IES strikes wrong note with Amonkar

MUMBAI, OCT 23: It was meant to be an education on Indian heritage but in true Indian style the musical baithak organised by IES Manageme...

MUMBAI, OCT 23: It was meant to be an education on Indian heritage but in true Indian style the musical baithak organised by IES Management College Students Council on Friday evening at Shanmukhananda Hall was a crash course in how not to conduct such a programme.

The baithak, which included a concert by well-known classical vocalist Kishori Amonkar struck all the wrong notes right from the beginning. A delayed start, speakers who didn8217;t know when to finish and an insult of Amonkar by the organisers made the evening singularly forgettable for the over 400-strong crowd.

Incensed by the contempt of the organisers Amonkar stopped singing mid-way and left in a huff. Scheduled to begin at 6 pm the programme took off only an hour later. The audience was then treated to a twenty-minute long introduction by Mangala Khadilkar after which actress and kathak exponent Archana Joglekar took the stage for lec-dem session which has now become routine on the festival circuit.

The organisers, in a hurry to get on withthe felicitation of dignitaries and speeches, asked Joglekar to wind up her performance. This was followed by a prolonged speeches by the organisers and dignitaries. The actual programme finally began only at 10:15 pm.

Hardly had Amonkar begun singing when the sound system decided to create its own music and she had to stop and ask for it to be adjusted. That done, the audience was just beginning to savour the beautiful Yaman raaga when the organisers passed on a chit to the tabla accompanist at 10:35 pm asking Amonkar to wind up her performance within 15 minutes.

An annoyed Amonkar announced, 8220;I am not some TV commercial to be switched on and off at will. I refuse to sing in such an insulting atmosphere,8221; and walked off in a huff. Total mayhem broke out as the organisers tried to outshout the audience, which was begging Kishoritai to continue and asking her to ignore the organisers8217; insult. Invoking Supreme Court and High Court rulings the organisers tried to justify their winding up the show. Theaudience was not impressed and continued booing and heckling inspite of assurances by the organisers to host another show.

Amonkar then stormed back on stage, and made an impassioned speech. 8220;I hope you will understand why I refuse to sing for such people again even if they pay me thrice as much.8221;

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To the horror of all present even as she spoke the dismantling of the stage was begun. Lamenting the callous disregard for music and musicians an anguished Amonkar left ultimately.