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MUSIC: MUSINGS
REVERBERATION
Generation Next
 Often
the question is raised at various musical forums: who are the faces of
Hindustani classical music's new generation? And invariably, among the
names that do the rounds are those of Sanjeev Abhyankar (vocal), Kala
Ramnath (violin), disciples of Pandit Jasraj, and Arati Ankalikar (vocal).
So what better could Music Today do than to recognise their talent in
the new millennium? In tune with the times, therefore, Music Today has
updated its Young Masters series by publishing solo albums of these sterling
talents.
Ankalikar's voice carries a blend of Agra-Gwalior
and Jaipur Atrauli gayakis (singing styles). She trained under Pandit
Vasantrao Kulkarni, Pandita Kishori Amonkar and is currently a disciple
of Pandit Dinkar Kaikini. The synthesis of styles is obvious in her renditions.
"I don't want to be shackled by a particular style and I want to
diversify my talent,'' says Ankalikar. In this album she has sung three
ragas: Maru Bihag, Shahana Kanhra and Bhairavi. Her command over rhythm
and her glittering taans can be heard in her rendition of the raga Maru
Bihag. In the ragas Shahana and Bhairavi she relies on old and well tested
compositions and her rendition of the Bhairavi tappa is specially endearing.
If Ankalikar wants to paint a picture with various
shades of different gharanas, Sanjeev Abhyankar says he wants to be rooted
to the Mewati gharana tradition of his guru Jasraj. ''Between 1983-1992,
I was told I was a carbon copy of guruji, but after I branched out, I
got a vision of my own and evolved my style. Guruji ki zameen hai jisme
main ne Taj Mahal khada kiya hai (I have built my Taj Mahal on guruji's
ground),'' says Abhyankar. He has an immensely versatile voice which can
render a host of forms from Marathi abhangas, bhajans to even film songs
(his foray as a playback singer in the Hindi film Godmother is a case
in point). His niche, of course, is khayal and in this album he has sung
the early morning raga, Bhairav in vilambit and drut in ektala and teentala
respectively. He also sings the raga Haveli Basant and a bhajan in the
album.
Kala Ramnath comes from a family of violinists.
Her uncle T.N. Krishnan and her aunt N. Rajam are both eminent masters
of that instrument. But her real mentor for several years now has been
Pandit Jasraj. (It might be recalled here that her aunt Rajam had undergone
a similar tutelage under Pandit Omkarnath Thakur). She plays khayal compositions
on the violin. ''I don't play the gayaki ang but gayaki itself,"
says Ramnath. "This instrument isn't very popular in Hindustani classical
music but is capable of painting a thousand hues.''
Beginning with a slow meditative alap, Ramnath.
unveils the beauty of the morning raga Miyan ki Todi with a rich rendition.
She rounds off with a tarana set in drut teentala. Her dexterity and command
is reflected in the complex taan patterns she plays in raga Chayyanat.
She has chosen the ubiquitous Chhayanat song Jhanana jhanana from the
opus of the Rampur Saheswan gharana in madhyalaya set to teentala. However,
her approach is quintessentially that of her master.
A very fine set of musical recordings indicative
of the future of our music and a must buy for those who appreciate young
voices.
-S. Sahaya Ranjit
HOT TRACK
30: Very Best of Deep Purple
(Virgin; Rs 150).
 30:
Very Best of Deep Purple, in its recent Indian avatar, has 18 classic
numbers. Taking off with Hush, the band's first Top 5 hit from the album
Shades of Deep Purple (1968), the collection charts a chronological
course ending with Any fule kno that from the 1998 album, Abandon.
All the must-haves are there: Smoke on the water, Child in time, Highway
star, When a blind man cries, and so on. Which, depending on how deep
your acquaintance with Deep Purple's music runs, can be a good or a bad
thing.
Quite a few Deep Purple's collection albums
have hit the market since 1970, so chances of duplication are high if
you already own some Purple music. On the other hand, it's nigh impossible
to find a more complete set in a single cassette. And this one comes with
lyrics for 14 songs on the jacket.
The band in all its ages and ever-changing line-ups
is represented in this album. If only there was one live piece. In the
end, Sweet child in time/You'll see the line/The line that's drawn
between/Good and bad.
-Samrat Choudhury
ARRIVALS
 Khoya
Khoya Chand
(TIPS); Rs 55
Excellent collection of duets by Alka Yagnik
and Babul Supriyo.
 Shri
Ram
(Times Music; Rs 65)
Ratan Mohan Sharma's rendition of Ram shloka,
108 chants, Ram Raksha stotra
 Parables
of Passion
(Milestone; Rs 80)
Musical interpretation of love by classical artistes, including Hari Prasad
Chaurasia
 Paigam-e-Mohabbat
(Sony Music; Rs 125)
Muzaffar Ali's ghazals sung by Abida Parveen,
Chhaya Ganguli, among others.
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