MUMBAI: Lalita Swar Utsav organised by Swar Saraswati Foundation on the 25th of May 2011 at India Habitat Centre was the third large festival staged by the foundation in Delhi this year besides the numerous concerts held in Jaipur, Varanasi and Jabalpur. Founder Director Ms. Shrinka Agrawal said that the festival being staged in 5 states is dedicated to all the women, especially women artists who have made a special place for themselves by their phenomenal determination and exemplary hard work that stands them apart in our male dominated social set up. Lalita SWAR Utsav this year is dedicated to the renowned revolutionist, dancer and Guru Padam Vibhushan Smt. Rukmini Devi Arundale. She also talked about the various activities of the foundation including their efforts towards making classical music reach the slums of Delhi.
The evening was inaugurated by Boudh Guru and Rudra Veena Maestro, His Holiness Tai Situpa the 12th with lighting of the lamp. The evening began with the beautiful vocal recital of Raga Yaman by Vidushi Sulochana Brahaspati. The audience was awe struck by the mastery as her expanse of the raga made Acharya Brahaspati, the eminent musicologist’s presence felt with her slow tempo composition set to ek taal of 12 beats, “radhike tum kaun mantar mohe shyam”. She concluded her recital by a Sufiana Kalam “parbat baans mangao more babul”in Raga Mishra Maand. She was accompanied by the musical Sarangai maestro Pt. Bharat Bhushan Goswami and the ambidextrous Pt. Sudhir Pandey on tabla.
Swar Saraswati presented the phenomenal orchestration of classical guitar, sitar with the unique inclusion of ghungroo lead by the popular duet duo Pt. Rajeev Janardan and Dr. Kamala Shankar. Danseuse Ms. Shrinka Agrawal on Ghungroo using the tatkar element of Kathak kept lightening pace with the three traditional Imdadkhani compositions that were played by the duo. Shri Somnath Gosh and Ms. Ritika Gupta accompanied this orchestration on Tabla and Tanpura. Their melodious rendition set to teen taal was spell binding so much so that the audiences could not help but slip into a deep meditative trance. This presentation marked a new milestone in the classical arena where a rendition of classical instrumental didn’t need any western elements; instruments or beats to attract the audiences like in the various attempts of fusion by other artists these days.
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Brilliant stage artist and performer Smt Rama Vaidyanathan concluded the evening with her magical and stunning dance. She began her recital with “ANJALI – MAYURALARIPPU”, an invocation composed by GS Rajan and an Alarippu in 13 beats set by K Sivakumar which showcased the graceful movements of a peacock followed by Ardhanareeswara Ashtakam an Adi Sankaracharya’s verse depicting the half male half female form of Lord Siva. Music composed by OS Arun.
This list of eminent guests present at the occasion included Shri Kishori Lal Sharma a patron and supporter of the organisation, Shri. Dheeraj Shrivastava, National Advisory Council, Prof. Shanta Sinha, Head of National Commission for protection of Child Rights, Shri. Subhash Pani, Chairman & MD from Trade Promotion Council of India, Mr. Zuhair Zaid, Minister Counsulate of Palestine, T Prabhakar, Chairman and Managing Director, HUDCO, Shri. K C Kaushik, Sec. Delhi Supreme Court Bar Assoiciation and others.
