Gunidas Sangeet Sammelan 2004…

An old post...just for the record (dated: 02-Dec-2004) [will adjust the date later]

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Venue: Shri Chandrasekara Shanmukananda Auditorium, King's Circle, Mumbai
Dates: 2nd Dec 2004 to 4th Dec 2004

Day 1:

• The concert started 0.5 hour behind schedule and Satish Vyas apologised, but quickly stated that the delay was on purpose to allow adrent music lovers caught in the jam on a working day to make it. Ustad Shafat Ahmed Khan, accompanying on the tabla, was as usual mesmerizing.
• Pt. Bhimsen Joshi started off with Yaman Kalyan and it seemed as though he had regained his original voice (even at the age of 82 years).
• After the first piece, Pt. Bhimsen Joshi sang the Marathi Abhang “Teertha Vitthal, Kshetra Vitthal". Then, he stopped and said that he had been told to stop at 10:15 p.m. and he had finished on the dot. However, Satish Vyas and others in the audience pleaded with him to go on. There was a brief argument between Satish Vyas and the Hall officials. Joshiji told them “Do not fight. If you want to fight, fight musically.” That had the audience laughing.
• There seemed to be a lot of Bengalis in the audience. This could be due to the fact that Pt. Ravi Shankar has a performance on the last day.
• All in all, a good and satisfying day 1.

Day 2:

• Day 2 began as per schedule at 18:30. Shubha Mudgal’s performance was quite impressive.
• Next, Vishwa Mohan Bhatt mesmerized both Indians and foreigners with his “Mohan Veena", a modified form of guitar. He presented Raga Maru Bihaag. He ended with a “lori” (lullaby) composed by him and specially “dedicated to all the mothers and women in the world".
• Ustaad Rashid Khan rendered Raga Malkuans. But, I left before the last piece as it was already 22:45 - time for probably the last bus from Wadala to Versova (255 Ltd).

Day 3:

• Day 3 was Pt. Ravi Shankar all the way. He easily showed why he is called the “Godfather of Indian music".
• His daughter, Anoushka and wife, Sukanya were in the audience.
• After an intermission, he released an album of pieces by the late Pt. C. R. Vyas. He recalled his early days in Mumbai and the “khedas” in Maharahstra…of how he stayed in Kolhapur and ate at local restuarants sitting on the floor and drinking “taak". He remarked how Marathi people were the “tops” when it comes to admiring vocal music, but how “his Kolkatta” is the tops in admiring instrumental music.

All in all, full paisa vasool.