'Pandit Mallikarjun Mansur: A Guided Listening Session' by Irfan Zuberi at IIC, Delhi on 20.12.2023
Вставка
- Опубліковано 25 сер 2024
- About the Talk
Pandit Mallikarjun Mansur (1910-92) was an eminent Indian classical vocalist, belonging to the Gwalior & Atrauli gharānās. Having learnt from Pandit Neelakanthabua Alurmath, Ustad Badruddin 'Manjhi' Khan & Ustad Shamsuddin 'Bhurji' Khan, he was able to craft a gāyakī that appealed to the cognoscenti as well as lay listeners. In this guided listening session, we get to hear a selection of his important recordings, from the historical, musical and aesthetic perspectives.
The talk was chaired by Shri Ashok Vajpeyi, a noted Hindi poet, essayist, literary-cultural critic, apart from being a cultural and arts administrator, and a former civil servant.
About the Speaker
Irfan Zuberi has been working in the domain of arts & cultural heritage for over two decades. Since its inception in 2014, he has headed the National Cultural Audiovisual Archives at Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts. Presently, Irfan is pursuing a doctorate at the University of Tübingen, Germany and is also working on a biography of Pandit Mallikarjun Mansur on a fellowship of the Raza Foundation, Delhi.
I'm from Dharwad, simple follower of MM, since childhood 1968 through radio, met him . Now I am 73 y, daily hearing Kafi Kanada, Sampoorna Malkunsa, Meghamalhar etc.
Thanks for sharing! For people from Dharwad, Mansur ji is a kind of a home celebrity whom they treasure and cherish so deeply. I was touched about this fact during each of my visits there over the last couple of years. 😊
He also sang a Nand that is probably one of the most profound renditions of any raaga. It's like someone has commented on that piece that it's a universe revolving in his voice
Yes, I agree! Like I said in the presentation - it's very very difficult to shortlist his iconic renditions. As far as Nand is concerned, it assumes even more importance because of what we hear about the Nand sung by Ustad Badruddin 'Manjhi' Khan sahib, who sang it for the first time at Harballabh Sangeet Sammelan and brought new currency and circulation for the raga... Mansur ji prided himself for having learnt the raga from Manjhi Khan sahib and there are indeed several recordings of him singing Nand which are marvellous! 🙂
Great great singer. Had an opportunity to listen to his live concert in Trivandrum long time back.
@@janardh1 Thanks for your comment!
It would be lovely if you can elaborate the memory of listening to his live recital - when it was, what he sang, what was the occasion, etc. - if possible. 😊
The occasion was Soorya festival in 1980s. Venue was senate hall of Kerala University. His family members , few daughters and grand children were present on the stage. In fact, one of the little child was crying and she was made to sit facing the opposite side of the mic so that the child music did not mix his with music. In the next days news paper, there was a photograph of the same . Title was back facing child music. Mallikarjun ji was not bothered about the child music. 😂. Unfortunately, I do not remember the raga he rendered on that day.
@@janardh1 Thank you sooooo much for describing the scene so vividly for us all! Hahahahaha... that does sound like it must've been quite a funny sight to see one of his grandchildren with the back facing the audience; it's quite incredible that nothing, just nothing disturbed Mansur ji's music-making! Incredible!!! 🙂
Mukhband taans (I'm currently listening to the Ramdasi Malhar) are part of his practice of allowing every sound in the bandish to carry melody. While his pronunciation was unclear from a semantic standpoint, it allowed for tremendous timbral variety. He stretches short vowels, expands diphthongs and triphthongs, and finds infinity in phonemes which most other singers elide.
What an interesting perspective, Warren ji! So, what one perceives him as missing out on pronunciation and enunciation of the words of the bandish, one gets it through an exploration of the "sound" of the words and their constituent vowels et al. 🙂
@@IrfanZuberi1980 There are many genres of song in which the text is obscured in an idiomatic way. In some cases it's the use of archaic or esoteric language (I learned some Ghanaian songs in what was called "old language, magic language"), in some cases it's through vocal techniques (a lot of rhythm & blues singers mumble and/or growl), in some it's by speed alteration (Tibetan liturgical chant with about one word a minute), and in some cases by segmenting text independently of word borders (Dhrupad bol-bant). Khyal checks all those boxes!
I think that lack of textual clarity in khyal is a feature, not a bug. Uncovering the Ur-text of a bandish can be very labor-intensive, and often competing versions cannot be reconciled. Given the extent to which this musical culture valorizes mnemonic virtuosity, it's reasonable to say that if the khyal idiom *wanted* clear and unambiguous texts, it would have gotten them.
