Chandigarh, Friday, July 10, 1998

The dreamgirl of Kuchipudi THE dreamgirl of Kuchipudi, Swapansundari, treated Shimlaites, the President of India and the First Lady to an exquisite performance of the dance at Gaiety Theatre and the Raj Bhavan premises, respectively, at Shimla recently...

Folk singer from Kangra Hailing from a middle class rural family and with devotion and diligence writ large on his face, Karnail Rana, the heart-throb of Kangra folks, has made a remarkable contribution to preserve the rich culture and hoary legends of the region... Audioscan by ASC: Distant Voices, Rukhsat, Husn... PM’s song in Parvati’s voice A pop singer from Trinidad and Tobago of Indian origin has composed songs from Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s collection of poems as part of the 50 years of the country’s independence...

The dreamgirl of Kuchipudi By Jyoti Mahajan THE dreamgirl of Kuchipudi, Swapansundari, treated Shimlaites, the President of India and the First Lady to an exquisite performance of the dance at Gaiety Theatre and the Raj Bhavan premises, respectively, at Shimla recently. Swapansundari commenced with the composition “Azadi ki Awaz”, a specially choreographed dance, adapting the typical Kuchipudi style to the famous Hindi lyrics of poet Nirala offering homage to the goddess of knowledge and seeking enlightenment to remove discord from humanity and attain harmony in India. In Jatti Swaram, Swapansundari displayed brilliant rythmic movements of the Kuchipudi dance. It was followed by “Krishna Shabdam”, a romantic dance full of joy and abandon depicting the unification of Krishna with the “gopis”. Her Bhamakalapam and Tarangam won the maximum applause. In Tarangam the dancer gave a description of Lord Krishna in his various moods and aspects simultaneously displaying scintillating footwork and postures set to the refrain Neela megha shareera... invoking benediction from the Lord. The brisk choreography included a sequence danced while standing on the edges of a grass plate, which brought the item to a rousing finale. Swapansundari’s portrayal of each incarnation conveyed its significance and individual legend through fine mime. It was a pleasant experience meeting Swapansundari at Raj Bhavan where she was a guest of Governor Rama Devi who is her family friend and whom she addresses as “Aunty”. Swapansundari is a leading classical dancer of the country. She has performed all over India and abroad. She is responsible for popularising Kuchipudi in the solo form as well as through her ballets and dance dramas. She is also a trained vocalist and has introduced Kuchipudi songs on compact discs and audio cassettes recorded in her own voice. She has researched and revived ancient temple dance traditions of Andhra Pradesh and is currently writing a book on this subject. I found that Swapansundari was quite spirited, independent and articulate about her art. “I am happy to use my experience for the betterment of performing arts”, she says flashing her huge eyes and gesturing gracefully in the air. In her late 30s, Swapansundari has been dancing for more than two decades when she began as a 14-year-old dancer. Born as a second child of three children to a doctor and an artiste mother, Swapansundari was fascinated with dancing since her childhood days in Madras where she was raised in a large joint Telegu family. The dominating influence on young Swapansundari was that of her grandmother, Sunder Amma, a trained Carnatic singer who daily did her riyaaz. The soft-spoken dancer says, “I began learning vocal music at the age of three or four years as it was compulsory at our house, especially for women and daughters. Then I started learning dance at the age of five years.” By the age of nine years, Swapansundari had moved to Vishakhapatnam with her Army officer father. There she began learning Kuchipudi under the tutelage of Guru Pasumarthy Seetharamaiah and it was at Vishakhapatnam that she gave her first stage performance. Then the family moved to Poona where she could not get a music teacher and learnt Kuchipudi by means of cassettes. Flashing her kajol-filled eyes, the danseuse says