Sound Holds our stories
Vande Mataram
How does a song that has carried the emotions of a nation for 150 years still find a direct path to the heart? At Triveni Kala Sangam in New Delhi, Music for Harmony explored that question with depth and restraint. Now in its 11th year, the concert — presented by the NADD Foundation (Noble Art Documentation & Development), founded in 2007 by Pt Durjay Bhaumik — dedicated this edition to the legacy of Vande Mataram and to the idea of unity through music.
The opening duet brought Dr Shubrodeep Pathak on sitar alongside Ayush Choudhury on violin, supported by Uddyalak Ghosh on tabla. Their performance was disciplined and finely proportioned. The exchange between the two melodic voices suggested thoughtful restraint, while the tabla offered a decisive rhythmic spine. It created an atmosphere that trusted the grammar of the music.
The second segment presented Pt Arnab Chakrabarty on sarod with Ustad Rafiuddin Sabri on tabla. The recital moved with structural clarity. Chakrabarty shaped the raga through steady argument and carefully sequenced ideas, while Sabri’s rhythmic intelligence provided firm traction throughout.
For the finale, Pt Satyajit Talwalkar delivered a taut tabla solo, framed by Dr Vinay Mishra on harmonium. The performance was purposeful, tightly organised and technically assured, bringing the evening to a decisive close. Speaking afterwards, Pt Durjay Bhaumik said the dedication to Vande Mataram was intended as a reminder that classical music still occupies a civic space in cultural life. In that respect, Music for Harmony demonstrated how tradition can stand with dignity and how, at its best, music can make history feel alive in the present moment.