As an aside, I really think you and I should have a conversation sometime.
@@WarrenSenders I do agree with you about umambiguous texts within Khayal per se... but it's also equally valid that a dialect like Braj Bhasha or Awadhi being transposed into Maharashtrian and Bengali and Karnataki contexts did pose another kind of a linguistic barrier that made it tougher for the texts to remain unchanged and precise across generations. In my interactions with musicians over the last 20 years or so, more than a several times has the topic of trying to unravel the text of the bandish and its meaning has come up, in all kinds of permutations and combinations.
And yes, it would be lovely to have a conversation. Is your email the one mentioned on your Blog? I'll reach out to you on it and we can set up an online meeting. 🙂
@warrensenders, I would love to be a fly on the wall when you converse 😊.
Mr. Zuberi has a deep understanding of Pandit Mallikarjun Mansoor ji and this discourse is really very enlightening. I hold Pandit Mallikarjun Mansoor ji in very high regard. There has never been a singer of his great talent and knowledge of Indian classical music. His style was unique.
Many thanks for your kind words of appreciation! I am glad you enjoyed listening to the presentation. Indeed, Mansur ji was truly unique and the music he created, ethereal. 🙂
Irfanji what can I say? This piece is like holding me and telling me lets meet your God, there are very few recordings of this master genius, and you have documented him and his recordings, a treasure to hold and a path to follow, obliged and indebted forever that's the only thing I can say.
@@maheshkoli8980 Wow! Thank you so much for these extremely kind words of appreciation. I am so glad that this guided listening session has been liked by connoisseurs. 😊🙏🏻
Koti koti pranam for this great presentation. I have been big fan of Mansurji and heard him live three times. Your research, passion and in-depth knowledge ko salaam. Can’t thank you enough. You have enriched me a lot. 🙏🙏🙏
Thank you so much for the appreciation and encouragement! 🙂
Wooow. Never heard of this bandish of Bahaduri todi. Usually it’s hey Mahadev. The circumstances around this rendition though left me with moist eyes.
Indeed, Jayanta ji! Often times, we aren't aware of the context these recordings were made in... that additional knowledge does make a lot of difference in the way we listen, doesn't it? 🙂
@@IrfanZuberi1980 indeed. Which is why this guided listening session is so precious. I’m on a binge on your channel. It’s a great service you are rendering to classical music by putting such content for us rasiks to absorb. Thank you.
@@jayantapanigrahi4920 Thanks for the encouragement. 🙂
Proud of you Irfan❤
Thanks Neerja! 🙂
Loved listening to Mr Irfan!
Dharwad is land of Hindustani classical- Shri Bhimse, SmtGangubai,Sri Basavaraj Rajguru Sri,Kumar Ghandava, MrsShobha Gurtu,now Sri Venkatesh etc, the list goes on frim North Karnataka,when Karnataka had its own Carnatic classical!
Mr Irfan,very lucid n sauvy presentation of a Maestro, who preferred singing music to fame!
He sang for his happiness which translated into audiences enjoying from South to North, East to West!
Thank you so much for your kind words of appreciation! 🙂
Dharwad is special for sure... so much more work needs to be done documenting its socio-cultural milieu that produced so many important cultural icons, across literature, theatre, and of course music!
If I may indulge my slightly parochial heart, I would say that there is something about this whole stretch starting from Gomantak to Dharwad that it has given us such absolute stalwarts. One wonders made this stretch of beautiful land so fertile to the arts.
(I have a theory involving coconut oil and seafood, but that's just me! 🙃😉)
@@RohanRajadhyaksha Hahahahahaha... that comment about coconut oil and seafood really made my chuckle! 🙂
The unique geographical position of the region, coupled with the vicinity to the Wodeyar dynasty of Mysuru certainly played a role... there was patronage to both Hindustani and Carnatic music in this region and that is singularly unique indeed!
Thank you so much for presenting this Irfan.. was an awesome awesome listening to Mallikarjun Mansur. I had read somewhere that Dharwad became the seat of Hindustani music because Abdul Karim Khan would rest up here before proceeding to Mysore palace during his travels
Thanks for the kind words of appreciation... glad you enjoyed the presentation. 🙂
The thing about Ustad Abdul Karim Khan sahib and Dharwad is of course true... but the Atrauli Ustads Naththan Khan and Abdullah Khan had already been playing an important role spreading Hindustani music in the region... it's a rich history that needs far more thorough research than has been done so far!