her mother, Sarla Devi, encouraged her to pursue dance as a profession. She reveals that once when she was rehearsing the “Krishna Shabdam” in her room during her holidays, a family friend who was in charge of the YWCA stated that she was looking for a young dancer to perform for the association as Yamini Krishnamurthy was demanding a high price. Swapansundari says her mother immediately approved her daughter performing for the YWCA and her performance became a great success. Then there was no looking back for the young danseuse who got numerous offers from colleges and performed all over India, including for the renowned Summer Festival of Shimla, and abroad. She says she was lucky to get the right break, and did not face any family opposition. Swapansundari was trained in vocal singing during her childhood. She is now engaged in doing audio cassettes and compact discs of the dance of which six have already been released. Her first cassette was released along with renowned South Indian singer Bal Murli Krishna with whom she sang duets and which was her first professional music. When asked if she is particular about her “riyaaz” pat replies the beautiful artiste, “Yes, but not on holidays. Earlier, before marriage I was totally dedicated to my dance, but after my marriage to an IAS officer about eight years ago, I enjoy doing other things too.” She says it was dance which brought the two of them together. She coyly reveals, “We both met at Lal Bahadur Shastri Academy in Mussoorie where he was undergoing training as an IAS officer.” She states that he appreciates her more as a person and dance is only a secondary aspect. “Our basic values are the same”, she asserts. The Kuchipudi dancer says she got numerous film offers during the initial days of her popularity which she all rejected. “I was offered the lead role of the dumb girl for the Telegu version of the famous film “Sargam’ by famous South Indian director K. Vishwanath. I even did a photo session for the film. Somehow I rejected the role at the last moment as I thought that I would not be comfortable with the ‘filmi jhatkas’ and the dressing style”. She had another film offer from Muzaffar Ali which too she rejected at the last moment. “I rejected films because I like the honour and respect given to a classical dancer despite the fact that money is less compared to film stars”, she explains. Swapansundari laments that Kuchipudi has been unable to get the popularity that it deserves. She is presently engaged in imparting training to youngsters and laments that today’s youngsters are not very hardworking and dedicated and want to quickly climb the ladder of success without putting in much effort. When asked where she gets the maximum response, Swapansundari replies, “It is a very difficult question. In South India I present items where recitals are much longer. In Calcutta I ensure that I perform Bengali items. I always try to perform one or two pieces which the local people can understand. In Khajuraho I did works of Keshav Das and Padma, great medieval poets of that area”. The dancer reveals that it was a wonderful experience performing for President Kr Narayanan and First Lady Usha recently during their Shimla sojourn, at Raj Bhavan where her performance was highly appreciated. However, she lamented that at Gaiety Theatre the audience was unattentive. “I wanted to put my foot down, but in the presence of some VIPs I did not want to create an embarrassing position”, she says. She has a great liking for Shimla which she frequently visits and especially for Governor Rama Devi who is a friend of her mother since their college days at Chennai. Swapansundari gets happy by the adulation showered on her by her fans. “I feel nice that people appreciate my dance and it makes me feel very good”, she exclaims. Stating her own artistic approach Swapansundari says, “Indian dance is bhakti oriented and a very introspective thing. It is the intensity of the artistic process which gives her immense pleasure. She compares it to a painter who destroys his creation because of his inability in recapturing the feelings and emotions that moved him while painting.

