Odisha Channel Bureau
Bhubaneswar: The third evening of the 26th OMC Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award Festival being held online hosted performances by Kathak exponent Gauri Diwakar followed by carnatic vocal recital by Abhishek Raghuram on Monday.
With her versatility and captivating stage presence, Gauri Diwakar presented Dheera, encompassing the Kathak repertoire with four segments. She began with Chabili Naar, based on the text and music composition of Ghulam Sabir Khan Saheb, and Sabb bann than aai shyam pyari re, the text for which was written by Pt. Bindadin Maharaj, composed in Raag Hameer by Pt. Birju Maharaj.
Her third presentation was a composition of Meera Bai choreographed by Dheerendra Tiwari and Gauri Diwakar to Samiuallah Khan’s music.
Finally, she presented Naino Ke Dore Laal Gulal Bhare choreographed by Aditi Mangaldas to Samiullah Khan’s music composition. She was accompanied by Yogesh Gangani on the Tabla and Samiullah Khan on vocals and the harmonium.
In Dheera, Gauri Diwakar explored the mystique of a Nayika’s beauty, desire for celebration and her quest for liberation and beauty both within and outside. Exploring an array of themes including love, life, self-exploration, and fulfillment, Gauri Diwakar’s breath-taking precision in movements and presentation made Dheera truly memorable.
The second half of the evening witnessed Abhishek Raghuram’s soulful rendition of compositions by Saint Tyagaraja.
With an illustrious lineage of Carnatic music and a performance career spanning two decades, Abhishek Raghuram’s recital etched in the minds of the audiences his artistic excellence and musical repertoire.
His first song was Nenarunchara composed in the rare Raga Simhavaahini, with rhythmic elements of Adi Talam. This was followed by Durmaargacharaa in Raga Ranjani and Rupaka Talam (3 beats), symbolic of the anguish that Tyagaraja faced, when he was unable to flatter people treading on the path of Durmaarg.
The third song Neevaadane Gaana, composed in Raga Saranga, brought forth the spirituality, musical harmony, and emotions that both Carnatic music and Tyagaraja deem as the essence of their compositions.
He concluded with a song on Lord Nataraja at Chidambaram, composed in Ragam Behag and Adi Talam by Gopalakrishna Bharathi. Ably accompanied by Mysore V Srikanth on the violin and Anantha R Krishnan on the Mridangam, Abhishek Raghuram’s recital was unforgettable, with effortless brilliance and perfection in his vocal rendition.
A visual and auditory delight to audiences who witnessed stellar performances in both dance and music, it marked the conclusion of the third evening of the Award Festival.
The penultimate evening of the festival on Tuesday (September 8th) will commence with Vilasini Natyam by Purvadhanashree, followed by Pt. Tarun Bhattacharya on the Santoor.