Hats off Sir thanks for the presentation definitely you deserve the doctorate and all the very best for your project
Thank you very much for the kind words of appreciation! 🙂
Thank you Sir 😊
My pleasure! Glad you listened. 😊
Thanks for this. I'm a lay person from Tamil Nadu but a great fan and admirer of Mallikarjun Mansur avl. His humility is obvious in his singing and in his concert recordins. As said, almost saintly.🙏🏽
There are very few musicians who lived like saints (as mentioned in the introduction) who did not pander to the crowd but sang for their own joy even if in a concert platform. Panditji, in the Carnatic genre - Voleti Venkateswarulu and MD Ramanathan. There is an anecdote of a concert of MDR in remote Kerala. The main musician and accompanists were about 7 or 8 on stage and the music hall had 5/6 in audience. MDR was unperturbed and sang for over 3 hours. He jokingly quipped that people on stage was more than the audience 😊
Those 5 or 6 must've been the jewels he wanted to sing for 🙏🏽
This was an absolute treat! Ashok Vajpayee’s anecdotes made it even better. Thanks so much @Irfan!
My pleasure! I'm glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
I missed this one , I remember the amazing session from you from Pune, this session was beautiful as well, your hard work , study and dedication towards this giant Hindustani classical musician is beyond words Irfan bhai, my pranam to Pt Mallikarjun Mansur,Shri Ashok Vajpayee and you , looking forward to attend all these sessions with you
Nandan Bhai, you were instrumental in the Pune presentation and have helped me out tremendously! Thank you so very much! 🙂
Very beautiful discourse on Pt. Mansur and apt selectjon of ragas! Just one comment - Pt. Panchakshari Swami Mattigatti was a great disciple of his, but not blind - later succumbed to blindness due to ill health as far as I know. My Guruji Pt. Nagaraja Rao Havaldar learnt from him also and told us many beautiful anecdotes about Pt. Mattigatti and Pt. Mansur.
Thank you for that correction. While I was in Bangalore, I had a long phone conversation with Pandit Nagaraja Rao Havaldar ji but we were unable to coordinate a meeting. Perhaps at some point of time, that would be fun to do and hear the stories he has about Pandit Panchakshariswami Mattigatti ji! 🙂
Sir..pt. Mattigatti was a professor at dharwad university..
The blind Panchakshari gawayiji is a swamiji and also the previous guru of mattigattiji..
Interesting thing is that both blind swamiji and mansur learnt gwalior gharana from same guru Neelakanta buwa ...
Beautiful narration on the life and music of the Great musician of our times Shri Mallikarjun mansur enjoyed listening very much Thankyou Irfanji nandini Deshpande Dharwad
Thank you so much Nandini ji! Given your family's close association with Mansur ji, I feel particularly delighted to receive these encouraging words of appreciation from you! 🙂
Loved the programme. Mansur-ji is my all time favourite. Enjoyed Irfan's talk and Vajpai-ji's poem. 🙏
Thank you! 🙂
What a beautiful presentation! I came upon Mansurji's singing quite by chance. I was about 12 then. Gaud malhar I think it was. I was instantly hooked. I had been listening to hindustani classical music records, thanks to a musically inclined family but I felt this was different. Something far more sublime. For years, till Music Today came out with some cassettes, there were only two or three LPS of his that I had heard. It's only now that I've been able to listen -many thanks to you as well - recordings of private and public performances.
Your presentation brought out the man and his art so beautifully! I wept when I heard that Bahaduri Todi. Ashokji's poem and his delightful anecdotes were so refreshingly joyous.
A thought that struck me was how fortunate I was, that I heard Mansurji when I did and loved him instantly. I think these things happen magically, and only if the moment is right. I've tried my level best to appreciate other forms of music -Jazz for instance- but it simply doesn't give me the joy that Hindustani classical music does. And I see others who just can't get Hindustani, despite their sincerest efforts.
I've been a big fan of your efforts to collect his recordings and now that I know you're writing a biography of him, I just can't wait to read it.
I so wanted to meet you when you were in Mumbai - at the IIT, I think - for a lec-dem but work, and Mumbai traffic, got in the way and I couldn't make it. Hopefully some day I will get to meet you and give you my heartfelt thanks in person. Till then, here's wishing you the very best
Thanks for a detailed response! 🙂
Yes, Mansur ji's music possesses a kind of a haunting quality which hooks you to it instantly and it stays on... and even grows!
I do hope that I am able to do justice to bring out aspects of the man, his music and his legacy in the biography but am certainly counting on the good wishes of connoisseurs and rasika-s like yourself to try and do my best!
Sorry to have missed meting you in Mumbai when I made a presentation at IIT but am sure our paths will cross sooner rather than later. 🙂
You have done an iconic job with an ICON. Pranaam
Thank you so much for the kind words of appreciation & encouragement! 😊
Great Effort about Pt Mallikarjun Mansur. Really Happy to listen it.
