You may have read Sant Kabir Das’ poems at some point in your life but how about listening to his poems in classical Dhrupad style or Carnatic style of music?
You can do this today at Under The Banyan Tree on a Full Moon Night organised by Teamwork Arts. “This is our way of paying tribute to our ancient poets,” says Minhal Hassan, senior executive producer, Teamwork Arts, adding, “Most of us know their names but not their contribution to the world of art. This is also our way of reviving the old baithak style of evening concerts which Delhi was once famous for.”
Celebrating this rich heritage of poetry are the famous Gundecha brothers – Umakant and Ramakant. These leading proponents of Dhrupad style specialise in poetry of Tulsi, Kabir, Padmakar and Nirala.
“Dhrupad is wrongly considered as a serious, male-dominant style of singing which it is not. It is the most ancient style of Hindustani classical music that has survived in its original form, and is as entertaining as it is spiritual,” says Ramakant, adding such events go a long way in clearing various misconceptions prevalent about the classical music.
The Gundecha brothers will present three poems of Kabir–Jheenee Jheenee Chadariya in Raag Charukeshi, Ham Sab Mahi, Sakal Ham Mahi in Raag Bhairavi and Sahaj Samadhi Bhal in Raag Bhimpalasi along with one verse of Tulsi – Ghan Ghamand Nav Garjat Mora in Raag Miyan Malhar.
“Putting poetry in the context of music is unique concept and we are looking forward to perform,” he says, appreciating the baithak-style classical concert setup.
The line-up also includes the classically trained musician-duo Bindhumalini Narayanaswamy and Vedanth Bharadwaj. They will merge the rich poetry of various poets with musical traditions from across the globe and present a unique juxtaposition of musical cultures. Blending their vocals with Bharadwaj’s guitar and banjo is what makes their music different and appealing to different age groups.
Narayanaswamy is a singer-composer trained in Carnatic music under eminent musicians Rama Ravi, Kiranavali, Mangalam Shankar and G Madhavan. Under Padma Bhushan late Ustad Abdul Rashid Khan Saheb, she studied Hindustani classical music.
Suno Bhai, a collection of Kabir songs, is Narayanaswamy’s first album in collaboration with Bharadwaj. And Bharadwaj is a singer-guitarist-composer training under Guru Ramamoorthy Rao.
He runs his own studio, ‘SAMe’, in Chennai. Having produced and released two albums, Mati Kahe and Suno Bhai, he also sings songs written by mystic Sufi and Bhakti saint poets.
“We will perform songs by mystic poets from the Bhakti and Sufi tradition like Kabir, Meera Bai, Nanak, Amir Khusrau and many others,” says Bharadwaj. “Under a banyan tree on a full moon night, seems a lovely setting. A live performance there definitely sounds good and, hopefully, we will be able to engage with the audience better,” he adds.
Stating that more such events should be held to popularise indigenous Indian art forms, he says, “As musicians, organisers and listeners, we do play a role in the classical arts that have been passed down through thousands of years through oral tradition and stood the test of time. So events like these make music accessible in a social setting.
Here people can meet at a beautiful location, with live music, good food, nice conversations that lead to long-lasting memories.”