Abhradita’s Ghazal Mehfil in Calicut
Abhradita Banerjee captivates the ghazal loving crowd in Calicut with her soulful rendering, writes MUHAMMED NOUSHAD. Photos by SHAJAHAN K E.
Sea of passion: Abhradita Banerjee.
“Wo jo hum me tum me qaraar tha, tumhe yaad ho ke na yaad ho…” sang Abhradita Banerjee, easily bringing about the jazbaat that resonate within the hearts of listeners, through her deep, inviting, rich voice. This ghazal, written by the 19th century Urdu poet Momin Khan and immortalised by the legendary singer Begum Akhtar, has never been easy to sing and impress. Sitting with a handful of experienced musicians and a supportive audience, very typical of the Hindustani loving Calicut, Abhradita gifted a memorable night to the people who listened to her. And as the song goes, the mehfil brought forth memories, grievances, anecdotes, and agreements that the lovers’ hearts longed to possess.
The stage was beautifully set, at the end of an oval-shaped pool in the park, slightly projected upon the water and thus the bright lights reflecting on the ripples beneath. Such a captivating delight! Beneath the stars and beside the sea, being patted by the sea wind and awash in the waves of memories you sit and listen to wonderful Urdu poetry in Abhradita’s committed, soulful voice. She sang Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Momin Khan, Fayyaz Hashmi among others.
In the first week of February 2017, Kerala Sangita Nataka Academy organised this ghazal festival at Bhut road beach, Calicut, in association with the District Tourism Promotion Council. Abhradita performed on the fourth day.
Interplay of light and rhythm at Calicut Bhut road beach.
Whenever Abhradita spoke in between and in the middle of ghazals, with noticeable simplicity, she spoke of her passion in the traditional compositions, folk tunes and classical renderings. Abhradita Banerjee, a Thiruvananthapuram settled Bengali singer, dedicates her time to teach Hindustani and explore traditional compositions.
very nice photos