Sitar-shehnai jugalbandhi enthralls Palakkad crowds

The Rapadi open air auditorium here came alive on Monday evening as two leading maestros of Hindustani music delivered a spellbinding jugalbandhi, marking the ninth day of performances at the ongoing Swaralaya Samanwayam dance and music festival.

Shehnai maestro Pandit Shailesh Bhagwat and sitar exponent Ustad Rafeeque Khan joined forces on the Swaralaya platform, enchanting listeners with the lyrical interplay of their instruments.

Though rooted in different traditions of sound (wind and string), the artistes achieved effortless harmony.

“It is not a challenge at all. It is always a joy to perform together, to support and complement one another,” they said during a pre-show interaction with the media.

They opened with an alaap in Raga Yaman before moving on to a selection of night ragas. A key disciple of the legendary Ustad Bismillah Khan, Mr. Bhagwat coaxed controlled, mellow tones from his shehnai, beautifully complemented by the nimble sitar work of Ustad Rafeeque Khan.

“Shehnai can be a loud instrument. We need to exercise restraint during a jugalbandhi,” Mr. Bhagwat said.

The jugalbandhi was followed by a Sufi Qawwali rendition by Ustad Ashraf Hydros, Dr. Sumit Datta and team.

Earlier, playback singer Satheesh Babu Kozhikode was given the Swaralaya Vijaya Jayaraj Award.

Karivallur Murali gave away the award. Palakkad Municipal Chairperson P. Smithesh presented the Swaralaya mudra.