This week, I had the unique opportunity to see three very famous proponents of indian classical art forms in action - Pt. Birju Maharaj and Ustad Zakir Hussain, in a Kathak dance concert in San Francisco and Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia, in an interview which happened in a small theatre in Palo Alto.
The first concert saw two extremely talented artists, Pt. Birju Maharaj, the Kathak dance maestro and Ustad Zakir Hussain, a tabla virtuoso face off and put together a show I will never forget. It was an amazing experience made memorable by the 75 year old dance maestro, who danced for almost 2 hours(!) and delighted the audience with his humor and very likeable demeanor. It was a sheer privilege to witness Maharaj dance, sing and play the harmonium with consummate ease. I realized for the first time that indian classical dance is the culmination of all the classical art forms in India - this is where the percussionist, the vocalist, the instrumentist and the dancer come together and convey the emotions and bhaava of the composition to the audience. Mastering each of the above four art forms is a lifelong study - Pt Birju Maharaj, probably is one of a kind whose mastery over all of these art forms is unparalleled.
The second event featured Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia, a very well known exponent of the flute or bansuri (as it is called in India), who gave a very engaging and personal interview to the audience. Some of the stories and information that he shared with us are
The first concert saw two extremely talented artists, Pt. Birju Maharaj, the Kathak dance maestro and Ustad Zakir Hussain, a tabla virtuoso face off and put together a show I will never forget. It was an amazing experience made memorable by the 75 year old dance maestro, who danced for almost 2 hours(!) and delighted the audience with his humor and very likeable demeanor. It was a sheer privilege to witness Maharaj dance, sing and play the harmonium with consummate ease. I realized for the first time that indian classical dance is the culmination of all the classical art forms in India - this is where the percussionist, the vocalist, the instrumentist and the dancer come together and convey the emotions and bhaava of the composition to the audience. Mastering each of the above four art forms is a lifelong study - Pt Birju Maharaj, probably is one of a kind whose mastery over all of these art forms is unparalleled.
The second event featured Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia, a very well known exponent of the flute or bansuri (as it is called in India), who gave a very engaging and personal interview to the audience. Some of the stories and information that he shared with us are
- How he stole a flute on which he started learning to play it (his father was against him learning music)!
- He has no formal training in indian classical music! He has learnt to play himself and by listening to others...
- The flute is one of the few musical instruments which cannot be "tuned" unlike other stringed instruments -- which means that flute player has to tune it with his own skill
- His association with hindi film music in the 60's and 70's and the talented artists he worked with (they would work from 8 AM to 2 AM almost everyday just because they loved creating music so much!)
- His reverence for Lata Mangeshkar and Hridaynath Mangeshkar
- His wish that he be born in Maharashtra in his next life because of the immense interest and love that the common man in Maharashtra has for indian classical music
- How, even to this date, he gets emotional sometimes when playing in concerts, when he sees a mother affectionately holding her child (he lost his mother when he was six years old)
- His final remark that the key to happiness in life is to keep yourself healthy and invest quality time in your friends and family
It was unique experience - one in which I felt I heard an autobiographical commentary on the life of a world famous artist.
I salute these great, passionate artists who have dedicated their whole lives to study the arts, often, by not taking the beaten paths and living out their dreams!
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