Sawai Gandharva Music Festival - Day 2

Day 2 : 10th December 2010. 4 PM

Uma Garg Classical Vocalist and distinguished scholar Vidushi Uma Garg was born into a Bengali family of musicians. She was trained under her mother, Late. Smt. Asha Lata Das, Late. Sri S.D. Apte, Late. Dr. P.P. Johri and Late.Ustad Hafeez Ahmed Khan of Rampur Sahaswan Gharana. Along with Khayal Gayaki, her versatility encompasses Classical Music, Thumri, Dadra, Sufi, Ghazal, Geet, Bhajans and playback singing. Uma is the recipient of numerous awards such as Pt. Nikhil Banerjee Award 2010, Best Devotional Singer Award, Shobhana Award, National Award and Sangeet Samay Sar Puraskar - Bhakti Sangeet Shiromani, to name a few.

Sawani Shende Sawani was amidst rich musical notes, right from childhood. She had her father Pandit Sanjeev Shende and grandmother Smt. Kusum Shende of the Kirana Gharana as her gurus. She perfectd an array of Ragas, Taan patterns and Taranas under the guidance of Dr. Smt. Veena Sahastrabuddhe, a noted classical vocalist from Gwalior Gharana. Her rendition of semi-classical genres highlights the emotive and expressive quality of Indian classical music. Sawani's confidence and mastery in Khayals, her crystal clear diction and sensitivity in presentation takes her performance to a high aesthetic level.

Vishwa Mohan Bhatt & U. Shrinivasan Creator of the Mohan Veena and the winner of the Grammy Award, Vishwa Mohan Bhatt has mesmerized the world with his pristine, delicate yet fiery music. The disciple of Pt. Ravi Shankar, Vishwa Mohan belongs to the tradition of Moughal emperor Akbar's court musician TANSEN and his guru the Hindu Mystic Swami Haridas. Vishwa Mohan has successfully Indianization of the Western Hawaiian guitar with his perfect assimilation of sitar, sarod & veena techniques. He has performed in USA, USSR, Canada, Great Britain, Germany, Europe, Dubai, Al-Sharjah, Bahrain, Muscat, Abu Dhabi etc. and throughout India.

Ustad. Shrinivasan A Maestro means one who combines unique musicianship and immense virtuosity. Master U.Shrinivas has proved that he fulfils this to the hilt. A rather inconspicuous member of the western orchestra, Shrinivas has revived and raised the mandolin, an unknown instrument and given it a respectable status in classical music. His music acumen has assumed many dimensions. He glides over the gamut with ease traversing 4 octaves with subtle deflections and suave certainty. Every phrase, every design falls into place in the octaval build up of the raga. He can evolve and execute the most intricate fraction-ridden swara combinations that would keep any accompanist on edge. Shrinivas has grown into a colossus with only sky as the limit. " The magnificent music that emanates from the mandolin of young Shrinivas has the freshness and spontaneity of a mountain brook. The kalpanaswaras are like cascading waterfalls and the alaps a serene, majestic river flowing through the plains. His fingers caress and cajole original and remarkable proyogas of Carnatic music from this western instrument" Nobody in recent times has achieved charisma in as quick a time as Shrinivas has done. He is a musical phenomenon to whom perfection of tone and execution come as spontaneously as the free and unfettered flow of his ideas.

Pandit Jasraj Jasraj was born in Hissar, Haryana in an orthodox brahmin family to Pandit Motiramji, a classical exponent.His family is well known for singing in the Mewati Gharana style. Motiramji died when Jasrajji was only four, on the day he was to be appointed as the state musician in the court of the Last Nizam. Jasraj was initiated into vocal music by his father. He also received training from his elder brother, Pandit Maniramji, and later from Maharaja Jaywant Singhji Waghela. He was also greatly influenced by the voice of the famous ghazal singer, Begum Akhtar, whom he used to listen to, skipping school, at a small hotel that played her songs all day. This inspired him to learn vocal music. Jasraj's vocal range extends across three-and-a-half octaves. His vocalizing is in perfect diction and clarity, a trademark of the Mewati Gharana's style of Khayal. He has also done extensive research in Haveli Sangeet. His greatest contribution to Indian classical music is his conception of a unique and novel jugalbandi, styled on the ancient system of Moorchanas, between a male and a female vocalist, each singing in their respective scales and different ragas at the same time.In his honor, this legendary jugalbandi is known as The Jasrangi.