Chandigarh, February 20 : Pracheen Kala Kendra honoured Santoor maestro Pandit Bhajan Sopori and Kathak exponent Guru Shovana Narayan with the 9th Guru Madan Lal Koser–Guru Shobha Koser award for their lifetime contribution in promoting classical music and dance. The award carrying Rs 51,000 each, a memento, a shawl and a citation, was conferred upon them here today at a glittering function held at Tagore Theatre. Chief Guest Shri Jagannath Pahadia, Governor of Haryana conferred the award on both the exponents.
The award ceremony was followed with performances of Santoor and Kathak by the honoured artists Bhajan Sopori and Shovana Narayan. Santoor maestro Pandit Bhajan Sopori comes from a family of musicians and Santoor is what he inherited from his predecessors. A globe-trotting artiste, Pandit Sopori has advanced his technique of playing where he skillfully brings about a synthesis of the various phrases of vocal and instrumental music. His presentation is lyrical and aesthetic.
Shovana Narayan is one of the foremost dancers in the annals of dance today and a name synonymous with Kathak, giving it new dimensions. She is an embodiment of the great artistic and social traditions of India. A visionary artiste, she has amalgamated the best of both the worlds, the past and the present.
The programme got off to a melodic start with Bhajan Sopori’s Santoor recital. Belonging to the Sufiana Gharana of Kashmir, he mesmerized the audience while presenting various nuances of Sopori baaz (style) and their traditional gharana. Sopori’s music possesses a rare dynamic vitality, with a highly developed aesthetic sense and an impressive command of rhythmic syncopation that touches the soul.
He began his concert with a detailed alaap, jod Raag Gavati and followed this up with Raga Champakali in which he played two compositions. The sounds of the Santoor were suave and soothing, and his treatment resplendent of being a class apart from other exponents. He was accompanied by noted Ajrara gharana exponent Akram Khan on Tabla while Dr. Varsha Agrawal provided accompaniment on Santoor and on Sur Santoor was Roshan Ali.
The next performer of the evening was Shovana Narayan whose genius was revealed throughout her recital. She presented her enthralling and spell binding display of Kathak with her graceful movements and perfect co-ordination with the accompanists which drew repeated applause from the audience.
She opened her recital with an invocatory piece “Mahadev Stuti” followed by pure Kathak dance sequences like thaat, aamad, paran, chakradar paran, kavitta, in teen taal. Shovana represented youthful spirit of Kathak and her pure dance had the velocity of a cavalier charging ahead and the finesse of an artist executing minute filigree work. In the thaats and parans, her footwork had both speed and subtle, a rare combination indeed.
Shovana then moved to present her concluding piece “Kohem” based on different facets of life of a woman.
She was accompanied by finest team of artists namely Shakeel Ahmed (Tabla), Vijay Sharma (Sitar), Madho Prasad (Vocal) and Nitin Jain (Light effects).