Melodic flow of vintage music

SD Sharma   

Chandigarh, September 21

The serenity of folk fervour, superior aesthetic exuberance of light classical music and melodic pace came alive as Mumbai-based versatile vocalist Indira Naik lit up day two of the four-day  Folk and Semi-Classical Music Festival organised by the North Zone Cultural Centre at Tagore Theatre on Friday. 

Endowed with sweet mellifluous voice  and amazing range, Indira Naik opened up with a thumri ‘piya milan ki aas’ followed by a dadra ‘bagon mein jhuley pde’ immortalised by Ustad Barkat Ali Khan. 

Having established a rapport with scant but inquisitive audience, she continued to give mesmerising spell like ‘tori gazab ki muraliya’, Azmir Khusro’s  ‘kahe ko viyahi vides’, ‘a dadaralakhon ke bol shey’, ‘amma mere baba ko’ and more. 

She was, however, at her best with ‘rangi sari gulabi’, Amir Khusro’s ‘chhap tilak’ and the concluding serene ‘babul mora’ in raga ‘bhairavi’ and replete with sentiments of love and separation.    

Earlier on Thursday, Dolly Guleria, daughter and disciple of illustrious Punjabi folk legend Surinder Kaur, eulogised as a Nightingale. She reveled into the mystic utterances of Sufi poets- Baba Bulleh Shah and Sheikh Farid-with full throated ecstasy before bringing alive the rustic fervour in ‘boliyan, suhag ghoriyan, balomahiya’, ‘tappe’ and ‘lokgeet’. 

Supported by her talented daughter Sunaini, granddaughter Riya and disciple Payal, they emulated old Punjabi folk songs much to the delight of audience, who kept clapping. 

Dolly Guleria virtually translated the soul of Punjabi folk musical culture on stage  to win standing ovation.