Chinmaya R. Gharekhan performing a full-fledged live performance on the India Worldwide Centre in New Delhi. He was accompanied by Vinay Mishra on the harmonium and Vinod Lele on the tabla.
| Picture Credit score: Particular Association
Very not often one comes throughout a diplomat, who throughout the launch of his guide presents a classical live performance. The occasion was just lately held on the India Worldwide Centre in New Delhi, when ambassador Chinmaya R. Gharekhan launched Centres of Energy: My Years within the Prime Minister’s Workplace and Safety Council (printed by Rupa). This was adopted by a panel dialogue that includes M. Hameed Ansari, former Vice President of India, Ok. Natwar Singh, former Minister of Exterior Affairs, Maharaj Krishna Rasagotra, former Overseas Secretary of India and Chinmaya R. Gharekhan, previously India’s Everlasting Consultant to the United Nations and the creator of the guide. It was chaired by Shyam Saran, president, IIC,
Those that knew Chinmaya Gharekhan solely as a diplomat obtained the chance to learn about his ardour for classical music as he introduced a full-fledged live performance. His journey in music started in 1968 when he was posted in New Delhi as a Deputy Secretary within the Ministry of Exterior Affairs. He educated beneath Pt. Amar Nath, the principal disciple of Ustad Amir Khan, the founding father of Indore gharana. He later learnt from Shanti Sharma, the well-known disciple of Pt. Amar Nath. Presently, he’s being groomed by Pt. Vidyadhar Vyas of the Gwalior gharana.
Foray into music
His tryst with music had, in reality, begun in 1955, when he received the primary prize in a vocal music competitors as a scholar of Authorities Legislation School in Bombay. He used to repeatedly carry out bhajans on All India Radio. His love for music continued even after Chinmaya Gharekhan joined the Indian Overseas Service in 1958. His common riyaz of 1 hour continued for greater than 50 years regardless of his distinguished profession as a diplomat holding vital positions.
He was additionally the president of the Indira Gandhi Nationwide Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) and the chairman of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s Delhi kendra. He has additionally authored the broadly acclaimed guide, The Horseshoe Desk: An inside view of the UN Safety Council’.
Chinmaya Gharekhan’s solo efficiency that night included a number of bandish in quite a lot of raags. Accompanied by ace artistes corresponding to Vinay Mishra on the harmonium and Vinod Lele on the tabla, he opened the live performance with Bhimpalasi, one of many melodious afternoon raags that we not often get to listen to as a result of live shows are held within the evenings. Little doubt, it was a welcome selection for his fundamental raag however It took some time for his voice to deliver out the great thing about the raag. However his expansive alap, which progressively gathered momentum, protecting the decrease and center octaves managed to create the proper mahaul, earlier than rendering the normal bada khayal, ‘Kagwa bole’, set to vilambit ek taal. The leisurely alap, bol-aalap, bahelawa and the taan sections introduced out the gayaki’s important options, earlier than Chinmaya Gharekhan introduced a few medium tempo compositions (in Teen taal) corresponding to the favored ‘Ja ja re apne mandirawa’ and ‘Biraj mein dhoom machaai shyam’.
Contact of melody
Jog was a good selection for the second raag. It was sung with restraint and a balanced strategy that compositions like ‘Peer parai’, composed by Ustad Vilayat Khan (with the pseudonym ‘Prana-Piya’), name for. It stood out with apportioned sargam and aakar taans. Tilak-Kamod got here as a distinction with melodious compositions corresponding to ‘Koyaliya bole amavaan ki dalariya’ and ‘Neer bharan kaise jaaun sakhi ri aaj’ opening vistas of potentialities in medium tempo Teen taal. This was adopted by a Meera bhajan, ‘Hari tum haro jana ki bhiir’, composed within the karun swars of raag Bhatiyar. The live performance concluded with the normal Bharvi ‘Ab tori baanki’, a bandishi thumri, that obtained him a standing ovation.
Prof. Vidyadhar Vyas praised the dedication and sincerity of his disciple, Chinmaya Gharekhan, who had made him proud.