Sibling magic

Just like it takes two hands to clap,so does it take two great musicians to pull off a jugalbandi. And if the jugalbandi is on tabla...

Just like it takes two hands to clap,so does it take two great musicians to pull off a jugalbandi. And if the jugalbandi is on tabla,then the names which come to mind instantly are of father-son duo Ustad Alla Rakha and Ustad Zakir Hussain. But when it comes to the tabla jugalbandi,there are very few names in the country who have explored this territory. Amongst such few duos,Pune-based brothers Mukund and Dhananjay Pandit are fast becoming a force to reckon. The brothers will be rendering a jugalbandi performance at a musical concert on September 18,at Bharat Natya Mandir,9 pm onwards.

Disciples of Pandit Nayan Ghosh for more than a decade now,for Mukund and Dhananjay,inclination towards music came very naturally. Music is in our blood and having been brought up in a family where our grandfather,Mahadev Pandit and father Dyaneshwar Pandit were eminent shehnai artistes,we could not even think of doing something else for a living, says Mukund. Their dedication towards their art is so deep-rooted that the brothers travel to Mumbai every weekend to take tabla lessons from their guru Pandit Nayan Ghosh.

While seven years older than brother Dhananjay,Mukund learnt tabla from his cousin Ashok Adhav; Dhananjay took lessons from Mukund. But before playing tabla,Mukund learnt instruments like the harmonium and the synthesiser. It was my guru Pandit Nayan Ghosh who advised me to continue playing both the instruments with tabla, says Mukund,who is also the HOD of Fine Arts Department at the Rewachand Bhojwani Academy.

In the year 2003,when the brothers presented their first jugalbandi performance,they received much applause and since then,have given numerous performances together. The brothers,who till date sit for riyaaz together,agree that for jugalbandi,one should have a good understanding with one’s partner. Adds Dhananjay,The best part of jugalbandi is that it is a spontaneous act and nothing is pre-planned. We share great chemistry and I think that is what creates magic and shows through in our performance.

Having performed at festivals like Sawai Gandharva,Jalandhar Har Vallabh Mahotsav,Kumar Gandharva Music Festival and Hampi International Music Festival,to name a few,at every jugalbandi presentation of theirs,they try a combination of peshkar,kayada,chakradaar,rela,rau and other old and rare compositions. We have named our jugalbandi Srijan which means a new route, says Dhananjay.

The programme where the duo will be performing is presented by Gurukrupa Sangeet Vidyalaya,where they conduct tabla classes. Besides the tabla jugalbandi,the musical concert will also feature classical vocal by Pandit Jaytirth Meudi and a tabla performance by the students of Gurukrupa.

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