By Kavita A Chhibber and Ajit Acharya
Music is the biggest healer.
On Saturday, May 3rd Ajit and I headed to MIT in Cambridge to watch four stellar artists perform Indian classical music – a bansuri (bamboo flute) duet between two dynamic performers of the Carnatic and Hindustani traditions along with rhythmic accompaniment from their respective traditions.
We were excited to see Rakesh Chaurasia ji and Shashank Subramanyam Ji on bamboo flute (bansuri), accompanied by percussionists Parupalli Phalgun ji on mridangam and Anubrata Chatterjee on tabla.
The concert was held under the auspices of MITHAS at the Edward and Joyce Linde Music Building, one of MIT’s newest buildings. The Thomas Tull Concert Hall, where the concert took place, was completed in 2024 and provided state-of-the-art acoustics and seating for about 400 with seats arranged in 360-degrees around the stage.
The program began with Shashank ji and Parupalli ji playing a rare South Indian raga. Trained by father Subramanyam and legendary vocalists Palghat K.V. Narayanaswami and Pandit Jasraj in Hindustani music, Shashank is considered one of the foremost bamboo flute artists in the world.
A breathtaking alap by Shashank ji was followed by an elegant composition in the 3 beat Carnatic tala (rhythm cycle) of Roopaka tala. Both artists were in beautiful synchrony throughout, enthralling the audience as they explored complex rhythmic and melodic patterns.
Following their segment, Rakesh Chaurasia took the stage with Anubrata Chatterjee to play the Hindustani segment. Rakesh ji, the most accomplished disciple of his legendary uncle Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, announced he would play Raga Kirwani (adapted from the South Indian raga tradition into the Hindustani system). Beginning with a lovely alap and jor, Rakesh ji dazzled with measured breath work, each note evoking the natural romantic and devotional moods of the Raga.
He chose to play a composition in the 9-beat Matta taal with Anubrata ji providing sensitive tabla accompaniment throughout. Again, the two performers provided moments of dynamic interplay between them. Anubrata ji had ample opportunities to display his rhythmic brilliance in this unusual time cycle.
It was nice to see both Shashank ji and Parupalli ji seated in the audience appreciating their performance. When Kirwani ended, it was finally time to see all four performers onstage simultaneously. They would explore Raga Hemavati with a long Ragam, Tanam and Pallavi. The unaccompanied Ragam and Tanam began slowly with both Rakesh ji and Shashank ji trading improvisations. They were stellar in their individual segments, but equally generous in giving each other space and encouragement. There were moments of levity provided by all the maestros as they took turns appreciating one each other. The genuine comradery was palpable.
The composition elevated the performance to another level with the addition of the tabla and mridangam. Anubrata ji and Parupalli ji would trade accompaniment in the Carnatic 8 beat rhythmic cycle of Adi Talam (the 16 beat teental played by Anubrata provided the Hindustani equivalent). The maestros provided a whirlwind of improvisations, with both flautists alternating between melodic brilliance and rhythmic play. Rakesh ji held a note for what seemed like eternity while the audience held their breaths. Shashank ji’s fingers fluttered over the holes on his flute, notes emerging in rapid succession.
The interplay between the artists during this segment conveyed deep respect and understanding for one another. It was simply superb musicianship of the highest caliber. Near the end of the piece, both Rakesh ji and Shashank ji put their instruments down to allow the percussionists to engage in a rhythmic dialogue. The short duet between Anubrata ji and Parupalli was exciting and dynamic. When the drummers finished their segment, Rakesh ji and Shashank ji joined back in to end Hemavati with a rousing flourish, which was heartily appreciated by all in the auditorium.
The artists concluded the recital with a short piece in Raga Hansadhwani. It was a joyful, spirited conclusion to an absolutely enthralling evening of music. Ajit and I quickly ran down to greet the artists before they disappeared backstage. They were all gracious and warm. We saw Anubrata perform just a few short weeks back at the LearnQuest festival with his father the great Pandit Anindo Chatterjee, and also accompanying Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and his sons Amaan and Ayaan Bangash. We hope this signals more visits to the Boston area for him and the rest of the artists.
On an interesting note: I met Shashank Ji over two decades ago when he was performing with Pandit Jasraj Ji and Ustad Shahid Parvez Ji. I could not believe that not only did he recognize me, he actually even mentioned meeting me in Atlanta. That day over 20 years ago he played Raga Hansadhwani and this concert ended with the artists performing the same Raga.