The third evening of the ongoing Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Memorial Festival of Dance and Music witnessed the distinct debut of an exclusive music band of Odia artistes with the goal of going global. And it received rave reviews from one and all on its peerless premiere production and performance.
Mentored by Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee Odishi Guru Ratikant Mohapatra, who is also the festival director, 10 talented and popular musicians of Odisha that included nine instrumentalists and one vocalist have come together to form the band that has been named as Shivagni.
“While touring South East Asia recently for a performance series with some of these musicians, I was looking for a fusion band in Singapore and Malayasia for this festival when this idea of trying our home-grown talents struck me. It was young and gifted violinist and music composer Agnimitra Behera who supported my venture as its artistic director while national award winner young flute player Srinibas Satapathy came forward as the co-director,” Ratikant Mohapatra revealed.
The other members of the band have been renowned mardal exponent Satchidananda Das, table artistes Kulamani Sahoo and Biswaranjan Nanda, vocalist Kshiti Prakash Mohapatra, key board artiste Ramesh Chandra Behera, percussionist Samir Ranjan Pradhan, drummer Bikashita Sahu and guitar player Deba Ranjan Nayak. Angimitra and Srinivas have been the composers and lead players with violin and flute respectively.
The band’s captivating concert that concluded with a non-stop thunderous applause from the audience for many minutes along with a standing ovation comprised eight compositions which were based on and inspired by 15 various raagas of Hindustani music tradition, elements of Indian folk music, Odisha’s indigenous music and elements of western classical.
“This venture would be our pride, honour and challenge for the musicians of Odisha. We plan to go global,” announced Ratikant Mohapatra who is one of the finest mardal players besides being the Odishi dancer-trainer-choreographer.
Nostalgia prevailed in the auditorium as eminent Odishi music Guru Gopal Chandra Panda, one of the guests for the evening, spoke about Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra. “Many may not be aware that he was a great tabla player though all know him as a mardal maestro,” said well-known flutist Rakesh Chaurasia from Mumbai, the other guest of the evening. He also recollected his memorable impression of the legend whom he had met in the Festival of India in Russia decades ago.
The two politicians who were also guests of the evening – Finance Minister Sashi Bhusan Behera and Women and Child Development Minister Prafulla Samal-- spoke eloquently on the great contribution of Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra for fetching a new global identity for Odisha through Odishi.