Have you ever fallen in love with a composition? Or a poem, or a painting, or a smell or a sound or a feeling? A bandish is all of the above. When I first heard this chhota Khayal playing in the next room at a dinner gathering, I was drawn to the sweet simplicity of it, and the charming voice rendering it. This voice, steeped in patent Kirana charm, was of a young Parameshwar Hegde, who was to be my Guru in later life. A disciple of Pt. Basavaraj Rajguru, one of the promising voices emerging from Dharwad, a rare find in the cassette shops, this one’s from a ‘hall recording’ in Delhi – my friend with the mix tape explained. I was hooked! This is still my favorite bandish in Rageshree, along with Veena-tai’s tarana in Teental (not featured here).
A good bandish is also one that opens up the myriad threads of a Raga in its skein. Perhaps, its no wonder then, that the synesthetic mind pulls up this picture from a recent installation at The Montalvo Arts Center in Saratoga. Threads: Weaving Humanity. “…these works were created to provide opportunities for contemplation, consideration and conversation on what our shared humanity means, and what is necessary for humanity to thrive… this includes kindness, compassion, integrity, respect, empathy, forgiveness, and self-reflection.”
Rageshree/ Addha/Teental:
बन बन बोलत कोयलिया, आई बसंत बाहरिया, फूली चमेली बेलरिया
उमगे नये नये पातवा, हर हार मोहत मनवा, नाचत मुरवा सुन्दरवा
(c) Srivani Jade 2019. All Rights Reserved.