THE POWER OF MUSIC


THE POWER OF MUSIC

The experience of attending musical concerts of Pandit Bhimsen Joshi',Hari Prasad Chaurasia , Shivkumar Sharma,V G Jog  and Budhyajit Mukharjee  in one single week  at Darbar Hall of Gaikwad's Rajmahal  in Baroda is  unforgettable. Most of the time Ustad Zakir Hussain was accompanying on Tabala which was more than icing on the cake .
Frankly speaking I don't have any knowledge of "Ragas" of the Indian classical music .For me there is no particular favorite  Raga  nor I can recognize any style of particular "Gharana". To me  "Sarod" sound or "Sitar sound"   or for that matter Veena sound are all the same. I have always failed in distinguishing sound of "Mrudung " and "Tabala" At times I cannot even differentiate between " Dholki sound " and "Tabala sound". Never the less I do enjoy musical concerts as they are treat to ears and somewhat  amazing .
In my bucket list there are many desires including watching Wimbledon live, watching India Pakistan Hockey and Cricket match live ,playing in the big Bridge tournament and so on .
Even with such a limited or practically no  knowledge  about " Ragas " , " Bhajans" and   "Thhumari" , to listen to Bhimsen Joshi performing live  was one  item in the bucket list .So, to fulfill that long standing  desire, I was  In  Bhimsen Joshi's concert which was luckily on the Sunday morning in Baroda. I therefore took early bath , in spite of Sunday and in a typical Indian dress "Kurta pyjama" which was neatly pressed, I was in Darbar Hall  10 minutes before scheduled time of 9.30am.The ambience was superb and to my delight I got a good place in the third row on the floor.
The programme started after  instruments like Tanpura and Tabala were tuned properly. Needless to say  that  Pandit ji was superb in all three  Bahajans he sang before singing Ragas which people consider real music.The last Bhajan.... was " Indrayani  kathhi "......which he sang for  30-35 minutes and after that there was 10 minutes break.
In the interval  , to my agony  I found many Gujrathi persons have brought there tiffins full of Dhokalas and Fafdas and all those items and soon I started wondering whether I was really in the musical concert or some picnic spot.Given a chance those people might have started " Garaba Dance " as well ...but a better sense prevailed and  no such thing happened.
After the interval Pandit ji offered feast of two Raagas each one he sang for more than one hour . It was all overhead for me but I was liking it and experiencing something majestic .When the concert was over it was about 1.45 pm and as we walked out I said innocently to my friend that it may rain today... "Impossible."'''my friend  laughed and pointed to the  bright Sun without a trace of any cloud in the sky .Moreover it was  2nd week of April , the most unlikely month of rains. I agreed to his logical opposition  but again I expressed the possibility of rain as it was my inner feeling .  Some   old man  was listening our duet and he interrupted us.He told my friend that why I felt that it might rain.The reason for generating such feeling in my mind   was Pandit Bhimsen Joshi as the last Raga sung by him was " Megh Malhar " The old man explained us power of music .I heard  the name of the Raaga perhaps for the first time and  I confess that I was under the impression that the last Raaga was " Bhairavi".This was  because I was told that generally in the end  Bhairavi Raag is sung before concluding the concert.Then the old man ,who was perhaps  one of those self proclaimed knowledgeable persons of the classical music, told us at length why Bhaieavi Raaga was not sung and how Bhimsen is great and almost at par with Tansen etc etc.
We were feeling hungry so we went to the nearest Restaurant..When We finished lunch and came out , a light drizzle welcomed us outside and the Sun was hiding behind clouds .
Was that rain because of   Pandit Bhimsenji  or it  was a sheer coincidence ? I leave it to music lovers in general and fans of Bhimsen Joshi in particular.  
Soon  it started raining cats and dogs and we were searching for a shelter.
 Without any knowledge of music , I experienced the POWER of music on that Sunday !!
                      -----------RAJENDRA  PHANSALKAR
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