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 Holi memories in the Delhi summer - Shveta Arora e-mail: shwetananoop@gmail.com Pics: Anoop Arora May 4, 2016
Vidya Shah started her vocal recital with a song on Holi, ‘Bahut dinan ke baad Shyam sang hori main khelungi, pitambar nilambar honge, aisa rang rangungi’ (I’ll play Holi with Shyam after a long wait, the blue and yellow of our clothes will be coloured by the colours). The next song was ‘Aaj galiyan mein dhoom machayi, Hori aayi re’ (Holi is here, and we will celebrate in the streets). Both songs were appropriate for capturing the spirit of the festival of colours and the playfulness associated with it. The third composition was by Amir Khusrau, and it captures the essence of Sufi philosophy, where the bhakta wants to be drenched in the colour of his pritam (beloved) or the Lord. Next was the Surdas pad, ‘Tum chalo sabaye jaaye khelat horiyan’ (Let’s all go and celebrate Holi), and it presented the spirit of Holi in Vrindavan. The next piece was replete with old world charm, a reminder of the times when the LP records were released, and as children, we would listen to Mallika Pukhraj - ‘Lo phir basant aayi’ (Spring is here again). The lyrics describe the beauty of nature in the spring and the rendition was impressive, with all the ups and downs of the music. The next composition was a dadra, ‘Kije gaman bhavan mein Vrishubhanu ki dulari’ (Radha is being requested to arrive amid the blooms of the spring). Following these was a thumri in raag Kafi, ‘Mope aiso rang jheena daro’ (throw only a little colour on me). Vidya certainly has the style to capture the hearts of the audience. This was followed by ‘Phir kabahu na hoye maili chunariya’, where the poet asks to be drenched in colours that never fade, implying the colours of bhakti. Finally, Vidya sang a chaiti with the exuberance of the Holi spirit, ‘Rangi saari gulabi chunariya re, mohe maare najariya sanwariya re’ (My lover is looking at me with love, having coloured my clothes red), wrapping up the evening with ‘Aaj biraj mein Hori re rasiya’ (It’s Holi in Vrindavan today). The audience really experienced the naughtiness and fun that is associated with the festival of Holi.
Next, the Kathak Kendra presented a production titled ‘Hori dhoom machori’ (it’s the celebration of Holi). Kathak Kendra is the National Institute of Kathak Dance dedicated to promoting the practice, development and awareness of Kathak. Sushmita Ghosh is the present director of Kathak Kendra, New Delhi. The original choreography is by Pt Birju Maharaj and now the production is being restaged by the disciples of Pt Jaikishan Maharaj. The songs and compositions are originally by Bindadin Maharaj and Kavi Ratnakar. The music composition is by Pt Birju Maharaj. The narrative starts with Vrindavan, where Holi is being played by sakhas and sakhis. Radha is dressing up in her palace as she waits to play Holi. As Krishna does not appear, she is disappointed. ‘Phoolan mein, beli mein, ali mein, pik mein’ (in the flowers, vines, in the bumblebees and the cuckoos), she is looking for her beloved everywhere and in everything. Krishna, on the other hand, is caught by the sakhis and with his hands tied up, is dressed as a woman with odhni and ornaments. Radha is initially annoyed to see him like that, but finally is appeased - ‘Dekho Hori ke khilaiya kaise ban aaye’ (He who plays Holi, look at how he’s looking now). This was followed by dynamic group dances with drums called daph, dandiya, and finally, playing Holi with flowers and colors. The group choreographies were well rendered. Pandit Jaikishan Maharaj said that the dancers understand his language of dance and successfully present what he is trying to teach them. His son was dancing the part of Krishna in the production. The fun in the choreography came through in the pace of the dance. The frolic of the festival was presented by making boys dress up as girls and introducing one weird character with funny attributes, in the true tradition of raas in Vrindavan. There were a few glimpses of the lath-maar holi of Barsana. And yet, the technique of Kathak was maintained in the choreography. The performance featured senior students and graduates of Kathak Kendra. The fine team of musicians included Akhilesh Bhat and Rahul Vishwakarma (tabla), Vijay Sharma (sitar), Ghanshyam (sarangi), Vinay Prasanna (flute), Bhimsen (pakhawaj), Subhash (nagara), Mukesh Behari Sharma (sarod), Brajesh Mishra, Shampa, Priyamvada and Karuna (vocals). Shveta Arora is a blogger based in Delhi. She writes about cultural events in the capital. |
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