Folk singer from Kangra By Raj Kumar Prashar Hailing from a middle class rural family and with devotion and diligence writ large on his face, Karnail Rana, the heart-throb of Kangra folks, has made a remarkable contribution to preserve the rich culture and hoary legends of the region. He has come out with a series of audio cassettes of folk songs which are based on old folklores and folktales of erstwhile Kangra district that comprised Hamirpur, Bilaspur and Una. Before he could make his resounding presence felt in the homes of the Kangraites, Karnail Rana stoically brazened out difficulties to establish himself in this competitive field of talent. His voice is incredibly melodious and has enamoured a legion of folks of the region so much that they love to listen to his songs ad nauseam. This obviously reflects that Rana has made a peerless contribution to preserving the cultural heritage of Kangra through his folk songs with which the Kangraites are emotionally attached. His songs are simple and mixed with mellifluous music of modern genre. This element of beauty in his songs evokes an appreciative response from even a common person. Most of his songs are a nostalgic reminder of the pristine past, while some present historical and cultural aspects of the region. This is why his songs have interested and attracted the Kangraites. Hence, the hot cake sales of his audio cassettes and the much sought-after folk singer in Himachal Pradesh. Born at Rakwal Laher village near Jawalamukhi, and a graduate in vocal music and journalism, Rana is presently working as an actor-artiste in the Department of Public Relations. Soon after his graduation he joined Nehru Yuvak Kendra to eke out a frugal livelihood as a volunteer. While at the NYK he represented the state as a troupe incharge in various inter-state folk art festivals, including the Youth Club Development Programme held at Chauvi Pargna in West Bengal, the Inter-state Folk Art Festival at Jhansi in UP and the National Integration Camp at Shivpuri in MP and at Sangrur in Punjab. Besides the Kangra Lok Sahitya Parishad Award, he has won several distinctions and appreciation awards at the Himachal Pradesh University Youth Festivals in folk songs and ghazals during his college days. He held the audience enthrall in Mumbai last year when he staged a five-hour-long mesmerising performance at Himachal Mittar Mandal, in Chembur on the occasion of the Himachal Day. “I felt blessed that Ravinder Jain, a legendary music maestro of Bollywood presided over the function,” gushed Rana. “And,” continued Rana “not only he (Ravinder Jain) praised my talent,but also assured me that he would blend the rhythm of one of my folk songs-Bhalla mienya manejra ... — in his music to some songs.” Living away from their homelands and that too in a city where there is crass anonymity and business, the nostalgic Kangraites having been impressed by his first performance in the tinsel town and to keep track of their moribund culture, had invited Rana on the Himachal Day this year too through their Mumbai-based Himachal Cultural Society. So popular he is amongst the Kangri-speaking people that those want to listen to programmes on the local (Dharamsala) station of AIR never miss a chance to listen to his voice in the programme “Trigart ki Awaz” which is compered by him and broadcast every day in the evening. It is because of his magic voice that this programme of AIR has become very popular in the region.Although a casual announcer at AIR, Dharamsala, he has not been offered ample opportunities and exposure by the AIR authorities. Rana made a thrilling debut in 1994 when his first album “Chambe Patne do Berian”, which he dedicated to his home town, swamped the audio market in Himachal. Then came in quick succession “Ik Jora Sutay da”, “Dadey Diey Beiriya” “Saukini tu Meiriyei”, “Gaddan”, “Kaulan Gaddan”, “Bhalla Miyan Manajra”, Deviya Chaleya Kalesar”, “Lachhi Lochhi Lok Galande” and “Bhalla Sadhu Jogiya”. The last mentioned was released in March this year. Rana, however, laments that he does not get much from the organisers of various state-level fairs and festivals in which artistes from outside the state are given plum stage performance assignments. He opines that local folk singers should be invited to stage their performances in the summer festivals which are mostly organised in the month of June every year at various tourist places. He says that is the most appropriate time to expose the local culture of Himachal Pradesh to the people from outside the state.