@@devupattar Thank you for your kind words of appreciation. 😊🙏🏻
Dharwad has given some all time greats - mansur sahab, pt. Bhimsen joshi, gangubhai hangal, raja guru ji, venkatesh kumar ji and many more. All of them r intense musicians and the music is divine and pure bliss. Have been listening for hours continuously for days their music and it remains fresh!
Agree completely! Unique socio-cultural and geographic factors have contributed to Dharwad's cultural significance... Vidya Kashi for a reason indeed! 🙂
A beautiful n honest depiction of greatest musician..kudos to you for presenting it... with deep appreciation of your work ...Thanks
Thank you for watching and for the kind words of appreciation. 🙂
Many thanks for this beautiful presentation on the great pandit Mansur ji.
Thank you for the appreciation! I am glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Heartfelt thanks for all the hard work that has gone in...your passion for this shows in the presentation, the research and all of it comes together so well..Looking forward to the book and many more such gems from you 🙏
Thank you so much for watching and for the kind words of appreciation! 🙂
I hope to be able to do justice to the biography... certainly need all the good wishes for that! 🙂
This is Gold. Thank you. We should have more such sessions and tours across the world. As one of the disciples of Panditjis student i feel truly blessed to have folks like you further socialize the craft. Koti pranam.
Thank you so much for the appreciation and encouragement! 🙂
May I ask whom have you learnt from?
@@IrfanZuberi1980Still trying and learning IrfanJi. As a Dharwadi i was fortunate to start with Ustad Bale Khan Saheb, Sri Sri Panchakshari Mattigatti Guruji and then from Sri Pandit Mrityunjaya Agadi Guruji. The journey is still getting no where due to my own shortcomings.
@@Creeptonic Thanks for sharing! Wish you all the very best in your musical journey. 🙂
@@IrfanZuberi1980Thank you IrfanJI and thank you for sharing your treasure with us all. I will stay tuned to your channel for more such precious gems.
Very interesting presentation kudos to Zuberi Sahib
Thank you for the appreciation! 😊
Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful exposition on Pt. Mansur's gayaki - very enjoyable and educational! While we have all heard these renditions from time to time, this nicely curated walkthrough highlighted niches of otherworldly beauty again. This, and the many other recordings that you have so graciously shared, marks you Sir as an apostle of this Giant among men! 😊
My best wishes for all your future work, and looking forward to the biography. 👍
Thank you so much for such kind words of appreciation. 🙂
I am so happy to know that this illustrated listening session helped contextualise some of Mansur ji's exceptional recordings... this was precisely my intent!
I do hope I am able to do justice to Mansur ji and his legacy in the biography! 🙂
Wonderful programme ! Thank you very much !
Thank you for watching! 🙂
irfan bhai thanks a lot.🙏🏻
My pleasure! 🙂
Your tribute to him and the discourse was as outstanding as his personality and singing
Thank you so much for the appreciation! 😊🙏🏻
Thank you Irfan sir, for the wonderful presentation!
I am blown away by the sheer amount of work undertaken by you for the UA-cam channel and hope to see Mansurji's biography soon.
Many thanks for the kind words of appreciation and encouragement! 🙂
The archival material I have been able to access and the interviews I have managed to undertake over the last couple of years would hopefully add to the richness of the biography... am working hard to finish the writing as soon as possible so we can then start reaching out to potential publishers.
आपका बहुत बहुत शुक्रिया, गुरूजी स्वयम खुद सामने है और वही सब हम सबसे बात कर रहे है, आपको त्रीवार प्रणाम.
सराहना के लिए धन्यवाद!! 🙂
Bahut varsho ke baad mansur anna ka khat aour raamdasi suna.thanks a lot.ashok bajpeyi ji ko bhi bahut samay baad suna bahut achha laga.🙏🏻🙏🏻
Great, I am so glad to hear that you were able to enjoy the recordings I had selected for the guided listening session. 🙂
Shukriya, Irfanbhai!
Ashokji's poem is wonderful. Shabd dijiyega comment mein. 🙏
Welcome Yogesh ji! 🙂
You can find the poem by Ashok ji at this link: swaarth.wordpress.com/2016/04/24/mallikaarjunmansoor/
I had requested him to read out the second poem because I think it encapsulates Mansur ji's personality so beautifully, as only a close friend could... and that's what Ashok ji was for Mansur ji! It seemed. tome the perfect context setting for a guided listning session of Mansur ji's recordings. 🙂
Thank you Irfan bhai. Please let’s have more such sessions on your channel.
