Swarabhishek

It is an album by Pt. Jitendra Abhisheki. It has an array of his classical songs. Recently, I had the privilege to watch his son, Shaunak Abhisheki & Pandita Devaki Pandit singing live . It was a tribute to their Guru.

Sitting cross legged with a mike in front, with the musicians, tabla, harmonium, pakhwaj as the instruments is typically Indian. The performer stands or a stand-up comedian, but a traditional singer never stands. He bows to the audience & the stage. Then takes his place to sing.

Starting with classical Hindustani, Shaunak Abhisheki showed the complete range of his voice. He would comment & suddenly break into a taan! He sings effortlessly. Also he admitted honestly, that being the most lazy students, he had singing in his blood!

He was accompanied by his son. He is being groomed by his father. Gurukul method on display. As Senior Abhisheki paused, his son would take over. A Shagird needs to be alert.

Also Pandita Devaki Pandit had a student sitting behind her. Both have strong voices. Pandita had cough but she never was at a fault nor did she shy away from any taans. The voice was horse but her maintained style was much evident.

Vighnesh Joshi added anecdotes & a few funny lines to lighten the mood. His druming fingers told the story behind his passion. He must have learnt Tabla. Having a good ear for music, he created just the right environment for the artists.

Abhang… Abeer, gullal was sung by both. Also the evergreen ‘Kaata Rute Kunala’ had more taans than the recorded one. But no one was complaining.

‘Ghei chanda makarand..’, ‘Ya suranno chandra whaa’ are undisputable gems that glow everytime. The touch by the masters was all that was needed.

Flawlessly moving from ‘Abeer Gulal’ to ‘Kaivalyachya chandnyala bhokela Chakor’ met with applause. The joy of the listeners was boundless.

Suddenly the end was near & as they came to the climax, met with a standing ovation. Nobody moved, the curtain came down & the claps continued. I am getting goosebumps as I am writing this.

Recalling another moment when the musical ‘Awagha Rang ekchi Zhala’ ended with the chanting of ‘Vithal, Vithal’ nobody wanted to leave. The main singer came to the crowds & she was gifted with a necklace by an enthusiastic woman!

Having heard or read about Kings giving away their necklace or ring when happy, is a legend . But witnessing it was something else!

An experience that elevates us from being mere mortals!