Avanti Patel & Rutuja Lad/ O Gaanewali Session 2

 

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR

Avanti Patel & Rutuja Lad/ O Gaanewali Session 2

Genre: Thumri

Label: Self-released 

Rating: *****

The O Gaanewali series, featuring singers Avanti Patel and Rutuja Lad, has been popular on the live circuit, with various shows pan-India. The duo has also recorded songs under that title, and the Session 2 EP is just out.

The series, conceptualised by Avanti (on left in top pic), pays tribute to women performers of light classical genres. In this EP, the emphasis is on thumri, dadra and allied forms. The recording has been done on Neumann KU 100 binaural microphones, with the veteran KJ Singh helming the sound. This gives the listener a 180-degree immersive experience.

The record begins with the Rajasthani maand 'Badila', which explores the theme of love. Next comes 'Bedardi', a thumri popularised by the legendary Shobha Gurtu, with Avanti singing, "Bedardi ban gaye more saiyyan, koi jaao manaao more saiyyan".

This is followed by 'Kare Meha', composed by the singers' guru Ashwini Bhide-Deshpande. Beginning with the lines "Kahe meha barasat naahin", the duet reflects the feeling of longing for the beloved.

A similar theme is expressed by Rutuja on the outstanding 'Beriya' (time). "Ho gayi beriya piya ke awan ke, laagi bayariya piya ke awan ke, darwajwa pe thaadi rahoon mori guiyyan", she sings, to the accompaniment of a marvellous sarangi. The final piece 'Radha Rani' comprises a medley of a kajri and hori, and one finds a strong dose of Uttar Pradeshi folk.

The singers are accompanied by a group of fabulous musicians. For this genre, the tabla plays a definitive role, and the build-up and 'laggi' portions are crucial. Akshay Jadhav's playing is marvellous.

Sandeep Mishra's sarangi provides the rustic element and Apoorv Nusrat's harmonium adds vibrancy. Ananya Wadkar's sitar embellishes some tracks. For just the right dash of modern flavour to the largely traditional arrangements, Joy Sengupta's acoustic guitar and Aditya Ahir's bass are ideal. Avanti's production and arrangements hold everything together in cohesion.

Each song is backed by a video showing a live performance. They have been created by Pencils and Frames, which uses a good balance between singers and musicians.

While five songs are available on the audio streaming EP, there is also a video of the famous ghazal 'Mere Humnafas Mere Humnava', written by Shakeel Badayuni and popularised by Begum Akhtar. It's a regular at the O Gaanewali concerts, though the video doesn't contain the famous "Mera azm itna buland hai" sher. But there's a small variation with the use of the Greek instrument bouzouki. 

While the EP provides an enriching journey into the world of thumri, and the songs grow on repeated listening, it is always advisable to catch one of their concerts, in case you haven't done yet. Besides the music, it's the entire performance, with explanations, stories and humour that add value and even make the shows accessible to those new to thumri or ghazal. And the best thing is that the traditional format is maintained without any unwanted gimmicks.




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