Surely, if institutions reach out to me for stuff like this, I would be more than happy to oblige! 🙂
Thank you Irfan saab for sharing and enriching us. I really miss hearing Mansur ji live.
My pleasure Nabarun ji! Thanks for taking the time to listen. 🙂
Much appreciated. I am so happy to have stumbled upon Mansur late one night years ago when I couldn't sleep. I'm so sad that I never saw him perform in person, but I have friends who did. I've enjoyed learning more about his personality and life, as well as hearing these particular selections
Thanks for the appreciation! 🙂
I also never had the good luck to hear Pandit ji live but have been haunted by his music for over two decades now... his sheer breadth of repertoire and intensity of singing is enough to hook just about anyone even remotely sensitive enough to appreciate classical music.
Was lucky to be part of the listening session conducted by Irfan in Bangalore.
Thank you Irfan for doing what you are doing.
Thanks a lot Harsha! You guys' warmth and affection in Bangalore that day really carried me through. 🙂
Thoroughly enjoyed this, Irfan. Looking forward to the book! The backstory behind the iconic Raghu Rai picture is devasting.
Thanks for the words of appreciation! I do hope I’m able to justice to the biography of Mansur ji! 😊
वाह! क्या बात है। अप्रतिम।🙏🏼 नमन
धन्यवाद! 🙂
Such a memorable experience! Thank you for this guided listening session of Mallikarjun Mansur's music. Pairing it with Ram Guha's column on Panditji and Doordarshan interviews truly provides some insights into the man and his era. Looking forward to more sessions like this! Excited for the upcoming biography release
Thanks a lot for the kind words of appreciation and encouragement! I'll try my best to make the biography an interesting and enriching read. 🙂
Wonderful work Irfanji. Very carefully and thoughtfully done. You have done a great service to music. I have one small point of difference with you on the enduring influence of Gwalior in his singing. My guru (his son) used to say that even if he sang Gwalior bandishes (e.g. Miyan Ki Todi, Chayanat) he sang them in the Jaipur gayaki - that is, he reinvented them. So I think guruji would disagree that Mallikarjun Mansur sang "pure" Gwalior after he left that gharana. Also, guruji told me several times that his father did teach him in the traditional style, one on one, as well on the stage. This is how he was able to note down about seventy bandishs in Kannada in his book. He was unable get this kind of talim for all the ragas his father sang - which guruji always regretted, but it did happen regularly - particularly when guruji was young.
Thanks a lot for the kind words of appreciation Vijayendra ji! 🙂
In my conversations with Rajshekhar ji, he mentioned several times that "much" of his ta'lim took place on stage, where he received the "final product" that is the raga... to be sure, he did mention about the ta'lim at home or while they traveled together though. As also a number of Mansur ji's other students have told me that the structure of his ta'lim was much closer to singing the raga and allowing it to distillate in the minds of his student.
As far as singing Gwalior bandish-es and ragas closely associated with that gharana's repertoire is concerned, I would urge you to factor in the laya at which he usually sang those pieces, as also the gradual progression of the laya and an adherence primarily to the vilambit-drut pattern of compositions. But yes, given that there's hardly anything that can be construed as "pure" gayaki of any gharana for that matter, it's Mansur ji's quintessential mix of Gwalior and Atrauli that always shone through.
@uberi1980 Will keep an eye on his presentation of these “Gwalior” ragas. Note however that Mallikarjunji and guruji - in Jaipur style - always begin with a full presentation of the bandish a couple of times before improvising, regardless of the raga. Also, note that the first raga that I was taught by Rajshekharji was Chhayanat because he said, even though it was a “Gwalior” raga, it’s exposition exemplified the Mansur/Jaipur style because of the importance of aaghat and laya in its presentation. So he felt it was a good introduction to the Mansur style.
@@vijayendrarao8729 Aha, thank you very much for sharing this interesting nugget about Chhayanat! I will also keep a look out in the direction you point towards... 🙂
This monumental work on your part, Irfan bhai.
Thank you for the appreciation! 🙂
One can have a sublime aesthetic experience with Mansur's music simply by concentrating on his traversal of *phonetic* space, leaving rhythm and pitches entirely out of the equation. His handling of semivowels, diphthongs, and anuswaras triggers a variety of overtone mixtures that is unrivalled in my listening (though Nissar Hussain comes close). Sometimes he shifts text syllables very slowly, with hugely elongated vowel transitions between consonants - and this creates a "contrapuntal" experience, where the text moves at one speed and the melodic filigree at another. Listening to this is akin to following multiple melodic threads in a Bach fugue.
Thank you, Irfan, for a very enjoyable presentation...I'm only halfway through so I'll certainly return with more thoughts.
