| 24 August 2011
Heaped with accolades and awards, Ravi Shankar is, without a doubt, India’s most recognized and esteemed musical ambassador. This evening it was our delight to watch him play a handful of traditional rāgas, as well as some of his own creation, with a formidable set of his musical disciples at his side.
For me, the magic of the evening came from drifting between the music and simply watching it being performed, each experience being utterly captivating. Reading through the program beforehand only served to augment my awe at the skill being displayed onstage. That he is so fluent in rāgas, which are said to be so subtle and difficult to define that recognising one is rather like recognizing a taste, a smell or a familiar face, is testament to Ravi Shankar’s life-long commitment to this art.
Seeing him so in command of his instrument was astonishing, and watching his face articulate the pleasure and satisfaction this music gave him was incredibly moving. He had the entire hall transcending somewhere else for the whole hour and a half. I was also enraptured by the two musicians flanking him, Tanmoy Bose (tabla) and Pirashanna Thevarajah (mridangam), as they performed. Every beat on Bose’s tabla was driven through from his shoulder and released in a whirl of nimble kneads with his palms and flutters of his fingertips. This vigor was beautifully contrasted by Thevarajah’s tender claps as he kept the time, alternating his palms as he kept the rhythm.
I cannot recommend this concert highly enough, and I am sure that I speak for all who were there when I say that the memory of it will be a cherished one.
Ravi Shankar: Evening Rāgas, Usher Hall, 22 Aug, 8.00 pm
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