This 22nd of December, Assam Association
celebrated the 150th birth anniversary of Laxminath Bezboroa. The
event took place at the renowned Siri Fort Auditorium. I am not much of a music
lover myself. However, I decided to go ahead with the show for lack of anything
better to do.
The event started off with a chorus “Aami Asomiya Nohou Dukhiya”
a composition by Beboroa. A common refrain throughout the programme was remembering
the contributions of this illustrious son of the state, who explored almost
every possible form of writing and gave Assamese language a new identity. Apart
from that, the pertinent question was how we can keep alive the language with
the newer generations, especially with those kids who live away from their
motherland.
Quite interestingly, the line up of the function consisted
of the second generation of artists. The first being, Amaan Ali Khan and Ayaan
Ali Khan, both sons of Amjad Ali Khan and Subhalaxmi Khan. Mrs. Khan, a
classical danseuse happens to belong to Assam. And the second being, Angarag
Mahanta with his band East India Company. Angarag is the son of popular Assamese
singer Khagen Mahanta. While both the Khan brothers and Papon have an association
with Assam, the similarity ends there. The music they represent and their
presentation were poles apart.
Spiritual Conquest
It was heartening to see the audience maintain a pin drop
silence throughout the performance of Amaan and Ayan. While Amaan came across
as a serious and disciplined performer and Ayaan was more on the flamboyant
side. The jugalbandi that both of
them created along with their companions was amazing.
It’s only when you watch a classical performance you
realize, the amount patience and riyaas
that goes into a recital. I deeply regretted the fact that my understanding of
classical music was so limited. I am a trained Bharatnatyam dancer myself.
However, I still do not understand the ragas
well.
After a point of time, my ignorance got the better of me and
I found the music repetitive. I cursed myself silently for not being able to
enjoy true talent. I could only appreciate the highs and lows of it. Sadly, my
opinion was also the opinion of my friends present in the hall. Despite that
the audience maintained perfect decorum throughout their performance.
The performance continued non-stop for about an hour. It
would not be wrong to say that we were transported to a different spiritual
level altogether. Needless to say, that it ended with a thunderous standing
ovation.
Power of Rock
The next performance was that of Angarag and his band. The
crowd welcomed him with loud cheers. Angarag is consummate performer, his body
language confident, his voice captivating. From the moment he appeared on the
stage till the time the show ended, no one looked anywhere else. He belted out
his popular numbers from his albums, Coke Studio and some Bollywood songs. He
handled every cat cry every demand comfortably. And when a young fan declared
her love for him he replied with great panache that he loved her too.
Before long, he had every one on their feet and the ‘sitting comfortably auditorium’ became something
close to a rock concert.
Two Worlds in One Universe
In the aftermath of the show, it wouldn’t be wrong to say
that his rocking performance which had everyone on their feet overshadowed the
standing ovation that the Khan brothers received. It brings to forefront an
important question, how we as an audience should appreciate art? Do we know how
to take our culture forward?
In this regard, Papon aptly said that we have to present our
culture to the younger generation in a way that is not imposing. His songs, his
music truly reflects his thoughts. Be it Boitha
Maaro or his version of acoustic folk Bihu, it all spells his belief.
And yet, we cannot underestimate the magic of something
pure. Perhaps, the best way to judge them is to understand that they represent
two different worlds. One has the remarkable power to instill a rare stillness
in the otherwise restless audience, and the other has the magic to get everyone
up on their feet. While there is place for the popular there is also place for
the classical. And in tandem, they become a whole that is our culture.
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