QUEEN'S ROAD: Shri Rama Kala Vedike, started by renowned tabla player Ravindra Yavagal, is holding a music festival this weekend.
The trust recalls the memory of Ramachandra Yavagal, Ravindra's father. He was a lover of music keen to learn the tabla, but his family disapproved of the dream.
Ravindra says, "He learnt to play the instrument by ear and ensured that I got the best of gurus in Sheshagiri Hanagal. He was such an avid listener that till the end my playing didn't suit his taste," he recalls.
Concert opportunities started opening up for Ravindra only after Ramachandra passed on, and that's something the tabla player, who has played for maestros such as Bhimsen Joshi, regrets.
But a year after his father's death, Ravindra began hosting baithaks at their house in Hubli dedicated to him. "When we shifted to Bengaluru, we couldn't hold it for a year," he says, but the concerts resumed in 2000 when his family shifted to a bigger house in Jakkur. This was also when he and a few friends started Shri Rama Kala Vedike, which aims to promote Indian classical music.
As a tabla artiste at All India Radio, Ravindra finds balancing performances and organising events challenging. "I want to plan well ahead of the event, but it is not always possible," he says with a laugh.
He goes on to say renowned artistes in the Indian classical music concert circuit are cooperative. Some of these distinguished artistes include Gangubai Hanagal, Hariprasad Chaurasia, M S Gopala Krishnan, Vishwamohan Bhat, R K Srikantan, Rajiv Taranath, Lalit J Rao and Parameshwara Hegde, many of whom Ravindra has accompanied on the tabla.
But the trust wants to do more than just bring in the big names to pull crowds. “Most of these are people who have striven to achieve the impossible because society has let them,” says Ravindra, who feels that younger artistes too should be given the same opportunity that their predecessors like him received and are grateful for. “People have a responsibility, but we can’t insist that they come either. Getting audiences, who have long distances to cover and are caught up with hectic schedules, for budding talents is hardly easy,” he says, adding that the choice of cultural events that Bengaluru offers only makes it harder. For now, he’s happy with small-scale activities— arranging medical aid for musicians in need, felicitating artistes and teaching music. But he also dreams of seeing these grow bigger.
Sitar maestro to be feted
Nada Namana will begin at 5.30 pm at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, with a Hindustani vocal concert by Jayateertha Mevundi, followed by a veena-violin jugalbandi featuring Bhagyalakshmi Chandrasekhar and Santosh Kumar Nahar. Renowned sitar artiste Shahid Pervez Khan will be honoured with Kala Shrunga tomorrow at 9.30 am, after which he will perform. For details, call 080-23636682, 9448056682 or email ravindrayavagal@yahoo.com