Attend this music concert: Witness the magic of Indian classical instruments

Have you ever found yourself grooving to a fleeting sitar section or a tabla rhythm that sat in the back of the mix in your favourite Bollywood tracks These ageold instruments have long been relegated to the background not only in contemporary music but also in Indian classical compositions where they often act as accompaniments One must wonder then what can these instruments achieve on their own Can they tell a story or evoke emotions without the usual frontmen The 11th edition of SazeBahar a twoday instrumental music concert aims to answer the question by bringing four instruments from the Indian classical repertoire to the foreMilind Raikar plays the violin at a previous performanceAs slide guitarist Manish Pingle rehearses to take stage on the second day of the festival he shares his first tryst with the instrument ldquoMy parents enrolled me in a vocalistrsquos course when I was eight years old I didnrsquot particularly enjoy that phase and Irsquod often daydream about playing with the kids in the park outside my classroom I even leapt out of the window one dayrdquo he laughs In a way Pingle had broken out of the confines set for young classical music proteacutegeacutes Pingle soon discovered the slide guitar a traditional guitar with the strings raised off the fretboard to allow a slider to glide on them smoothly ldquoThe unique structure of the instrument lends it a distinct tone that caught my attention The sliding action allows us to navigate gamaks and meends ornamentations just like a vocalist wouldrdquo he revealsM Sivakumar PICS COURTESYINSTAGRAMAlthough the artiste began by playing Bollywood songs on the slide guitar admittedly to impress his friends Pingle shares how ironically opportunities for slide guitarists today in the industry are few and far apart ldquoThe slide guitar has unfortunately been left out of session recordings Even in classical circles for every opportunity that is open to a slide guitarist there are at least four for sitarists flautists and violinistsrdquo he sighs He adds that a glimmer of hope lies in the growing interest from the West where there is some enthusiasm around the adaptation of a guitar to play Indian tunesManish PingleIn contrast to Pinglersquos eventful journey Mambalam Sivakumar narrates a simpler yet fascinating journey over a short chat The Chennaibased musician is a fifthgeneration player of the nadaswaram an instrument that our readers from states down South might recognise as the background score to their early morning temple visits Sivakumar for one we learn is all for the propagation of the art form beyond its walls ldquoThe nadaswaram is one of the oldest Carnatic instruments made in India and has been a mainstay in the worship music in Southern India for centuries As I visit metropolitan cities in India and around the world it gives me immense pride to experience the art form and the talents it nurtures get their deserved recognitionrdquo he sharesDr Suvarnalata RaoSetting the tone for Pingle and Sivakumar will be violinist Milind Raikar and tabla maestro Dr Aneesh Pradhan who will open the festival with their performances For Raikar who specialises in playing a gayaki ang vocal style on the violin the performance is a hat tip to his guru as well as a close disciple Leading up to his performance with his son Yadnesh the violinist shares ldquoMy guru pandit DK Datar was a torchbearer of Hindustani classical music He developed a distinct finger technique which would make a violin sound like a vocalist As I play the gayaki ang at the performance you will see hints of his teachings in themrdquoWith such a diverse roster of artistes and instruments one is bound to scramble for a handbook to understand the rhythms and melodies resonating from the stage Dr Suvarnalata Rao head of Indian music NCPA tells us the audience wonrsquot have to look too far ldquoThe purpose of the event is to showcase the significance of Indian classical instruments and educate the audiencesrdquo she shares To that end Rao will present a 30minute talk preceding the performances to deepdive into the history of the instruments featured in the event along with a basic understanding of what goes into crafting the instruments On April 5 and 6 6 pm onwardsAt Godrej Dance Theatre NCPA Nariman PointLog on to ncpamumbaicomCost Rs 270 onwards for a oneday pass