Delhi’s greatest and hottest classical music competition entered its twenty fifth yr. Named after Swami Haridas, the daddy of Hindustani music, and his most iconic disciple Tansen, the Swami Haridas Tansen Sangeet Nritya Samaroh is a glittering affair, drawing crowds of over 3,000 individuals regardless of the chilly climate.
As common, it featured stalwarts — Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia, Begum Parveen Sultana, Uma Sharma and her college students, Pt. Vishwamohan Bhatt and his son Salil with the Manganiyars, Pt Ulhas Kashalkar, Pt Venkatesh Kumar, Ustad Shujaat Khan, Ashwini Bhide Deshpande and Pt. Tejendra Narayan Mazumdar.
Organiser and veteran Kathak dancer Uma Sharma used to collaborate with Sri Gopal Goswami of the Banke Bihari Temple in Vrindavan for the Sammelan. Nonetheless, with the passage of time, the character of the competition modified. Uma broke away to create the Samaroh. She “wished to current classical music in all its hues”.
Pt. Ulhas Kashalkar who carried out at Swami Haridas Tansen Sangeet Nritya Samaroh, in New Delhi.
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Particular Association
After all, Uma misses the atmosphere of Vrindavan, the place the competition was initially held. “The primary time, there have been only a few of us performing. This was inside Nidhi van, in entrance of Swami Haridas’ samadhi. We needed to get permission to carry out there.”
Later the competition expanded; to an open pandal. “The easy, unquestioning, eagerly- accepting viewers was so refreshing.”
On the launch of the competition in Vrindavan, Sri Shrivats Goswami of the Radha Raman mandir spoke of the musical hyperlink between Vrindavan and Delhi.
For Uma, it’s been a protracted, arduous journey. “I used to be alone, however had the assist of associates. After we moved to Delhi, we began with Ustad Asad Ali Khan’s live performance within the basement theatre of the India Habitat Centre. After we lastly moved to Trendy College’s Sir Shankar Lal Corridor, there have been simply 10 individuals to take heed to Alam Khan. I used to be despondent and actually cried. However the viewers slowly reposed belief in us, and now each version of the competition attracts a full home.”
The venue now (Sir Shankar Lal Corridor) is a big round area with baithak seating in addition to chairs. Based on Uma, “I don’t wish to maintain this wherever else since this venue has turn into synonymous with the competition. We get this corridor completely free; for which I’m grateful. The dates can be found solely in January, when it’s normally freezing, however that doesn’t cease the viewers from attending.”
Most artistes are repeat performers. Pt. Channulal Mishra doesn’t sing now, however Uma wistfully needs he would come once more, simply as soon as. “I bear in mind the informality of our creative interplay – he simply referred to as out to me from the stage ‘Uma behen, aayiye, bhaav bataaye’ (Uma come up and present bhaav to those strains). I couldn’t refuse, and went up the stage with the pallu tied round my waist, and danced to ‘Rang sari gulabi’,” she recollects.
The inheritors of the Tansen custom are at all times invited. Pt Vishwamohan Bhatt and Pt Hariprasad Chaurasia are a should. “The youthful era wants to listen to these veterans who’ve created their very own path in music. I at all times insisted on Ustad Aashish Khan coming from the U.S. for our competition. However, I hear he doesn’t play a lot now.”
Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, uniquely having been educated within the musical custom of Tansen from each his ‘beenkar’ and ‘rababiya’ descendants, is one other common on the competition, together with his sons Amaan and Ayaan Ali Bangash.
“This time, I used to be not in a position to invite a Dhrupad artiste. I plan to within the subsequent version, which can be a four-day occasion. I additionally might embrace a Carnatic musician. The roots of music and dance are the identical. We had Bharatanatyam in Vrindavan, I bear in mind,” says Uma.
The Swami Haridas Tansen competition has an off-the-cuff really feel. If the entrance rows stay vacant and the sponsors for whom seats are reserved don’t flip up, kids seated on the ground in entrance are permitted to occupy them. Uma stays decided to not make it a ticketed occasion, as “I would like kids to listen to the most effective with out bothering to purchase a ticket”.
With three artistes each night, the time allotted for every musician has decreased. Nonetheless, one remembers earlier editions of the competition happening nicely round midnight.
Shared recollections make the venue an area for time-tested music and artiste-audience camaraderie.
Ustad Shujaat Khan performed a thumri in Tilak Khamod, which his father Ustad Vilayat Khan performed a long time in the past at this competition.
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Particular Association
On this version, Ustad Shujaat Khan performed a snatch of a thumri in raag Tilak Khamod that Uma Sharma had achieved abhinaya to when his father Ustad Vilayat Khan performed it a long time in the past at this competition.
The competition this yr concluded with the strains of Pt Ulhas Kashalkar singing the immortal Bhairavi thumri ‘Baju band khul khul jaaye’.
