The 17th ITC SRA Sangeet Sammelan 2010 took place on 8th, 9th and 10th January 2010 at the verdant lawns of ITC SRA. Set in an ambience that was warm, soothing and colourful, and the weather just perfect, the audience that turned out in thousands received an opportunity to listen to the talent of maestros and generation next musicians from all over the country. The ITC SRA Awardee for this year was the well known exponent of Bishnupur gharana, Pandit Amiya Ranjan Bandopadhyay. The Sammelan commenced with an inaugural speech by the ITC SRA Executive Director Mr Ravi Mathur. The inaugural lamp was lit by Vidushi Girija Devi and Pandit Amiya Ranjan Bandopadhyay.

It is a tradition of ITC SRA to start the sammelan with a scholar’s performance. This year the first performance of the night was that of Ustad Rashid Khan, one of the most successful former scholars of ITC SRA. Rashidji started his performance with Raga Madhuwanti. He sang two compositions, the first one set to vilambit ektaal and next one in drut teental. After that he enthralled the audience with a drut teentaal composition in Raga Sohini. Accompanying Rashidji on the tabla was Shri Subhankar Banerjee and on the Harmonium, as a wonderful surprise to the audience present, a fellow alumnus from Rashid’s days at SRA - none other than Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty.

The next artist of the evening was the renowned sitarist of the current generation, Pandit Kushal Das. He started his performance with a mellifluous alaap and jod in Raga Shudh-Basant. He then went on to play gats in vilambit and drut teental in the same Raga. He was ably supported on the tabla by Sri Biplab Bhattacharjee. The final artist of the night was one of the most respected artistes of Banaras gharana, ITC SRA guru, Vidushi Girija Devi. She started the night’s performance with Raga Jog. She sang two compositions, the first one set to vilambit ektaal and next in drut teentaal. Next she sang a thumri in Raga Mishra Pilu. She concluded the day with a bhajan in Raga Bhairavi. Accompanying her on the tabla was Pandit Ananda Gopal Bandopadhyay, on the sarangi, Pandit Ramesh Misra and on the Harmonium, Smt Rupashree Bhattacharya.

The evening of the 9th of January 2010 started with a performance by Arshad Ali Khan, ITC SRA Scholar. He chose Raga Multani for the evening in which he sang the first composition in vilambit jhumra and next two compositions in drut teental. Next Arshad sang a composition set to drut ektal in Raga Puriya Dhanashri. Accompanying him on the tabla was Pandit Gopal Mishra and on the Harmonium, Smt Rupashree Bhattacharya. The next recital of the evening was an ensemble of string instruments, called SRA on Strings. The participants were Sarwar Hussain on the sarangi, ITC SRA Scholars Abir Hossain on Sarod, Supratik Sengupta on Sitar and Saket Sahu on Violin. They started with an alaap in Raga Saraswati. Then they performed two compositions in teentaal enabling the audience to experience the uniqueness of their individual instruments. Accompanying them on the tabla and pakhawaj was Pandit Samar Saha. The next performance was that of one of the current generation’s musicians, Smt Saswati Mandal Paul of Bhopal, who came to perform in Kolkata for the first time. She started her performance with Raga Puriya Dhanesri in which she sang the first composition in vilambit ektaal and the next one in drut teental. Next she presented a tappa and tapp khayal both set to Raga Khamaj. She ended her performance with yet another tappa in Raga Sohini.

The ITC SRA lawns were jam packed and the excitement in the audience of over 3000 reached its peak as the most eagerly awaited artist of the night, Ustad Zakir Hussain took the stage, supported on the harmonium by Ajoy Joglekar. The master of tabla mesmerized the audience with his style of playing the tabla. He chose teentala for the evening in which he played the peshkar ang and then played some tukras and chakradars. He left the audience begging for more and the night ended with thunderous applause.

