TOPIC: MAESTROS IN CONCERT-Pt.Shiv Kr. & Zakir Hussain

It was a real treat for all those who attended the MAESTROS IN CONCERT as acclaimed santoor player Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma and Grammy-winning tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain performed together, at the Page Auditorium, Duke on Sunday, the 29th of March.

Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, one of India's most popular and revered classical musicians, is India's greatest living Santoor player. The Santoor was first presented on the classical stage by him in Bombay, 1955, when the maestro was only 17 years old. He has single handedly brought about a revolution in the development and history of this Kashmiri folk instrument, both redesigning and re-defining it and bringing it to the classical concert halls of India and the world. Since his first public performance in 1955, Shivji has travelled throughout the world and has garnered many prestigious awards and titles.

Zakir Hussain, a child prodigy, today appreciated both in the field of percussion and in the music world at large as an international phenomenon. He came to the United States in 1970, embarking on an international career which includes no fewer than 150 concert dates a year. The recipient of countless honors, Zakir Hussain was awarded the National Heritage Fellowship, the United States' most prestigious honor for a master in the traditional arts, presented by First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton at the United States Senate on September 28, 1999.

Both are hailed for their awe-inspiring technique, incomparable sensitivity and seemingly endless ingenuity in performance.

Last evening, the first set began with a Hindustani raag called Bageshri (Thaat- Kafi). Pandit Shivkumar flowed through the "alap," then introduced rhythm in the "jor" section that grew more complicated through the "jhala" section. The maestros enveloped the audience in the exotic raga melodies and heart-racing tabla rhythms.
The second set started with Raag Pahadi, (Thaat- Bilawal). The interplay between the tabla and the santoor added playful and more complex rhythms with the introduction of folklore elements. Watching the musicians play off each other's energy ended in elation and wonderment, creating an uproar of applause.

Thanks for sharing this. Wonderful job on writing this article. ApnaTriangle Friends would be very happy if you could take up as a volunteer Journalist for ApnaTriangle.

Thanks

Pritz, Very nice writeup. I wish, I attended the concert. You seem to have good knowledge in classical music. Are you trained in classical music?

Good job Pritz Keep up the great work for the community.

Very nice writing Pritz, it seems u r a professional journalist... .
Nice job, keep it up.

Hey thanx Kubi, Satish, Rupa n Vaani. I am glad you guys liked what I wrote.
And no, I dont have a base in classical music but have learnt Bharatnatyam as a kid so that helped me a little(understanding taal n stuff) plus I did a little research before penning down, on the basis of what the Maestros played the other day. So, all this helped me in putting it together.
And I'll surely write about the programs I attend in future. Thanks once again to you all.