Page 34 - Seniors Today -April20
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to Jaipur gayaki, was to fill the void of drut
bandishes and taranas in many Raagas.
Maai composed scores of these. Some she
never sang in public herself, but taught
them to her disciples. I realise that I am
only scratching the surface of what Maai’s
musical genius was. There are many senior
personalities who can talk about it far more
authoritatively than I can. On September
4, 2004 a full programme on the subject
of Maai’s musical genius was presented by
Smt Kishori Amonkar and her colleagues in
Mumbai, in great depth. I will therefore not
venture into this subject any more here.
Temple project
I am reminded of a project that was dear
to Maai’s heart that we, her younger
Mogubai Kurdikar - later years well-wishers and devotees participated
short vowels and lengthening the long ones, in completing. Maai was a devotee of the
etc. (4) the grace and forces (“balas”) in original Rawalnath temple at Kurdi in
singing gamak taans, particularly, the way Goa. Under some Government project
the force behind each note arises from the to build a dam, this temple was doomed
lower note. (5) The symmetrical architecture to go under water, so the Government
of each alaap or taan that gracefully leads offered a paltry compensation to her. The
to the mukhda every single time. (6) project was to construct a new temple
Exceptionally high breath-capacity and at Walkinim. I helped in my own small
control (“damsaas”) that lends the requisite way, organising a music conference at
support to long, uninterrupted taans. (7) Rang Bhavan in Mumbai as a fund-raiser,
Complete mastery over the taal and laya that collecting advertisements from a large
she sang her bandishes to. She could sing number of my business associates, etc. I
with equal mastery bandishes in difficult even made several trips to Goa to discuss the
taals like Ada Chautaal, Jhoomra, Tilwada, construction plans, contracts and supervise
Yog-Taal, and Pancham Sawari, etc., the progress. But it was a collective effort
including off-beat bol-taans, with uncanny of all, and Kishoritai assumed the lion’s
ease. Her mastery over the intricate weaving share in it while all of us assisted her.
of words, notes and rhythm (laykaari) has When the temple was completed, we had
remained her hallmark, and in this skill, the inaugural ceremony at which Maai and
she has stood head and shoulders above all her clan assembled. After the Pooja,
most other musicians. Per the general and other religious ceremonies, per usual
tradition of Jaipur gayaki, she never sang custom, all disciples sang short pieces in the
any bandish in very slow (“ati-vilambit”) service of Lord Rawalnath. I sang Savani
pace. One special contribution Maai made Kalyan, one of Maai’s favorite Raagas. To
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