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

Dr Aneesh Pradhan. Pic COURTESY/PRAKASH PRABHU

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 age-old 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 Saz-e-Bahar, a two-day instrumental music concert, aims to answer the question by bringing four instruments from the Indian classical repertoire to the fore.

Milind Raikar plays the violin at a previous performance

As slide guitarist Manish Pingle rehearses to take stage on the second day of the festival, he shares his first tryst with the instrument. "My parents enrolled me in a vocalist's course when I was eight years old. I didn't particularly enjoy that phase and I'd often daydream about playing with the kids in the park outside my classroom. I even leapt out of the window one day," he laughs. In a way, Pingle had broken out of the confines set for young classical music protégés. 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. "The 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 would," he reveals.

M Sivakumar. PICS COURTESY/INSTAGRAM

Although 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. "The 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 violinists," 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 tunes.

Manish Pingle

In contrast to Pingle's eventful journey, Mambalam Sivakumar narrates a simpler, yet fascinating journey over a short chat. The Chennai-based musician is a fifth-generation 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. "The 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 recognition," he shares.

Dr Suvarnalata Rao

Setting 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, "My 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 them."

With 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 won't have to look too far. "The purpose of the event is to showcase the significance of Indian classical instruments and educate the audiences," she shares. To that end, Rao will present a 30-minute talk preceding the performances to deep-dive 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 onwards
At: Godrej Dance Theatre, NCPA, Nariman Point.
Log on to: ncpamumbai.com
Cost: Rs 270 onwards (for a one-day pass)