School textbook by textbook, quotation by quotation, performance by performance, Shakespeare made his way to the prominent cultural couches where conversations about India took place. The Indian classical form has won the world’s support one by one at a time. Women are among the most respected ambassadors of Indian art. I would like to introduce two of them.
Hindustani Ragas: With love to the USSR, USA and UK
Dr. Viraj AmarThe Banaras Gharana songstress from Ahmedabad has a ‘sharpness’ in her voice. This means the soothing warmth of the crisp winter sun. She reminded me of those words when she went to the Soviet Union in 1986 as a special envoy for Indian classical art.
Back then, the vast country was still the frozen, eerie landscape of John le Carré, where ghosts juggled their identities in buildings stained with snow and suspicion.
But for Dr. Amar, the trip brought an important souvenir: an expanded artistic horizon. “I was traveling with a dance group to sing at an Indo-Soviet festival,” she said. Toi. “Singing as part of a dance recital, being on a team, and performing outside of my comfort zone was a great learning experience. But that was exactly why I did it. It was an honor. As part of our program, we performed at the Olympic Stadium as the finale of the festival.”
This large crowd foreshadowed Dr. Amar’s quiet ability to captivate an informed audience with her. I was very lucky to see her live several times. For example, in 2013 I saw her current Raga Vihagada at Saptak, India’s longest-running classical music festival held annually in Ahmedabad.
Bihagada impresses with its beauty with its magnificent whimsy. It rises in contemplation, stands alone in some secret rapture, and just as suddenly embraces the listener in its tarana. In about 40 minutes scheduled, Dr. Amal narrated the entire story of Vihagada, her highest prosperity tempered by sadhana.
Her gurus, Banaras Gharana greats Pandit Rajan and Sajjan Mishra, would have been proud. Although Pandit Rajan Mishra passed away during the pandemic, she continues to be guided by her brother.
After his stay in the Soviet Union, Dr. Amar brought gifts of guarana back to several cultural centers. “I have toured the US and UK several times as a solo artist,” she said. “There were many memorable programs. I have always chosen to perform with local accompanists.”
Her gharana characteristics, uncompromising precision but healthy imaginative freedom, were sometimes too intimidating for foreign accompanists.
“I particularly remember the Baitak in Cleveland in 2000, when we changed the entire presentation on stage because the tabla accompanist was not available and we decided to sing the raga Aalaap without the taal. I had to,” Dr. Amar said. “At another concert in San Francisco during that tour, I was told that my tabla artist was a Westerner. I was going to sing a very basic tar. But he was a very good commentator and , turned out to be a student of Zakir bhai. We built a trusting relationship on stage so we could sing without any restrictions.”
Dr. Amal mentioned Ustad Zakir Hussain, who recently won another Grammy Award in India. In between award ceremonies, India’s classical stalwarts give the world a glimpse into the country’s trophy cabinet of artistic purity. Dr. Amar is one such celebrity.
“In 2002, a special Baitak was organized in London. I was not in a good enough mental state to perform,” she said. “I didn’t know what I was going to sing before I went on stage. Then I surrendered to Shuddha Kalyan. I don’t remember keeping my eyes open throughout the presentation. I got a standing ovation for that performance! Hence , I think as musicians we should focus on presenting pure art without worrying about how it will connect.”
I am not even a trainee rasika yet, so my comments about Shuddha Kalyan will remain on the edge of the raga mood.
But I can imagine Dr. Amal retreating from the London stage to a Hindustan sanctuary and passing on sacramental notes to his audience. I also imagine the world closing its eyes in contemplation when India’s classical stars rule the stage.
Bharatanatyam in New Jersey: With the Zeitgeist
These days, webinars tout “resilience” as an elegant personality trait that can only be acquired with the good sense of a professional motivator. In real life, “resilience” is a solemn beacon of personal dignity that distances us from trauma, where each step of suffering soothes the pain and affirms the fragile beauty of the will.
Somdatta PalThe New Jersey, USA-based multidisciplinary artist choreographs this authentic courage using Indian classical forms that can express the most intense impulses as elegant, pious acts.
The dance performance “We Rise” is Pal’s solemn meditation on domestic violence and the ability of survivors to defeat their tormentors, overcome despair, and emerge as an inspirational force in society.
The presentation (available on YouTube) begins with two performers dressed in red, whose Spartan movements seem to condense anger. It appears as if violence is loosening up to attack the home.
A single performer then expresses the loneliness of a woman in the face of attack. She dodges the attack, flinches from the blow, but rises again with her grace intact. Eventually, Pal appears on stage and a recital of Bharatanatyam evokes the victory of Shakti. Her gestures, poses, and turns seemed to me to indicate her growing confidence in the survivor’s “I will fight back.” The argument is not shrill, but it still contains the beauty of righteous defiance.
“At a recent screening of ‘We Rise’ in New Jersey, audiences discovered a blend of movement, rhythm and melody that symbolizes a survivor’s journey, including the memory of trauma and the subsequent blossoming of hope. I was guided into the life of the main character. Empowerment,” Pal said. Toi. “For some audience members, this performance brought back memories of trauma and reminded them of their own resilience.”
Regarding the format used in ‘We Rise’, Pal said, “The recital utilizes authentic movement, choreographed modern dance and Bharatanatyam.” She further added, “The style of the story resonated with the audience, as did the juxtaposition of the original Bangla and Sanskrit lyrics.”
But for American audiences, Bharatanatyam was a piece of resistance.
“The primary style of Indian classical dance incorporated in this production is Bharatanatyam. It encapsulates symbolism through hand gestures (mudras) and is a powerful medium for storytelling,” said Pal. Told. “In the production, Bharatanatyam choreographic patterns were introduced at empowering moments in the story, in conjunction with sacred Sanskrit lyrics. You can react.”
Pal said repressed emotions are often inexpressible in words but are expressed through Bharatanatyam.
The project won two bronze medals at the American organization’s Global Music Awards. This award was won in the female vocalist and music video categories.
With ‘We Rise’ being released to festivals around the world, the healing power of Bharatanatyam will demonstrate to the world the true resilience of human beings. That is the role of great art, to speak abiding truths to every new generation.
Disclaimer
The views expressed above are the author’s own.
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