The fast ektaal bandish in Todi is very remarkable in its percussive qualities. He is really hitting the hard consonants with great precision, almost sounding like a sarod in articulation.
Aha, kya baat hai Warren ji! I totally agree with your observation about the differing movement speeds of the text and ornamentations. The Bach fugue is as complex (?!) as Mansur ji's intricate style, with the kind of filigree work that you point towards. I did not think this way at all... thanks for pointing this! 🙂
I can't wait...
Very enriching talk on the great master!
Thank you Sir!
My pleasure! Thanks for listening. 🙂
Very nice program. I will be happy to listen more similar programs.
Thanks for viewing and for the appreciation! Glad you enjoyed it. 😊
What a great work in unravelling the treasure. Thanks a lot !!
Thank you! 😊🙏🏻
Thanks for showcasing Mansurji so nicely!
Thanks for the kind words of appreciation! 🙂
Irfanji, many many heartfelt thanks for this session as well as all your work on making all of Mansurji's recordings available to us!! Please keep on sharing any more such presentations in the future! Moreover really grateful to you for finding the bandish of Ramdasi Malhar, it was indeed bugging me too for some time. Also, could you point me to Jitendra Abhishekiji's recording which you mention from which you decoded the bandish?
Another request, if possible, could you please share/find the bandish for Basanti Kannada (te mana hara kinori...)? Mansurji and Kishoritai are the only ones whose recording is available I think.
Thanks for the kind words of appreciation! 🙂
I think you should be able to find Abhishekibua's rendition of Ramdasi Malhar here on UA-cam. I heard it in a friend's collection but am quite sure that it should be available here if you look for it.
As far as bandish-es are concerned, there are just so so many and it's not quite possible for me to locate them all so it's probably best to source them directly from musicians such as either Shruti Tai or Manjiri Tai.
I'm really happy to hear the elaborate study on M M. Many many thanks.
Thank you for the appreciation! 😊🙏🏻
बहुत सुन्दर और सार्थक प्रस्तुति । धन्यवाद 🙏
सराहना के लिए धन्यवाद! 🙂
Stupendous :) thanks for posting this here. It is a treasure to remember THE absolute stalwart :) thanks again Irfan saheb. naman
Thank you for the kind words of appreciation & encouragement! 😊🙏🏻
You made wonderful presentation sir, what to say about MM
@@user-tc2xt9jh6n Thanks for the appreciation. 😊🙏🏻
Beautiful presentation. A lucid portrayal of an artist of gigantic stature & skills.
The presenter's subject matter expertise is on full display.
Thank you for this enriching session.
Thanks a lot for the appreciation Archisman Da! 😊
Many Many thanks
My pleasure, Dr. Deshpande! Thanks for listening! 🙂
Very informative. We should encourage more of such sessions.
Irfan, you mention a few times of MM’s repertoire which tallied to more than 100.
Curious to have your take on the raags he did not sing, in spite of being sung in his gharana widely - Lalit, Lalit Pancham, Bhoop Nat etc. Surely a musician of his caliber must have had a reason why - spiritual, superstitious, a story associated with, etc.
Thanks again, good stuff ! And a suggestion- can such sessions be broadcast live, where we across the world have a chance to interact with the presenter
Interesting observation Dhruv! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
When the Pandit Mallikarjun Mansur centenary catalogue was compiled, several of his students as well as ardent connoisseurs tallied the ragas and bandish-es he sang. But we need to bear this in mind vis-a-vis the fact that this is only as exhaustive as the recordings which have survived. For instance, Mansur ji clearly mentions that he learnt Lalit both from Neelakanthabua as well as Manjhi Khan sahib so I am pretty sure he would have sung it. Not too sure about Lalit Pancham or Bhoop Nat though.
In any case, I think that the overall range of ragas and bandish-es sung by Mansur ji still outnumbers most musicians' recorded repertoire, and definitely among his contemporaries, leaving out Kumar ji perhaps whose interpretation of several ragas was fiercely individualistic.
Absolutely. ! And the intent was not to challenge the tally, but to get to know more about him, his line of thinking etc.
It always fascinates me on how musicians of this caliber shy away from certain raags - each individually. For instance, Kishori Tai not singing a Durga or Darbari, or a Puriya- wonder what she would have “done” to those raags and the reasons she did not perform or teach them ?
Or a Bhimsen ji, in-spite of mentioning the “prabhav” of Amir Khan Sahab and the great Kesarbai, staying away from Hamsadhwani, Des, one recording of his Ahir Bhairav late in his life, etc.
