I had heard about the music festival in Aundh years ago but never attended. Aundh is in Satara district about a 7 hour drive from Mumbai. This year was the 75th anniversary and many of my favorite singers were coming so i decided to stop there on my way back to Goa from Mumbai. It was a chance to reconnect with my guru and inspiration Pt. Babanrao Haldankar as well as Shubada Paradkar and Arun Kashalkar, also among my favorite singers. I arrived in Aundh at lunch time on Saturday having missed the morning session. Time on my hands, I went to the famous Aundh museum. It is interesting and worth the visit but could have better information and organisation. Beautifully located on a hill, it is part of the legacy of the royal family of Aundh that made it a unusually progressive inclusive community. The music festival also gets community support along with the Shivanand Trust. I am personally grateful to the people promoting the music of Pt. Gajananbua Joshi. I have been a great fan of his from long back. I was particularly enthralled by a recording of his lalita gouri (and his great bandish in gouri “bant chelata hei bihari”) and his bahar (talim session). Some time after that I had the chance to hear his great students Pt. Ulhas Kashalkar and Smt. Shubada Paradkar. Some years later i heard a bilaskhani todi being sung in an extraordinary style on the radio by a singer whose name was announced as Jayshree Patnekar. The next day I asked Babanji, my guru at the time who she was. He related the story of her hiatus from singing and I went to hear her every chance I had. She is among my current favorite singers. I admire her speed, technique, laykari and fearlessness.
In the afternoon the music began with a blazing tabla solo by Yogesh Samsi. Although I cannot judge I felt that here is a master at the top of his game. I have heard Yogesh many times but that day I was reminded of his guru, Ustad Alla Rakha Khan who also had a reserved demeanor.
Next was Smt. Shubha Mudgal. I have always liked her singing and she didn’t disappoint. I think this was the best I have ever heard her. Her Shree was powerful and confident from the beginning. After Shree she sang a beautiful Desh and a jhoola.
I had never had the opportunity to hear Pt. Venkatesh Kumar and was excited to hear him after hearing much praise from friends. He is fantastic! Creativity, involvement, technique, power- everything seemed effortless. He sang Marubehag and Bageshri. The bhajan at the end rang in my ears all night.
Would you believe the organizers arrange sleeping accomadation for the night? It was very generous of them and something I am going to suggest that all the music organizers do for their public (the Taj for NCPA programs please). It wasn’t the Taj, but comfortable nontheless. In the morning I was surprised to see some beautiful caravan hounds out exercising with their owners. When I asked them the name of the breed they said something like “karvan”. I didn’t immediatedly associate that with “caravan” and I wonder if the name originally was not caravan but became “caravan” from some previous name. There isn’t an obvious association with caravans as these are rural hunting dogs. They were telling me that there is an annual fair in Aundh where amongs other activities like kushti there are dog races where hundreds of caravan hounds come to compete for prize money.
In the morning Smt. Pallavi Joshi (Gajananbua’s granddaughter I believe) sang very well, as did Pt. Vikas Kashalkar. After them Smt. Ashwini Deshpande created a magical atmosphere with goud sarang and hindol panchem. Nice that she sang a composition of Babanrao Haldankar’s.
Smt. Jayshree Patnekar began the afternoon session with bhimpalas. After that she really got into her stride with Shree. Jayshree, Vasundhara Komkali, Malini Rajurkar, Vijaya Jadav-Gatlewar- phenomenal singers who have remained just off the radar. What is it? Perhaps some lack of confidence, quirk of fate? I would have included Smt. Shubada Paradkar, but her performance at the close of the mahotsav on Monday morning was so laykari heavy that perhaps the criticism of her singing I have heard before is true.
Next was Pt. Babanrao Haldankar who despite advancing years sang beautifully. His goud malhar and jhinjoti were superb and his spot on singing of his own wickedly difficult tarana a wonder.
A kathak dance performance by Sonia Parchure came at the right time to invigorate the audience. She was excellent.
Apoorva Gokhale sang next. I believe she is also the granddaughter of Gajananbua. She sang superbly in the exact style of G’anbua.
Pt. Arun Kashalkar next sang a masterful darbari and one of my all-time favorite bandishes in Agra chandrakauns “tike naina tore bhava hei kaman”.
I was mostly asleep for the sitar performance of Ravi Chary. He played jogkauns and what i did hear sounded good.
Sanjeev Chimmalgi sang an unusual rag created by his guru, Pt. C.R. Vyas, swanandini (i believe). He was very good. I have known him for years and am glad to see him doing well.
After him came the rockstars from Mumbai who I wrote about in separte posts, rakesh, niladri and vijay ghate.
I must thank the organizers for the phenomenal job they do. It runs so smoothly. Sound system is not a problem. And remarkably, it is free! Food is good and not expensive. The audience is knowlegeable and appreciative.
If anyone is listening- I attended a session of the kesarbai memorial concert in Panjim recently and the music was ruined by an excrutiatingly loud sound system at the Kala Academy.
