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Kaushiki- Kaushiki Chakrabarty |
Artist:
Kaushiki - Vocal
Father and Guru Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty - Harmonium
Yogesh Samsi - Tabla
Ajay Joglekar - Harmonium
U V. Manikantan - Mridangam
RN Prakash - Ghatam
Balakrishna Sama Venkateshaia - Morsing
Dr. Jyotsna Srikanth - Violin
Sarwar Hussain - Sarangi
Narsi Bhagat - Manjira
Tapas Das - Pakhawaj
Shivani Patel & Ripal Shah - Tanpura
CD 1
1 Dhrupad Alap - Raga Poorvi 8.29
2 Dhrupad - Raga Poorvi 3.46
3 Khayal - Raga Bageshree (teentaal) 7.23
4 Khayal - Raga Bageshree (ektaal) 8.10
5 Varnam - Raga Swarashtram 8.32
6 Tarana - Raga Nat Bhairav 5.25
7 Thillana - Raga Kuntanavarali 6.41
8 Dadra - 'Ranga Pichkari Mat Maro' 7.29
9 Bhajan - Ganesh Vandana 6.04
CD2
Raga Rageshri
1 Alap 6.01
2 Khayal 'Saban Sukh Deho' 32.13
3 Bandish 'Mora Man Harwa Leeno Daiya' 14.42
4 Bandish 'Rag Sang Ragini 8.18
CD3
1 Thumri - Misra Pilu 'Jiya Mora Na Lage' 23.03
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Blessed by prodigious natural talent and a cool temperament, Kaushiki has not been distracted for one moment by all the accolades and acclaim she has justly received at such a young age. Her last Sense World Music recording 'Pure' received worldwide recognition beyond the circles of traditional classical music listeners and confirmed a level maturity and depth in her singing which defies her years.
Following on from her success at the BBC World Music Awards in 2005, this unique collection of both studio and live concert recordings demonstrates why Kaushiki has become the great hope for the future of Indian classical vocal music, giving us an invaluable insight into the full range of her musical prowess.
Kaushiki was born in 1980 in Kolkata, the cultural capital of modern day India. Her parents noticed that she could reproduce complex musical and rhythmic phrases at the age of just two years. Being an able teacher her mother Smt. Chandana Chakrabarty took care of her 'taleem' (music training) adopting the role as her first Guru. Subsequently, Kaushiki had the fortune to become the youngest Ganda Bandh disciple (or shishya) of the renowned Bengali educator Guru Jnan Prakash Ghosh when she was just ten. Ganda Bandh is a traditional knot tying ceremony which cements the relationship between guru and student. Later on, after intermittent ill-health, Jnan Prakash Ghosh ordered Kaushiki to continue further training under the tutelage of his most successful disciple, her father Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty, one of the most creative and influential Indian vocalists of the modern era.
The guru-shishya system of teaching is the most intensive and effective route of musical learning in North Indian Classical music. Based on the oral tradition, it embodies the living and learning relationship between master and pupil, involving the complete emotional, intellectual and spiritual surrender of the ardent shishya (trainee) to the guru (teacher).
The first CD features traditional vocal styles from both North India (Hindustani) and South India (Carnatic). There have been two recognised classical systems in India since the thirteenth century, when the Moghals brought their influence to bear on the North. Despite their stylistic differences, Raga and Tala are central of both systems. However it is rare for Indian musicians to have command over both styles. There are some Carnatic ragas which share the same scale as Hindustani ragas but have different names; such as Hindolam and Malkauns, Shankarabharanam and Bilawal. Ragas like Hansadhwani, Charukeshi, Kalavati etc. are essentially Carnatic Ragas, but have been successfully adopted into the North Indian repertoire over time.
CD1 was recorded in Sense World's own purpose built studios in Sanjaya, a small traditional village near Anand, North India in January 2007. As usual Sense producer Derek Roberts was on hand guiding the project and he has introduced some ideas into the recordings which are not commonly heard like the Sarangi introductions to Khayal and Dadra and has clearly helped the chemistry of the project to gel.
The recording begins with a Dhrupad performed in Poorvi, an evening time raga. Dhrupad is considered to be one of the most ancient and rigid forms of North Indian classical vocal music. Generally the lyrics are devotional in mood and the description of different gods and goddesses are considered to be harmonious with the feel of this style. Improvisation is mostly limited to the rhythmic permutations of the composition. Double, triple and other multiplied rhythmic variations are a key feature of Dhrupad. The Dhrupad composition (track 2) is set to a Sultaal, a traditional ten beat rhythm.
Khayal is represented in this recording through Raga Bageshree (3,4). Both compositions have been created by Kaushiki's father Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty. The word khayal, meaning imagination, has Arabic origins, but is commonly used in Urdu or Hindi. The essential component of a khayal is a composition (Bandish) and the expansion of the text of the composition within the framework of the raga, even though the lyric in Khayal is comparatively short consisting of only two parts (Sthayee, Antara). There are two forms of Khayal; Bada-Khayal in slow tempo and Chhota-Khayal in medium to fast tempo. Khayal typically starts from a peaceful and meditative slow tempo and reaches to a very fast tempo by gradual increase, showcasing the uniqueness of each phase to the climax. Khayal combines the intricate and complex ornamentation of Thumri form with the boldness of Dhrupad while maintaining the purity of the raga. Tremendous control of breathing is required for a satisfying presentation of this form alongside command over the technicalities of music.
