A Hubballi star, of Kirana Gharana

Concert takeaway

The option of Raga Puriya Dhanashri for evening concerts is a sell-out, particularly if the exposition garnered is in the style of Kirana Gharana.

Jayateerth Mevundi, a promising talent in this gharana, never fails to make his mark with this raga choice. His tonal resonance makes even the kharaj notes sound mellifluous and musical. His vilambit number, though set to a slow pace, has audiences sitting up.

The short phrases that subdivide the lyric into combinations of the raga’s notes, make every moment of his singing a musical discovery. Then comes the icing on the cake in the form of taan patterns, which travel across the octaves in sheer liquidity. The khatkas and the murkis are jewelled adornments that embellish the musical mood, followed by swiveling musical twists that give his singing their signature character.

While still the notes keep rippling down the scale, one cannot help but notice his choice of lyrics for his concerts. For audiences in the capital, across all age groups, and where music is an after-office schedule for most listeners, this artiste strikes the right tone with a choice of number elucidating the shringar rasa, particularly in the latter segment of the concert.

Also, the numbers have been rendered on stage by great maestros and thus have the patina of age and singing prowess attached to them.

Choosing artistes from a younger generation (like Jayateerth Mevundi) invariably leads to comparison with the old-timers.

Fortunately, even in this context, Jayateerth Mevundi has never failed to live up to audience’s expectations.

This artiste is a soloist and presents his concerts as a singular unassisted performer. Thus, one can relish his musical mappings unconditionally. Also, the choice of accompanists on the tabla are in sync with his singing style.

He strikes a middle path of melodious tabla accompaniment where the tabla beats contribute harmoniously to the singing.

In the final litmus test of his music, one can recall the sensational events of his maiden appearance at the Sawai Gandharv platform, where his 40-minute slot of performance time was stretched due to the audience demand, and his Raga Bahar performance has lived on in concert goers’ memory as a keepsake of Indian musical excellence from a young performer.

A disciple of Shripati Padegar, who in turn is a disciple of the late Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, this artiste has shown that tradition is enriched not by a slavish following, but by an astute understanding of the tradition, so that it can be infused with individual inputs.