Lonavla music retreat: The important thing takeaways

Venkatesh Kumar performing on the retreat
| Photograph Credit score: Particular Association

Pay attention, talk about, alternate and work together in sylvan environment — each the performer and listener gained sufficient on the retreat.

It isn’t typically that one will get to completely immerse oneself in music — for 48 hours. On the lately held music retreat at Lonavla, the attendees lower themselves off from the skin world to be linked solely to music. Conceived by Pune based mostly Mukund Athavale, this was the eighth version. The sylvan environment made it simpler to not step out for 2 days. Even the artistes have been required to remain again after their efficiency.

In Mukund Athavale’s phrases: “Until you get to listen to good music, you aren’t absolutely engaged, and except an artiste will get a receptive viewers, he too is probably not absolutely engaged. The concept was to create an setting for a significant interplay between each.”

In response to Kalapini Komkali, who introduced one in every of her best live shows on the retreat, “It’s a good suggestion. In any other case, we hardly get to listen to different musicians or alternate musical ideas. The shut interplay between artistes and rasikas and the casual atmosphere have been the opposite pluses. Additionally, it was a wise determination to limit the length of the performances to an hour. Because the viewers is sort of held captive, shorter live shows would hold them charged.”

The performances would start with the primary rays of the morning solar casting its delicate glow. The live shows would go on until midnight with brief breaks for breakfast, lunch and dinner and a few relaxation. The all-day session additionally gave listeners a chance to listen to raags which might be sung at particular time of the day.

The early morning live performance of raag Vibhas by Bharati Pratap gave the impression of a prayer. “Stunning environment with musicians seated in entrance, and discerning listeners for an viewers…you couldn’t ask for a greater maahaul (atmosphere),” she mentioned.

As a listener from Hyderabad put it “when obstacles come down, it’s solely in regards to the listening expertise. Simply think about, a bit composed by Faiyaz Khan of Agra perhaps about 100 years in the past is being sung by Bharati Pratap, a Kannada, in Maharashtra.”

Vasant Madhav, who had come from Bengaluru to be part of the retreat, felt artistes too appear to carry out higher on this intimate arrange. Als, once they see a Pt. Ajay Pohankar or Pt. Nityanand Haldipur sitting and listening intently, they wish to be at their finest. The feelings are totally different. It’s a platform to find expertise too. For example, the opening jugalbandi by Chinmay Lele and Saahil Bhogale, each of their twenties, was superb.”

The organisers had deliberate the competition in such a way that there was good mixture of star performers like Pt Venkatesh Kumar and relative newcomers just like the dhrupad duo of Prassanna Vishwanathan and Sagar Morankar (disciples of Pt Uday Bawalkar), and Kshitija Sahasrabudhe (disciple of Subhada Paradkar). To maintain the younger listeners engaged, rather a lot (dwelling in dormitories), there have been the dynamic kids Yashwant Vaishnav, who carried out a tabla solo, and vocalist Bhagyesh Marathe. Veterans Padma Talwalkar, Shruti Sadolikar and Ajay Pohankar demonstrated the craft of mastering the artwork. Whereas seasoned performers like Dr Ojesh Pratap Singh from Delhi confirmed how one can guarantee selection in presentation.

“We maintain two festivals yearly, one exterior Maharashtra, and one in Lonavla. We, as a part of a music-loving neighborhood, should give again and a minimum of guarantee our presence pretty much as good listeners. Artistes additionally assist ventures like ours. There are 560 music circles in Maharashtra that may do little or no, as a consequence of lack of funds. They invite artistes whom they will afford; this doesn’t interact listeners and the viewers dimension dwindles. Our music retreats goal to alter this,” summed up Mukund Athavale.