The third and final day of the ITC–SRA Sangeet Sammelan proved to be just as inspiring and memorable as that of the previous two days. Although the concert venue may not have been chock-a-block full, the performances were still nothing less than spectacular, and definitely gave the audience an evening full of breath-taking music.

The event began with the performance of Shashank Maktedar, a former scholar of ITC-SRA and a student of Pandit Ulhas Kashalkar. He was accompanied by Yogesh Samsi on the tabla, Pt Jyoti Guha on the harmonium and Sarwar Hussain on the sarangi. Shashank started off with Raga Poorvi, and sang two penetrating bandishes, ‘Ey man mora’ in Vilambit teentaal and ‘ab kaise jaoon’ in drut teentaal. He then moved on to sing the melodious and soothing Raga Hameer, in which he sang the bandish ‘Surajana se milao’ in Madhayalaya Teentaal and a tarana in drut teentaal. Overall, it was a mesmerizing performance by the young musician.

The second installment of the event was Pt. Buddhadev Dasgupta, sarod maestro and a Guru at the ITC-SRA and his student Abir Hossain, who is also a musician scholar at the academy. Pt. Dasgupta and Abir commenced with a melodious rendition of Raga Barwa, playing alap, jod, and gats in vilambit teentaal and dhamar. The second piece performed was a short rendition of Ragas Kafi and Zilha Kafi, in which two gats were played in teentala.

The third artist to perform was Ustad Mashkoor Ali Khan, a classical vocalist belonging to the Kirana gharana, and also a guru at the ITC-SRA. Known as ‘The prince of Bandish,’ Ustad Mashkoor Ali Khan enthralled the audience with his rich repertoire of compositions in various Ragas. He was accompanied by Pt Jyoti Goho on the harmonium and Sarwar Hussain on the sarangi. Khan Sahib initiated his performance with an hour-long rendition of Raga Marwa, singing the bandish, ‘Jag Baware’ in Vilambit Jhoomra taal, ‘kahu krit kahu kare’ in drut teentala, a tarana and ‘saiyyan mo rakh gayi’ in drut ektala. Next, he gave a delightful rendition of Raga Khamaj Bahar, singing the bandishes, ‘daar daar paat paat phule’ and ‘mora yi sandeshwa kahiyo jaye’ in drut teentaal with great liveliness and spirit. Following those renditions were Raga Bhupali and Raga Khamaj, in which he sang the bandishes ‘Mandirawa Baje’ and ‘Rang Rangeelee Raseelee’ respectively.

The most innovative and scintillating performance, which received tremendous applause and appreciation, was that of the Carnatic violin duo, Ganesh and Kumaresh, who happen to be brothers as well. Accompanying them were two percussionists, the world renowned Subhankar Banerjee on the tabla, and P. Satish Kumar on the mridangam. Even though they were playing Carnatic music, the audience had no problem understanding and valuing their performance. It certainly shows that North Indian classical music and Carnatic music have a common quality that communicates with listeners from all over the sub-continent.

Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty, world-renowned Indian classical vocalist, and also a Guru at the academy presented the last performance of the evening. Ajoy Chakrabarty’s recital had an effortless and graceful quality to it. He commenced his recital with Raga Bageshri. The first composition was in vilambit ektala, ‘Kaun gata bhaee ri ali, mori piya nahi puchhata baata’. It was followed by a tintala compositon, ‘Heri he main kaise kar aun’. He concluded his recital with a bhairavi Bhajan, ‘dil le liya hai mero, vo nanda ke dulare’. He was accompanied on the tabla by Sri Yogesh Samsi and on the harmonium by Sri Ajay Joglekar. Supporting him on the tanpuras were three of the academy’s scholars, Brajeswar Mukherjee, Deborshee Bhattacharya & Abhijit Apastambh, who are also learning from Pandit ji as well.

All in all, the third day of the ITC-SRA Sangeet Sammelan was the perfect conclusion to an enchanting musical experience. The music was fabulous and the ambience perfectly suited the event, leaving listeners and connoisseurs of music craving for more.