Ibtida – An incident of a gathering. Photo credit: Lakshya Sachdeva
‘If music be love’s food, play it’, Shakespeare’s words echo in my mind as I cross-legged under a starry sky. The quaint ceiling is dimly lit with twinkling candles and the walls are scented with the heady scent of night jasmine. On a small stage in front are three musicians: one performing soulful renditions of evergreen ghazals, the others playing tabla and sarangi; There are a handful of music lovers around me – some humming, some teary eyed, some lost in the verses and the vocals.
a precondition meeting The music of Hindustani music is not how Delhi usually spends its winter evenings, but this season is different. Intimate musical gatherings are making a comeback and social calendars are dotted with traditional Indian concerts. Not just Delhi, cities across the country are now hosting such performances – with old-world decor, traditional set-up and discerning audiences. There is a small community of people driving this culture who have taken the initiative to bring back the music the meetings Previous.
“musical the meetings We had mangoes at our house in Delhi as my mother is a trained Hindustani singer; Over the years, however, whenever I wanted to attend one, I could not find anything like it anywhere,” says marketing professional Tanvi Bhatia, who decided to co-found Ibtida-Ek Mehfil. With partner Anubhav Jain in 2019 With the sole aim of reviving the culture of Sangeet Sabhas.
Ibtida – a concert evening
Not far away in Lucknow, Abhishek Sharma, a software engineer who returned to the city after a decade of working in Pune, had a similar view. “There was a certain weariness among people after the lockdown and I felt music could help relive it,” explains Abhishek. “I have seen many the meetings In Pune and was shocked that in Lucknow the culture had died. And so, he and his friends started organizing musical evenings at their homes under the Trisama Kala banner. “Initially there were few takers but slowly people opened up; Now we see a great presence,” says Abhishek, who organized a recital in October 2022 by renowned Rudra Veena maestro Carsten Wick, who performed in the city after a gap of 30 years. Stay away to hear him at the event People used to come from far away to Kanpur.
A new platform for artists
While it has a fair share of popular artists performing the meetings – Artists like Kavita Seth and Harshdeep Kaur have recently performed with Ibtida-Ek Mehfil – Most of the organizers are keen to support young and budding talents who need encouragement. It helps that these formats are far more personal than large public performances and allow performers and audiences to communicate. “one in meeting The format makes it possible for the audience and the artistes to talk to each other,” explains Anubhav, who often witnesses moving interactions between the audience and the artistes during and after the show. “It’s encouraging to see Conversationreal conversations, happening between our guests and the cast – that’s the essence of a real meeting And we are glad that we have been able to achieve that.”
Nischal Zaveri | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Other organizers feel the same way. “There are artistes who don’t have any support, and we want to give them a chance,” says Rajeev Sethi, who is known in Mumbai for his music the meetings, Over the years, Rajeev has not only facilitated performances by young artistes but has also given them an opportunity to interact with seasoned connoisseurs of music and hone their skills. “We are very happy that many of our actors are now big names in the industry,” quipped Rajeev. Meanwhile in Lucknow, Abhishek has started a culture of open mic which never existed for classical singers. “We want to give singers and listeners an opportunity to learn from each other; Be it watching the tanpura being strummed, or singing for a live audience, or watching a musician play,” he says.
audience development
While Abhishek’s shows are open to all, Anubhav and Tanvi curate the guest list very carefully to ensure the audience is in their place. mehfils Even if not Hindustani music, he is interested in any art form. “We want our events to be intimate and for our guests to communicate with each other; Having a common love for the arts helps build that connection.” This may sound like gatekeeping to some, but both believe it is essential to maintaining one’s soul. the meetings Akhand. Selecting an audience is easy for Rajeev. organized the meetings For a few years now, he has had a fair idea of who appreciates art. “I have a database of music lovers and I invite my guests based on the format they prefer.” a larger meeting either partyOf course, there is more room for a diverse audience and every organizer is open to open audiences at their ticketed events.
Ibtida – an event of a party
what the future holds
musically it is appropriate to gauge the meetings A passing trend or a new cultural dimension that is here to stay. Tanvi, who plans to take Ibtida-Ek Mehfil to cities like London and Dubai, apart from Lucknow, Hyderabad and Kolkata, feels, “There is a huge community out there waiting to create a tradition of conversation around music.” Used to be.” With experience, she is also working to revive traditional dance recitals and make them a part of her repertoire. “We need more youth to try and listen to all forms of Indian music. Even if the understanding is nil, it will help carry the legacy forward,” says Rajeev, who organized a performance based on pure classical ragas in December 2022, which was attended by over 150 people And planning more like this. “In Lucknow, people have now started looking ahead the meetingsand our latest one has done very well,” Abhishek said. “Even though some people continue to patronize us, the culture will not only sustain but grow in times to come, and that’s great,” he says.