Tappa, kajri, jhoola, chaiti—guru-shishya, mother-daughter duo Kanakshree and Savni Bhatt will perform a collection of semi-classical and folk forms that are timeless
Kanakshree and Savni Bhatt, who hail from a traditional music family, offer a taste of their native Malwi culture through Barahmasi
The periwinkle flower—a hardy, perennial blooming beauty—is referred to as Barahmasi in Malwi. This is how Kanakshree and Savni Bhatt, musicians from Madhya Pradesh, have always known and recognised it. When the time came to name their ambitious performance-cum-presentation, the vocalists naturally thought of the flower; it was ideal to represent the dozen forms they’d bring to audiences, which are traditionally sung through the year, or to mark specific seasons and festivals.
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At its heart, Barahmasi was born out of a need to conceptualise something novel and new. “We observed that though countless musicians perform classical music each week, the curation of a performance that would cover different forms in a limited amount of time didn’t exist,” says Savni, “We wanted the attendees to walk away with an experience that had exposed them to as many traditions as was possible.” The result, adds Kanakshree, is a thaali or plateful of 12 musical offerings—including jhoola, tappa (originated in Punjab), chaiti, and an original hori (a genre popular in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh) by Savni.
Their performance at Bandra’s Art and Charlie, as part of an ongoing curation of musical events by musician Avanti Patel, marks the third edition of Barahmasi; interestingly, each has comprised a different set of songs. “The show at the art gallery will be a very interactive one where attendees will be given introductions to forms that are lesser-known. We wanted to keep it personal, so we’ll alternate between singing and explaining,” says Savni, adding that the mother-daughter duo will be accompanied by Akshay Jadhav and Tanmay Mestry on the tabla and harmonium respectively. A conscious decision was made to keep the set-up minimal and authentic; a percussionist is added to the mix, if at all.
Barahmasi is made all the more unique because it will give listeners a taste of Malwi culture. “The kajri we’ve chosen is not the traditional, semi-classical one; it is a folk version,” Kanakshree explains, “Much of these forms, including thumri and dadra, originated in the north of India but in the course of our research and study, we found that each region imbues them with its own distinct characteristics. We were keen to include the Malwa influence in our performance.” The Malwi hori, for example, is sung during the Holi festival and draws from the Rajasthani language. Chaitis, on the other hand, have long been associated with Ram Navami.
The Bhatts come from a familial heritage in music; Kanakshree’s grandfather Pandit Bandubhaiya Choughule was a revered harmonium maestro—among the few harmonium soloists of his era, accompanying greats like Kumar Gandharva and Begum Akhtar. Kanakshree was the first vocalist in the family, and passed on her training in the Gwalior Gharana to Savni, who is also a trained Kathak dancer.
They say that Barahmasi is a good primer for those who are curious and haven’t been exposed to semi-classical and folk music, especially because of the emphasis they place on representing each genre authentically. “As a young person born into a family with musical roots, I had the opportunity to learn at great depth about these forms... I hope our performance is a way for others in my age group, who have wanted to know more about thumris and kajris, to get a glimpse of what they sound like,” says Savni.
WHAT: Barahmasi by Kanakshree and Savni Bhatt
WHEN: March 22, 6:30 pm
WHERE: 71A Pali Village, Bandra (West)
PRICE: Rs 499
TO BOOK: artandcharlie.com
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