Similarly for the MM, one wonders what a Lalit, Ahir Bhairav (not Margi Bhairav) , Bhoop Nat would have evolved to or sounded like, had we the privilege to hear them !
Thanks and keep doing the good work you are !
@@dhruv24kap Yes, I understand what you mean... I do wonder along similar lines too once in a while.
It also strikes me that some sets of ragas have a closer affinity to the personality of a musician per se... for instance, one can't think Amir Khan sahib without the reflectiveness of Marwa... or Bhimsen ji without the depths of Darbari... but then again, it would be a set of ragas they have rehearsed and established a deep relationship with, let alone attaining some sort of siddhi! 🙂
@@dhruv24kap Kishori tai made an aesthetic choice of not singing certain ragas. (She also touches on this aspect in her book). She has possibly rendered ragas like Puriya Dhanashree, Marwa, Bhairav only in her late career.
For Bhimsen ji, lack of bada khyals (which he quite preferred) in Hansadhwani, Ahir Bhairav in Kirānā repertoire could be a possible reason of not singing them. He used to frequently render a Marathi bhajan set to Ahir Bhairav, though.
Congrats
Thank you! 🙂
Great work...
Thank you! 🙂
Beautiful prog
Thank you for viewing! 😊🙏🏻
🙏
Excellant Presentation . Regards .
Thank you! Glad you liked it. 🙂
फार सुंदर आहे कार्य 👍अण्णा बायक्का म्हणजे लक्ष्मीबाई जाधव यांच्याकडे सुद्धा शिकायला जायचे कोल्हापुरात
Thank you for the appreciation. 🙂
Yes, Mansur ji did take bandish-es from Laxmibai ji as he did from several other people who were his contemporaries such as Vamanrao Sadolikar ji, Madhukar Sadolikar ji and Gulubhai Jasdanwala ji, as well as those much younger than him such as Shruti Sadolikar ji, Shaila Datar ji and others.
Glad to know you are a die-hard Mansur fan. I am also one, but an ignorant one, listening to him since last 10 years. About 2 years ago I went on a pilgrimage to Mrityunjaya at Dharwad from Hyderabad.
Your program is a great feast to people like me.
There are some epic rendition from Mansur on youtube. I and adding link to them so that listeners to this video do not ask questions for their non-inclusion by you.
Shree Raag
ua-cam.com/video/SigsWuhNPCc/v-deo.htmlsi=nCpMbhHPl92QkoY7
Miyan ki Todi
ua-cam.com/video/RAGbv7uI_5k/v-deo.htmlsi=BgWHYZ8t4AdYuywO
Multani
ua-cam.com/video/Mo4UwC1Y52E/v-deo.htmlsi=s8srdDx3nVVD23rc
Jaitashri
ua-cam.com/video/2up-LISoLDw/v-deo.htmlsi=rDauL2TspE8a5J6g
Yaman Kalyan
ua-cam.com/video/7GmTh_unLsY/v-deo.htmlsi=BOq3Y0gsRRLBBcvQ
Nand
ua-cam.com/video/Y5whMoPfE9s/v-deo.htmlsi=D9wW4pXjXYawA4wI
Maru Bihag
ua-cam.com/video/ppaaEhHKKAg/v-deo.htmlsi=9oDE4S-FOxEDd6yL
Jaitashree
ua-cam.com/video/2up-LISoLDw/v-deo.htmlsi=B8Ken5ggkycD0AAne
Thanks a lot for your kind words of appreciation and also for adding links to several iconic renditions of Mansur ji which re available here on UA-cam.
It was almost impossible to shortlist the renditions I have talked about during this event... but there could easily be at least 2 other programmes of this kind with a separate set of renditions to talk about and highlight aspects of Mansur ji's musicality. 🙂
Hello sir , why he used shuddha nishad in bahaduri todi ? And also the way he rested on shuddh madhyam is so different than usual bahaduri todi . Could you elaborate more about it ?