Varnam (5) is generally sung as the first piece in a South Indian concert, and is framed in a Carnatic Raga called Kuntalavarali. This composition (5) by Dr M Balamurali Krishna is set in Aditaal, a very popular and authentic Carnatic Taal. Varnam has four parts, namely Pallavi, Anupallavi, Muktayi swaram (the fixed and composed notes sung within the composition), and Charanam. The skilful application of gamakam (touch notes) is a unique characteristic of Varnam. There is little scope of improvisation within this form, and the lyrics are devotional in meaning.
Tarana (6) is a lively North Indian vocal style comprising of meaningless rhythmic syllables like tana, derena, dim, tom, dani, etc. Syllables of the tabla and pakhawaj are also playfully incorporated. These compositions are mostly sung in drut (faster) tempo. Different intricate rhythmic variations are the unique features of tarana. Kaushiki has performed a tarana composed by her Guru Jnan Prakash Ghosh, sung in Raga Nat-Bhairav and set to a twelve beat ektaal rhythm.
Thillana (7) can be considered as the Carnatic counter-part of the tarana of the North Indian style, mostly sung with the popular Carnatic dance form, Bharatnatyam. Dr. Balamurali Krishna has composed many of these compositions. Thillana has four parts, one of which is a meaningful lyric, as opposed to the North Indian Tarana. It also employs Mridangam syllables and Swaras (notes). Mridangam and Ghatam, two primary accompanying rhythm instruments, play a very active and enhancing role in this piece complimenting the rhythmic varieties. This Thillana is set to Raga Kuntanavarali and is performed in Aditaal (8 beats).
The Dadra (8) is composed by Kaushiki's father, Ajoy Chakrabarty inspired by an age-old composition of Bindadin Maharaj which he heard from Pandit Birju Maharajji. It is not based on any specific raga. It is set to an eight beat Keherwa, a popular and traditional taal for Thumri style. "Ranga Pichkari Mat Maro Kanhai" is a description of the Holi festival, the festival of colours which is celebrated in India in Spring time. The characters are Krishna and Radha who are playing with colours. The incident takes place as Radha is collecting water from the River Jamuna, she begs Krishna not to throw colours at her and to let her go back home as it is getting very late. As usual Krishna does not let her go and mischievously delays her.
The emotional and soulful dimension of Indian music is best reflected through Thumri, whose lyrics often speak about the varied emotional states of human mind or nature and its impact on human feelings. Emotions and feelings are reflected symbolically through India's mythological characters. With more emphasis on the lyrics, the raga generally has a blurred boundary line where other related ragas are incorporated to portray the desired feeling in the most apt manner. And rendition of a proper Thumri not only needs a versatile voice but also a certain level of maturity and awareness that comes through experience and proper guidance.
Bhajan (9) is a devotional song form normally composed by great devotees and poets like Surdas, Kabirdas, Tulsidas and Meerabai and tuned in different ragas, or melodic forms which suits the emotion. The lyrics may describe God or mythological stories. The Bhajan featured here is a Ganesh Vandana set to Raga Yaman-Kalyan.
Both the second and third recordings in this collection are of a concert recital at the Saptak Festival in Ahmedabad given on the 11th January 2007.
Kaushiki has performed three compositions in the popular Raga Rageshri. She has begun with Alap, a slow, meditative improvised introduction performed without tempo, portraying the key phrases and essential character of the chosen raga. The recital features two compositions from the musical genius, the late Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. 'Saban Sukh Deho', a Bada khayal in vilambit ektaal (slow, twelve beat cycle) and "Mora Man Harwa Leeno Daiya" in teentaal (sixteen beats), are creations of the master of the Patiala gharana whose pen name 'Sabrang' can be heard in the lyric. Tabla accompaniment is expertly executed by Yogesh Samsi on the tabla. Over the last decade, Yogesh, a senior disciple of the late Ustad Alla Rakha Khan, has become the favourite tabla accompanist for all the prominent vocalists in North India, because of his clearness in tone, meticulous time keeping and his ability to follow the subtle nuances in the music. Rageshri is concluded with a lively composition 'Rag Sang Ragini' in a faster paced ektaal.
The Thumri featured on CD3 is in Raga Mishra Pilu set to a six beat Dadra. It is a unique composition in the sense that it incorporates two 'Shayari', a very unique kind of poetic writing. It is said that two lines of 'Sher' is a complete poem in itself. These lines are sung without rhythm to fully express the pathos of the composition.
Notes: John Ball
John Ball is a musician and musicologist specialising in Indian Music based at the University of Sheffield.
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