‘I was destined to train under her’

‘I was destined to train under her’

Magical, sublime, pure, meditative and fluid are some of the adjectives used to describe Gaanasaraswati Kishori Amonkar’s music. One of the torch-bearers of Jaipur Atrauli gharana, Kishoritai was known for her presentation of khayal, thumri and bhajan. The Hindustani classical vocalist passed away in 2017, but the memories of her legacy are kept alive by her disciples.

Pt Raghunandan Panshikar, Kishoritai’s disciple, initiated Gaanasaraswati Mahotsav in 2013, a concert dedicated to his guru. In its eighth edition this year, the three day festival will commence from February 7. Organised by Natyasampada Pratishthan, the Gaanasaraswati Mahotsav 2020 will feature eminent artists like Pt Venkatesh Kumar, Vidushi Shruti Sadolikar Katkar, Pt Kushal Das and Devaki Pandit. Vishal Krishna would be presenting a Kathak performance.
 
We go down memory lane with Pt Panshikar as he reminisces about his guru.

Musical beginning 
Pt Panshikar earlier trained under Pt Vasantrao Kulkarni. He later went on to study under Kishoritai and also had the rare fortune of taking music lessons from her mother, Mogubai Kurdikar, a path-breaking classical vocalist of Jaipur Atrauli Gharana. 

Pt Panshikar is the son of eminent Marathi stage actor and producer Prabhakar Panshikar. It was this theatre connection that became instrumental in his learning music under Kishoritai. 

“A play called Tujhi vaat vegali was produced by my father and Kishoritai was directing its music. I used to go to Kishoritai to assist her in the music direction as a company person. She liked what I sang and asked me to take training from her. I believe I was destined to be trained by her,” says Panshikar.

His training under the accomplished artist was not an easy task. Kishoritai ensured that her disciples perfected the art. 

“My music training under Kishoritai was a gradual process, but also a detailed one. It took me one tap (12 years). Every aspect of music and singing was very well explained by her. She first started with basic notes, alankar, bandish and aalaap. And, then she explained the whats, hows and whys of presenting a particular piece of music. It was an abhyas, a rigorous training of great depth,” he says, adding, “Usually, music festivals are organised in the memory of the renowned artists. But I wanted to start Gaanasaraswati Mahotsav so that she could see how much she is loved and admired by the audience. It’s a different feeling when the artist experiences all this admiration right in front of their eyes.” 

Highlights of the festival 
Sangeetacharya Pt Sarangdeva, who authored the definitive Sanskrit musicological text Sangeet Ratnakar, defines music as — Geetam Vaadyam Tatha Nrityam, Trayam Sangeet Muchyate — meaning music has a three-fold path — Geetam (vocal music), Vaadyam (instrumental music) and Nrityam (Dance). 

This has also shaped the line-up of the three day Gaanasaraswati Mahotsav. “We have always had instrumental music, dance performances alongwith vocal performances. This year, we have Pt Uday Bhawalkar’s Dhrupad Dhamar and Vishal Krishna’s Kathak performance,” explains Pt Panshikar.
 
Another highlight of the festival is the segment titled Unsung Kishoritai. The artist says, “Kishoritai has sung abhangs, bhajans, ghazals and thumris. She had studied each genre in perfection and she made us also study these in detail. But some of these creations haven’t reached the audience yet. They are known to some of her students. So Devaki Pandit and I would be showcasing some of these creations to the audience in the mahotsav. The special focus is on Urdu ghazals.”

ST Reader Service

  • The Gaanasaraswati Mahotsav 2020 will be held at Mahalakshmi Lawns near Rajaram bridge, from February 7 to 9. Tickets are available on www.bookmyshow.com and www.zoonga.com. Donation passes are also available at Navdikar Musicals, Bal Gandharva Rang Mandir, Tilak Smarak Mandir and City Pride multiplex

Line up 

February 7 (Performances from 5 pm): Dhrupad dhamar by Pt Uday Bhawalkar followed by sitar artist Pt Kushal Das. The session will end with a vocal recital by Vidushi Shruti Sadolikar Katkar. 

February 8 (Performances from 5 pm): 

Pt Suresh Talwalkar and his group (Taal Yatra); vocal recital by Manjusha Patil. A vocal recital by Pt Venkatesh Kumar will conclude the session.

February 9 (Performances from 9 am): Vocal recitals by Arshad Ali, Bhargavi Venkatraman (Carnatic classical artist). The morning session will conclude with Unsung Kishoritai by Pt Panshikar and Vidushi Devaki Pandit. 

Evening (from 5 pm): Vocals performance by Sawani Shende Sathye, Kathak performance by Vishal Krishna. A classical performance by Pt Panshikar will conclude the festival.

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