Songs of the Season

It’s basant, spring, the season of new birth and rejuvenation — in short, winter is over. Or soon will be. Chandigarh Sangeet Natak Akademi is celebrating the onset of spring with a vocal recital by Pt Jasraj on February 12 at Tagore Theatre. Kamal Tewari, Chairperson of the Akademi and a well-known musician, says that basant has inspired one of most important ragas in the old raga-ragani system. “Basant was celebrated at major Sufi shrines,” says Tewari.

Blessed with a soulful voice, which traverses over all four-and-a-half octaves, Jasraj’s vocals are characterised by a harmonious blend of the classic and opulent elements, projecting traditional music as an intense spiritual expression. Perfect diction, clarity in sur and gayaki, and command over all aspects of laya and rhythm, and an interplay of notes and words to evoke a desired mood are the hallmarks of his music. This sensitivity, added to the pure classical approach, has given his singing a lyrical quality, the quintessential of the Mewati tradition of singing.

“Yellow being colour of spring, we will appreciate if rasiks could come wearing yellow,’’ adds Tewari. The festival is by invitation, and cards will be given out on a first-come-first-serve basis. Cards can be collected from the office of Chandigarh Sangeet Natak Akademi on working days between 11 am and 4 pm.