Confluence of musicians

Five-decade-old Bhubaneswar Music Circle’s annual national music festival continues to be one of the most eagerly awaited annual festivals for the connoisseurs of Odisha when they come across the stars and stalwarts of Indian classical music. And the just concluded three-day event was one such occasion.The star attraction of the inaugural evening was Kolkata-based legendary Hindustani vocalist Sunanda Patnaik who hails from Odisha and a much admired name for the Odias. Performing in her home state after a decade, the 76-year-old offered glimpses into her unique style of rendition, the peerless voice that she was gifted with and her commitment to music as everything in life. She presented her own composition – Bishnu Behag – that she dedicated to her guru Pandit Vishnu Digambar Paluskar. It was a double delight to watch tabla maestro Ustad Sabir Khan accompanying the living legend. India’s only Hindustani clarinet exponent Pandit Narasimhalu Vadavati from Bengaluru – clarinet has always been identified with Carnatic music – regaled during the second evening while Kolkata-based prominent Hindustani vocalist Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty an exponent of Patiala gharana, mesmerized with his unique concert that comprised rendition of ragas Madhubanti, Bhupali and Bhairabi. He won over the Odias by singing a popular traditional Odia song – Nakarare Rama mana - that popular singer-music composer Prafulla Kar had taught him long ago.The festival that also features local and young talents every year, presented Odissi vocalists Sukanta Kundu and Nimakanta Routray during the inaugural evening and septuagenarian Hindustani vocalist Shantidhara Mishra. It further featured Spectrum, a concert featuring three gifted young artistes from Kolkata and the tabla player from Bhubaneswar – sarod player Arnab Bhatacharya, Carnatic vocalist Shatradu Kabir, kanjira and ghatam artiste Anindo Hazra and tabla player Tapas Paul.