdt Hiranmay Mitra on Harmonium and Shri Arkaprabha Bhattacharjee on Tanpura. Dhananjay’s performance included Raag Multani with “Bada Khayal” Bandish “Gokul Gaav Ke chore” set in Vilambit Ektaal, followed by a drut bandish set in teentaal. He concluded his performance with Raag Tilak Kamod and a very famous bandish composed by Pandit VinayChandra Moudgalay, “koyaliya bole Ambhuva.”
The first day of the festival concluded with a remarkable performance by Pdt. Debashish Bhattacharya and Pdt. Partha Bose, a chaturangui and sitar Jugalbandi, accompanied by Ustad Sabir Khan on tabla and Shri Babusona Basu on tanpura. They presented their first piece in Raag Bhageshree Alaap jod Jhala and then Gat set in teen taal. This was followed by the evening’s last piece, a short dhun in Raag Majh Khamaj set in Dadra Taal.
The second day’s performances began with Pandit Koushik Bhattacharya’s beautiful bandish in Raag Shyam Kalyan set in Sadra Taal (10 beats time cycle), followed by a drut gat in Teental. He concluded his performance with Raag Hindol Bahar set in Teentaal madhyalay and drut. Pandit Koushik Bhattacharya was accompanied by an excellent tabla maestro and the disciple of Ustad Sabir Khan; Shri Kumud Ranjan Santra while Shri Kamalaksha Mukherjee supported Panditji on Harmonium.On tanpura we had Shri Shuvajit Paul and Miss Shalini De
The evening’s second performance was a Sarode Recital by the present torchbearer of Maihar Gharana, Shri Shiraz Ali Khan, accompanied by Asif Khan on tabla. Shiraz’s performance began with Alaap Jod Jhala in Raag Hem Bihag, followed by a gat in Raag Zila Kafi set in Teentaal.
The grand finale was a vocal sitar jugalbandhi by Shri Debapriya Adhikary in vocal and Shri Samanwaya Sarkar on Sitar, accompanied by Pdt. Shankar Narayanswamy on Mridangam and Shri Ariff Khan on tabla. Shri K.G. Prasad accompanied the maestros on taal keeping. The concept was unique, with no conventional piece present, which kept the audience on the edge of their seats in excitement. the second last composition was in Raag Saraswati set in taal Naubahar (9 and a half beats). This composition was composed by Ustad Sabir khan as a tribute to the late Tabla wizard Ustad Karamatullah Khansaheb. The evening ended with a very spellbinding Taal Vadya jugalbandhi by Pdt Shankar Narayanaswamy (mridangam) and Shri Ariff Khan (tabla).
Overall, Naubahaar – ‘A Celebration of Spring’ was an unforgettable event, and Ustadji presented each guest artist with “Roohdad-e-Akasa” – an autobiography of Farukhabad Gharana, written by Ustad Sabir Khan himself. The book reveals the in-depth history of the millenia-old legacy; Farukhabad
