Pune: 69th Sawai Gandharva Bhimsen Mahotsav starts with breath-taking performances!
Pune, 13th December 2023: The 69th Sawai Gandharva Bhimsen Mahotsav, also the most awaited Indian classical music fest of the year commenced at the Maharashtriya Mandal Krida Sankul at Mukund Nagar today.
The first day of this mega music festival started with the melodious performance of a noted Shehnai artist, Tukaram Daithankar. He performed Raag Madhuvanti and a Bhajan ‘Vaishnav Jan To.’ He was accompanied by Nitin Tukaram Daithankar on Shehnai, Nikhil Phatak’s disciple, Kartik Swami on Tabla, Ganesh Daithankar on Shruti Box (Surpeti), Ketaki Daithankar and Madhuri Daithankar on Tanpura.
The second session of the first day witnessed soul-stirring renditions of Sanjay Garud, disciple of Pt. Shrikant Deshpande and an exponent of Kirana Gharana. He performed ‘Ab To Badi Der’ in Raag Bhimpalasi. Bandish ‘Biraj Mein Dhum Machaya Shyam’ in Drut Tritaal along with an Abhang ‘Majhe Maher Pandhari’ immortalized by Bharat Ratna Pt. Bhimsen Joshi. He was accompanied by Dinesh Majhire (Vocal), Shantibhushan Deshpande on Harmonium, Rohan Pandharpurkar on Tabla, Prasad Kulkarni and Rutvij Hirlekar on Tanpura, Mauli Phatak on Pakhwaj, and Ustad Farooq Lateef Khan on Sarangi.
In the third session, Kalapini Komkali paid tribute to her father and guru Pt. Kumar Gandharva to mark his centenary birth year. Her magical renditions included a slow-tempo Bada Khyaal in Raag Puriya Dhanashree, a Bandish ‘Aaj Ra Din Dooba’ in Drut Teen Taal, both composed by her father and guru Pt. Kumar Gandharva. She then performed ‘Mruganayani Tero Yarari’ and a Bandish ‘Langarwa Kaise Ghar Jau’ in Raag Hameer. Her performance was concluded with a Bhajan ‘Sunta Hai Guru Gyani’. She was accompanied by Suyog Kundalkar on Harmonium, Prashant Pandav on Tabla, Vatsal Kapale and Vaidehi Awadhani on Tanpura.