Audioscan by ASC Good re-touching DISTANT VOICES (Sony Music; Rs 65): This remix mania is an affliction that has spread far and wide. In most cases, just a bit of jazzy snatches are put in to re-do the songs and the final product is neither fish nor fowl. However, in this album, the metamorphosis of film songs is complete and the end product is an entirely new entity. Nowhere is this more noticeable than in Dil ke arman aansoon mein beh gaye … sung by Vijayata Pandit. The re-done one is at times better than the Salma Agha original. But even if one does not go into comparing the two, the final product is remarkably enjoyable. The remixing has been done by the group Partners in Rhyme, which is actually the duo named Hardip and Prem who are living abroad. They have been blending Indian and contemporary music and have earned quite a reputation.Understandably, Punjabi songs dominate this album. Out of the eight songs, three are re-mixed Hindi film songs, one is a non-film Hindi song and four are Punjabi numbers. As said earlier, Dil ke arman … is the best effort. Dum maro dum... too has turned out okay with introductory lyrics by T.J. Rehmi and rapping by Mysterious G. Koi haseena jab rooth jaati hai … is like ordinary re-mixes despite featuring the voice of Kumar Sanu. Chandni raten … sung by Shamsa Kanwal just about passes muster. It is the Punjabi numbers which should earn the cassette good sales in this region. Surprisingly, Gurdas Mann is rather low-key in Tenu bhul gaye ne …. It is Udit Narayan and Arpana who impress in Kurti da tich ban-ke …. Surjit Bindrakhiya sings Bor bor … and Shabnum Majid renders Nit khair mangan …. RUKHSAT (Magnasound; Rs 35): On June 13 last year, the Uphaar cinema fire snuffed out many tender lives in Delhi. Among them were two children, Unnati and Ujjwal. Needless to say they live on in the memories of their near and dear ones. This cassette sung by their father Shekhar Krishnamoorthy is dedicated to the departed souls. He has rendered some of the sad songs of Hemant Kumar. These were heart-moving in their own right and now that these have been re-sung by a bereaved father, their poignancy touches a new height. The selected songs are Jane woh kaise log the jinke pyar ko pyar mila …, Aye dil, ab kahin na ja …, Rahi tu mat ruk jana …, Bekarar karke hame yun na jayiye …, Hum chahen ya na chahen …, Rula kar chal diye …, Chup hain dharti … and Ganga aye kahan se …. Even without reference to the personal tragedy that Shekhar has suffered, his renderings are very good and his voice does not betray very many weaknesses. HUSN (Venus; Rs 45): Listening to the nasal twang of Salma Agha in one or two film songs is one thing; going through an entire cassette of hers requires considerable patience and training. One would have to be a diehard fan of the singer from Pakistan to fully appreciate it. To be frank, the offering tends to be rather monotonous after one has gone through more than two songs. Interestingly, the two songs which have been composed by Salma herself end up being better than others. These are Aaya tha jis pe dil … and Shaam ki aankh hai …. Lyrics of all nine songs are above average. The only one in which Salma impresses quite a bit is the semi-classical Balma barkha rut aayee ….

PM’s song in Parvati’s voice A pop singer from Trinidad and Tobago of Indian origin has composed songs from Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s collection of poems as part of the 50 years of the country’s independence. The latest album of pop singer Parvati Khan pays tribute to 50 years of India’s independence and contains a verse written by the Prime Minister. Famous in the country for her peppy foot-tapping music, Parvati decided to compose a patriotic number from the miscellaneous collection. “Patriotism is something that is in my blood. It is not something that has come about just because a Prime Minister has written a song,” Parvati explained in Mumbai recently. “I just cannot understand why people fight religious battles. It makes no sense because all of us have so many other problems to look after in our personal lives,” she added. She said Mr Vajpayee’s song, Unki yaad karen... (Let’s remember them) which is dedicated to unsung heroes of India’s freedom struggle will be the first song in her forthcoming album as it catches the spirit of patriotism. The album also contains songs written by her husband Nadeem, her father, father-in-law and a couple of friends. The songs would be sung by renowned Indian singers, including herself. The album is due to be released on August 15 to coincide with the anniversary of the country’s independence. The collection of Atal Behari Vajpayee’s poems called, “Meri Ikyavan Kavitayen” (My 51 poems) was released in 1995 by the then Prime Minister, Mr P. V Narasimha Rao. Parvati had earlier brought out an album “Bharat ke Naam,” the inspiration behind which, she said, was Rajiv Gandhi. — ANI