A divine evocation

The way the Bondre family converses,it is apparent that there is a team at work here and not one individual. Arwind Bondre,a trained classical vocalist,is the writer of the recital Vrindavan Ka Krishna Kanhaiya that was performed by Kalyani. “We wanted to explore the impact of Krishna on classical music and all forms of culture. The fact there is so much literature available on the subject helps a lot. The compositions are in Hindi,Marathi and Sanskrit,and there is a huge repertoire of bandishyein that express the story forth. So it is easier to connect all of it which can be weaved around a story,” says Kalyani. She has made it a part of her performances to touch upon some nuances of the music she performs,an effort that,she believes,enhances the joy of listening.

A teacher at a city management institute and the holder of a doctorate in Economics from Pune University,Bondre has effortlessly straddled the seemingly parallel universes of academics and classical music. “I must admit it’s difficult o maintain the balance. But persistence helps. My social life suffers a bit,it’s been manageable so far. Both strain the vocal chords. Both are performing arts. I really enjoy both the processes. The research methodology I learnt while studying Economics,I now apply in my musical pursuits too,” smiles Kalyani.

While performing in Germany,Bondre came in contact with Aachen-based tabla player Arup Sengupta. A disciple of the revered Pandit Swapan Chaudhari,Sengupta accompanied Bondre in her performance held on Wednesday at Anand Sabhagriha,Law College road. Harmonium player Santosh Atre was the other presence on stage.