Young artists shine on Sawai Gandharva Bhimsen Mahotsav Day Four

Next, Anuradha Kuber, a well-known singer from the Bhendibazar Gharana, took the stage, offering a mature and clear Raag Multani. She explored its deep feeling with the slow Ektaal Bandish “Kaise kara man samjhaun…” and expertly finished it with the teental ‘Naina neer jharan….’ Kuber’s next pieces, Raag Pratapvarali and a closing Raag Durga Trivat, showed how many different types of music she knows. She was well supported by Bharat Kamat on tabla and Soumitra Kshirsagar on harmonium.

The third star of the evening was the flute player, Pandit Rupak Kulkarni, who showed amazing skill and musical talent. His Raag Shuddha Kalyan was a masterclass in control, especially the difficult sliding of notes (meend) from Pa to Re. The powerful Jod and Jhaala parts, full of beautiful patterns and strong runs of notes (Tatkars), showed his mastery of the flute. Kulkarni ended his performance with the unusual but lovely Raag Sindhura, which left the audience amazed.

In a moment of great importance, Anand Deshmukh, the festival’s dedicated host, was officially recognized by the ‘World Book of Records,’ London, for hosting the Mahotsav effectively for 33 years. Vikram Trivedi, Director General of the ‘World Book of Records,’ gave him the certificate and a special gift on stage, celebrating Deshmukh’s huge contribution to the festival, which is organized by the Arya Sangeet Prasarak Mandal.

Union Minister Muralidhar Mohol also attended the event. He honoured Pt Rupak Kulkarni and promised to organize a major festival in Delhi to remember Pt Bhimsen Joshi. The combined joy of new artists performing and the honour given to a key figure of the festival made Day Four a truly memorable part of the Sawai tradition.