As far as my knowledge goes, this version of Bahaduri Todi is known as version 2 within the repertoire of Mansur ji's strand within Atrauli gharana... it has some affinities to Bilaskhani but is distinct from it as well. For anything more than that, it would be better to reach out to gharana practitioners like Shruti Tai, Manjiri Tai and others. Best wishes. 🙂
@@IrfanZuberi1980 thank you so much I appreciate your effort sir ❤
मल्लिकार्जुन मंसूर पर अशोक वाजपेई द्वारा पढ़ी गई यह एक कविता मंसूर जी के व्यक्तित्व को सम्पूर्णता में परिभाषित करती है। अशोक जी की यह विशेषता है कि वे किसी भी फ़िनोमिनन के केन्द्रीय बिन्दु को पकड़ने में माहिर हैं। यह सीखने वाली बात है।
आप बिल्कुल सही कह रहे हैं! यही कारण है कि मैंने सोचा कि उनसे अपनी कविता सुनाने का अनुरोध करना एक अच्छा विचार होगा क्योंकि इससे पंडित मल्लिकार्जुन मंसूर के योगदान की खोज का संदर्भ तैयार होगा। 🙂
@@IrfanZuberi1980 शुक्रिया इरफ़ान जी 👍
हमने अशोक जी को खूब सुना और सराहा है विशेषकर शास्त्रीय संगीतकारों को लेकर किए गए उनके काम के ज़रिए। आपको पहली दफा आज अभी ही सुनने का मौका मिला और मैं बहुत खुश हूं कि मल्लिकार्जुन मंसूर को और भी सांद्रता से समझने की कशिश कुछ तो हाथ लगी। आपका तहेदिल शुक्रिया 🙏
Sir how can we get information about your seminars etc in advance so that we can attend?
Actually, this was a series of such presentations I made on Pandit Mallikarjun Mansur ji across several cities - Pune, Mumbai, Bangalore and finally, Delhi... and it's something I thought of doing since I'm working on his biography.Aside from that, I have presented several times at the India International Centre in Delhi, whenever they have invited me!
I'll try and share information about more such presentations here on my UA-cam channel. 🙂
Panchakshari swami mattigatti was never blind sir incase if you're mistaken 1:13:25
Thanks for that information.
I believe he succumbed to blindness in the late stage of his life but yes, definitely not blind earlier. Noted. 😊👍
@@IrfanZuberi1980 no you might have mistaken panchakshari swami mattigatti for panchakshari gavayi . Panchakshari swami mattigatti was never blind till his last days infact he did taught nagaraj rao havaldar some years before his demise
@@adarshbagade_ I certainly did not mistake Mattigatti ji with Panchakshari Gawai ji who was a guru-bandhu of Mansur ji, having also learnt from Nilakanthabua Alurmath.
It’s as I say - Mattigatti ji went blind late in life and it was an error on my part to mention him as having been blind earlier or from birth.
In any case, that wasn’t the focal point of the talk. Hope you enjoyed it! 😊👍
Mallikarjun Mansur Avaru
54:26 held a note for 17 seconds .. unreal
Yes, his dam-saans, having been a life-long Beedi smoker was just unreal... and his taar shadja was truly luminous! 🙂
Irfan ji, when is the book coming out?
Still working on it… hopefully it should get done in the next few months and after that, it would be up to the publisher!
Thank you for the anticipation! 😊
@@IrfanZuberi1980 thanks a lot Irfan. Look forward to it. I have to say that I immensely enjoyed and learned a lot from your presentation, as an student of Jaipur gayaki.
@@ThouShaltBeWell Oh wow! Thank you so much for saying this. I am glad I was able to make a small but meaningful contribution to your understanding. 🙂
@@IrfanZuberi1980 As an old timer from RCIM group, I have been witnessing your passionate work in this field. More in an email later today.:)
@@ThouShaltBeWell Oh, I’m intrigued now! Many thanks for the words of appreciation… they encourage me to do more. 😊
The information regarding Mallikarjun Mansur sahab is great
I think (i may not be right in thinking thus)
Irfan sahab should have explained a bit in detail about the differences in gayaki of Mallikarjun and his contempararies
Just because he sang 100 ragas and others sang around 40 ragas is not a valid arguement
All the contemporaries of Mallikarjun were great in their own respect
The difference being
Some preferred
Bhimsen
Some
Gangubai
Some
Mallikarjun
Indian classical music basically is a very personalised experience
The indian shastriya music is part of Samved
And the concept of Veda is assimalation of one s soul with that of the almighty
Hence I say music or for that matter any art mentioned in Veda has this basic thought process
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. 🙂
Ghan umad dekh Saiyan has been pronounced as gunbad dekh ! It is a Malhar !! It is not ghumbad !! And saiyan is swami i.e husband ! But the mispronunciation became settled !
Are you saying this through a reference? I’d be interested to see any bandish book of yesteryear reflecting what you’re saying.
In addition, it also needs to be kept in mind that not all Malhar bandish-es are literally about rains... several are figurative, and even philosophical... for instance, a rain of blessings. But anyhow, I would be extremely interested to know the source of information behind your comment and a possible reference as well. Thanks! 🙂
lipsync mismatch
Hahahaha... that's too bad... hope the content was good enough to bear with it as I wasn't in-charge of the recording itself. 🙂
Content is priceless. Felt rewarded !@@IrfanZuberi1980