Songs of the soul

Sohini Chakravorty, Hyderabad,July 13, 2012

There is always a bit of apprehension when an evening has nothing to do with film music and is solely dedicated to some of the purest form of music — ghazals and Sufi. But the turnout at the musical night Boondon Ka Paigham showed that Hyderabad audience have preserved and cultivated these musical genres which thrived and were patronised greatly during the days of the Nizams. Ghazal singer Jaswinder Singh and Sufi performer Kavita Seth set the mood for an intoxicating evening of music with commanding and melodious voice.

Second generation ghazal singer Jaswinder Singh is the son of music composer Kuldip Singh. His choice of songs, soothing deep voice and his rhythmic interaction with the musicians brought the audience closer and involved in the music. Taking lines from poets like Dushyant Kumar and Mirza Ghalib, his singing was infused with good music which carried the audience with the musical flow. There were interludes of upbeat jugalbandi between the singer and his musicians. Jaswinder Singh is not only a good singer but also a Sardar with a sense of humour. Every singer has their own version of Aaj Jaane Ki Zidd Na Karo and this singer chose to sing it only when he saw a member of the audience get up. He also sang his father’s compositions like Tumko Dekha Toh Khayal Aaya and a few Jagjit Singh hits like Tum Itna Jo Muskura Rahe Ho, Hoton Se Chu lo Tum. The only complaint against him would be that he didn’t sing the complete songs.

Known for popular songs like Tumhi Ho Bandhu and Iktara, Kavita Seth is essentially a Sufi singer. She started the concert with a slow rendition and gradually raised the tempo taking the audience on a high. Her concert had a bit of both old and new Sufi flavours. Rendition of songs like Amir Khusro’s Chhap Tilak Sab had the power to engage and create a mehfil even for a reluctant audience.

With the audience bursting into applause and encouraging the artiste with their wah wah, it only proves that the Hyderabad audience knows how to appreciate these kind of musical mehfils. The only deterrent in such concerts are unnecessary felicitations and prolonged speeches by the organisers which puts a break into the musical flow.

A concert by Jaswinder Singh and Kavita Seth set the mood for a mesmerising evening of music