Sitarry sitarry night

A feast of music by a talented trio mesmerized its audience into a transcendental state of blissful delight, reports

KUDRAT SINGH

Born in the 1920s in Benares on the shores of the Ganges, Robindro Shaunkor Chowdhury grew into a young man fascinated by the arts. In his pre-teens he travelled through Europe with his brother Uday’s dance troupe. This early exposure to music and drama developed into a fascinated interest in music. As a part of the troupe he dabbled in various instruments, finally settling for the sitar.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

Ravi Shankar has worked with some of the world’s most respected composers and performers of classical and jazz music. His international career is attributed to his collaborative works with Yehudi Menuhin, the American violinist. He is the most recognisable name in the Indian music industry, within India and globally. Over the past seventy years he has composed music ranging from national songs to theatrical pieces; worked with the Indian People’s Theatre Association; been music director for All India Radio; married thrice, divorced twice and had numerous children; won two Grammy Awards; performed at Woodstock; taught at some of the most established universities in America… and all the while bettering his skills as a performer.

So in his penultimate performance in Sydney at the Opera House, nearing ninety and accompanied by his daughter Anoushka, Ravi Shankar came to say goodbye at his Farewell to Australia concert tour.

The audience was a mix of young and old, and of different nationalities. The sold-out show housed an array of young professionals, dressed to the hilt in fine saris and suits, as well as new age hippies with ‘Om’ tattoos on their backs. This audience was highly indicative of the power of celebrity, even in classical music. The link with the Beatles will always be a major drawing card for Ravi Shankar as far as his western audience is concerned. For some, this was a reason to attend his concert; others were there for more spiritual reasons. The Indian contingent, of course, was there because of the reputation of the man, even if they weren’t familiar with his or Anoushka’s work. The ‘Shankar’ brand name seems to have transcended generations and continents, aided by his extravagant romances which have dubbed Shankar the ‘Mick Jagger’ of India.

Thrilled, intrigued and enthralled by the anticipation, neither Ravi nor Anoushka Shankar disappointed. There aren’t enough superlatives in the English language to begin to articulate Ravi Shankar’s abilities as a sitar player, composer and classical musician.

Anoushka Shankar, however, is a little easier to dissect.

This stunning Indian musician with her wonderfully charming American accent took to stage like a fish to water. Accompanied by the incredible tabla player Tanmoy Bose, Anoushka produced an array of ragas, starting with Madhuvanti, varying in their time structures and musicality. After a somewhat shaky start to her solo performance in the first half of the show, she powered on, displaying her amazing abilities on the sitar. Once she had settled into the rhythm, Anoushka was unstoppable. By no fault of hers, comparisons did arise - could she be as great as her father? Naturally, this question can only be answered in time. What is apparent though, is that Anoushka Shankar’s talent has been worked on relentlessly. She performed as most classical musicians do, with a formal focus on the sound and rhythm. She might not have exuded the passion that Ravi Shankar and Tanmoy Bose did as they played, but what she lacked in authenticity, she made up for in presentation. The pace at which she played was phenomenal and the sounds she created were truly mesmerising, leading the audience through a trance-like state.

The second half of the evening began with a standing ovation for one of India’s most influential and respected musicians. At 89, Ravi Shankar was accompanied on stage by his daughter and Bose. In appearance he resembled most of his peers; his frailty apparent in his inability to sit cross-legged on stage, but the resemblance began and ended there. His benevolence and love for the audience and for his music was overwhelming. His interaction with the audience was genuine, as he joked about being in Sydney and being unable to tune his own sitar. Shankar justly deserved the applause for his genius and indeed, it was unfathomable, entirely unbelievable, to see a genius at work. Regardless of his age and his stance, Ravi Shankar played his instrument unlike anyone else. His musicianship is one which comes from within; an unstoppable current which electrifies every part of your being and leaves you wanting more. His is a talent which pushes others to the next level.

Bose played harder, faster and more ambitiously than in the previous session. Anoushka upped her game, as she tried to keep up with her aging father. This was not the same man who walked on and off stage. Whilst playing, Shankar was transformed into another, more youthful man; his energy was breathtaking.

The most joyous moment of the evening was when the trio played the Baageshwari Raga. Explaining that this raga was once more inclined towards improvisation, Ravi Shankar toyed and challenged Anoushka and Bose. Playing this particular raga for close to thirty minutes, the audience was lulled into a trance and snapped from it repetitively as the sitars came in and out. Bose’s display went beyond all expectations in his solo performance, midway through this raga. The audience, overwhelmed by this unexpected burst on the tablas, were silenced by Ravi Shankar as he raised his old, shaky arm in the air. Unperturbed, Bose kept playing.

It was truly magical to see the Shankars perform together and to have Bose in on the action. Some musicians are born and others are trained. As much as Anoushka might belong in the latter, Ravi Shankar and Tanmoy Bose are born artists. They let you in, even if it’s only for the duration of a raga, to a higher ground, a place which ordinary beings cannot find on their own.

For anyone who loves Indian classical music or music in general, do not pass the chance of seeing Ravi Shankar perform. It is a performance which will move your soul and leave you wishing you were him for just a moment, so that you too could know what it feels like to be a humble genius.