Bhubaneswar: Bhubaneswar Music Circle on July 21 hosted an engaging musical evening at Rabindra Mandap in Bhubaneswar.
As Kaustuv Swain, a young but talented Tabla player, came onto the stage, the music lovers had already ensconced themselves in their respective seats, prepared to get swayed.
Swain started off with Teen Taal and followed it up with peshkar, quida, raila and wrapped it up with bandishes.
Akash Ranjib Biswal on the Harmonium lent a good support to him.
Swain, who born in a musical family with his father Guru Jitendra Kumar Swain, a Tabla player and mother, Mandakini Swain, a classical singer, gave his first solo Tabla recital at the age of eleven, before an elite audience in West Indies.
A CCRT scholarship holder, Swain has performed across the nation and in several parts of the United States including Washington DC, Florida, New York and Virginia.
He is currently honing his skill under the tutelage of Pt. Suresh Talwalkar.
The second half of the evening witnessed an engrossing Hindustani Vocal recital by Shiv Prasad Rao, son and disciple of Pt Maheshwar Rao.
He commenced his presentation with Raga ‘Shree’, and went on presenting ‘Bhoop’, ‘Nat Kamad’ and ‘Meera Malhar’.
With his excellent execution of the Ragas, he instantly endeared himself to the audience, who sat through the programme.
Jitendra Swain, Akash Ranjib Biswal and Banalata Samal & Subhrasmita Routray accompanied him on the Tabla, Mardal and Sitar respectively.
Born and brought up in Cuttack, Rao’s is a music loving family. Initially, Rao received training in Tabla. Later his father Pt Maheshwar Rao, a Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee, started giving him training in Gwalior parampara. Later, he underwent rigours training under the very watchful eyes of Pt. Vikas Kashalkar of Pune, who is a stalwart of Gwalior, Jaipur and Agra ghatanaa.
Rao, a Sangeet Visharad and Sangeet Alankar from Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya Mandal, Rao has performed in several concerts like Sangeet Vikas Sabha in Pune, Swar Yadnya in memories of Pt Gajananrao Joshi at India Habitat Centre in Delhi, Naad Ninad in Cuttack, to name a few..
He is also a graded artist of Akashvani, Delhi and an Empanelled artiste of ICCR. Some of the awards he received are ‘Sangeet Saadhak’ by Navodit Kalakar Samiti, Delhi; ‘Sangeet Ratna’ award by SAM and ‘Guru Ravi Jain’ award by Kala Kunj, Delhi.
I wish both the artistes reach the pinnacle in their choosen path.
By kalasanskruti.
