For a Hindustani classical singer performing for Barkha Ritu in Hyderabad, the excitement of live performance is irreplaceable
For a Hindustani classical singer performing for Barkha Ritu in Hyderabad, the excitement of live performance is irreplaceable
Hyderabad pleases Manjusha Patil as the ‘city is full of ‘cansens’ (people with an ear for good music). “Artists can present concerts anywhere but we need ‘consensus’ to appreciate it. Hyderabad certainly has such connoisseurs of classical music,” says the Hindustani classical singer.
All set to perform for the Barkha Ritu concert series, Manjusha is excited to be back in the city after seven years. Since the concert series is based on monsoon, compositions in Malhar, Kajri and some other ragas dedicated to ‘Sawan’ will feature prominently in their performances. He will be accompanied by Suyog Kundalkar on Harmonium and Prashant Pandav on Tabla.
festival of monsoon
Manjusha Patil during an earlier concert. photo credit: special arrangement
While the monsoon infuses romance and joy, it has also created havoc and misery in recent times. On a lighter note, Manjusha hopes that Barkha Ritu will make people fall in love with monsoon and its tunes and usher in a blissful winter season.
A resident of Pune, Sangeet Natak Akademi recipient, Manjusha founded a gurukul called Sangeetacharya DV Kanebua Pratishthan in her hometown of Sangli in 2014, as a tribute to Sangli and her mentor DV Kane (popularly known as Ken Bua). Praising Gurukul learning as the best system to focus on learning classical music, she says, “Gurukul learning in the Indian classical system promotes, celebrates and carries forward the Guru-Shishya tradition. One-on-one conversations are difficult in a music institution. And for a career in music, of any genre, singers must have a foundation in classical music which is possible through the Gurukul system. ,
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Manjusha Patil | photo credit: special arrangement
Manjusha only performed a virtual concert during the pandemic and the ensuing lockdown. That concert was for a dance festival organized by Ratikanta Mohapatra as a tribute to his father, the famous Odissi dancer Kelucharan Mohapatra. “I could never say no to Guru Kelucharan, so I actually performed,” she adds. The zeal to perform live is irreplaceable for him. “We want to see the joy in the eyes of the audience and hear their ‘wow’ during a live performance. In virtual performances, this experience is limited to comments on social media, which is not the same.”
Barkha Ritu presents Barkha Ritu featuring a Hindustani singing concert by Manjusha Patil on October 1 at 7 PM at Taramati Baradari; Ticket: ₹300 on Bookmyshow.com