By
Vishal Bheeroo
The musical expression finds an echo seeping into the uninterrupted rhythm and stanza, constant and uninterrupted alluring tabla beats ringing in silence, loud applause, and transporting the audience into a trance in equal hues and forms. The beauty of tabla by maestro Dr. Rajeev Shukla and singer, composer Paritosh Kumar Sinha reverberated into the jam-packed hall at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Indian Culture (IGCIC) last Saturday.
The energy, the tempo soaring sending a frenetic heartbeat among an audience longing for more merged the rustic, soulful and devotional fervor where it struck an emotional chord. The Metro ferrying passengers and cars screeching past the IGCIC would never imagine the centre nestled among the shades of trees would ring in divinity taking the form of music during the one-week celebration.
It was Day 2 only during Jashn-E-Ishq when the theme of Sangeet Sargam lived up to the hype and expectation of music reverberating through with soothing and high-pitched notes flowing seamlessly.
As echoed by the Deputy Indian High Commissioner Excellency Shri Vimarsh Aryan at the start of the programme in his speech, “How important is today’s event to celebrate diplomatic relations between both nations and among which the cultural component remains key to that,” while adding the bit in Hindi ringing in the flavour and fervour of this milestone, “Jo hamare do deshon ke beech ka people to people athra chautees me shuru Hua, pehli martaba India se Mauritius aaye usske baad uss culture ko preserve kiya apne andaaz mein…that diversity somehow continues. (The people to people relationship among our two countries started first in 1834 when people came here from India and preserved this culture in their unique style). People say usually it’s a small island and it’s unimaginable when we look at the quantum of diversity present,” the DHC told.
He added, “The weeklong celebration that we are having with today’s event is titled Sangeet Sargam which is a blend of performances with mostly students in Mauritius and taught by the very competent teachers at IGCIC. A blend of not just their performances and culture, enshrined into the Guru Shishya Parampara as we call it in India but also the Indian teachers and local students will present a very interesting fusion of the music, table together with a medley of other instruments.”
Eclectic and live-wired performances merge with the maven and tabla connoisseur Dr. Rajeev Shukla performing to the uninterrupted rhythm, fingers expertly swinging to beats and synchronization reaching a high octane level matching beautifully with the intense voice of Paritosh Kumar Sinha sending a chill down the spine. A moment of ecstasy just when the audience felt rhythming to the tabla is going to reach an end, hits a high crescent note meeting with constant applause from the audience swaying to the intonation and many wonders of tabla.
The voice of singer Paritosh Kumar Sinha lends its own charm with the chartbusters and intensity of Ruth aa gayi reh Ruth cha gayi re, ensconced with the tabla beats and chorus, Naam gum Jayega or Jab koi Baat Bhigad Jaaye from the film Jurm. Truly, a night to remember.
A recipient of numerous awards such as UP Sangeet Natak Academy and having received several accolades, Dr. Shukla underwent rigorous training at the Banaras Gharana under Pandit Rang Nath Mishraji where he recently obtained his Ph.D. in Tabla. It was a great joy, he says, being back in Mauritius as tabla teacher and performer, “I am elated performing in Sangeet Sargam as part of the week-long celebration along with my friend, singer Paritosh Kumar Sinha. This year was special to me since I found the island after 9 years, having lived here before and as tabla teacher and performer at the IGCIC. So you see how special this moment is to me performing to tabla and the mesmerizing audience appreciating my performance as an artist it means a lot when the audience clapped with us as we performed, it struck a chord with the audience.”
Dr. Shukla couldn’t contain his excitement as he speaks about Jashn-E-Dosti, a cultural celebration of the 75th anniversary of India’s diplomatic relations where the programme was hosted by the High Commission of India and the Mauritius Government which he terms a “cultural bouquet sparkling multitude colors of music and dance. The show, “Sangeet Sargam,” which we performed and a fusion of tabla and vocal had an incredible feat of 100 artists participating and wowed by the audience.
Dr. Shukla beams with excitement, “The event was such a great success with diverse attractions such as food mela inside the campus at IGCIC with various diverse events and multitude of talents showcased and mounted as a grand spectacle.”
