The second day of the Sawai Gandharva Bhimsen festival was packed on Thursday at the Maharashtra Mandal ground in Mukund Nagar. The program was organized by Arya Sangeet Prasarak Mandal.
The program began with a captivating vocal duet by Krishna Bongane and Nagesh Adgaonkar, disciples of late Ustad Rashid Khan. Their rendition of Raag Multani set the tone with smooth harmony and emotional depth. The duet slowly moved into the soulful thumri ‘yaad piya ki aaye’ and ended with the powerful Marathi abhanga ‘mi gato nachto anande’ of raga malkans, which was applauded by the audience with both hands.
After the duet, senior Carnatic singer Sangeeta Katti Kulkarni gave a solo vocal performance, showcasing her command over difficult ragas. She presented Raga Yamana with two bandis, which she delivered with extraordinary clarity and ended with Purandardasa’s bhajan leaving the audience in rapturous silence.
The musical highlight of the evening was an extraordinary sitar recital by Anupama Bhagwat, whose mastery of the instrument transported the audience to a world of musical bliss. His performance, starting with Raag Bihag and ending with the entry tune, was highly appreciated. One guest said, “His recital was very captivating; It was one of the highlights of the evening.”
Mayank Bedekar on drums, Niranjan Lele on harmonium and Ojas Adhia on sitar gave excellent performances. The synergy of such good friends added to the performance, enriching them.
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