Ambi Subramaniam

Bhubaneswar : Spell binding Kathak performance by pandit Rajendra Gangani and captivating solo violin rendition by Ambi Subramaniam  kept the audience at Rabindra Mandap as the fourth evening of the 24th OMC Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award Festival 2018 commenced Saturday.

Eminent Odissi dance exponent Padmashree Arun Mohanty, Odissi danseuse Pranati Mohanty graced the evening as guests.

Rajendra Gangani

Kathak maestro Pt. Rajendra Gangani began his recital with Jagannatha Swami Nayana Pathagami Bhava Tume paying obeisance to Lord Jagannath. This was followed by his first main piece, Durga Stuti by Guru Gobind Singhji, portraying the power and grandeur of Goddess Durga. Then came the Nritta aspect of Kathak, exploring the technical intricacies of pure dance effortlessly and with absolute poise and dignity, captivating the audience. The next piece in his repertoire for the evening was an Abhinaya from Jayadeva’s Geeta Govinda, Srita Kamala Kuccha Mandala. His beautiful portrayal of this popular Ashtapadi spoke volumes about his mastery of the field. He then explored Dhrut Laya of Teen Taal and Lehras in Raag Charukeshi. The audience witnessed a rare composition with unique Uthans, Thaats and Parans. Through his innovative style and technical wizardry, Pt. Gangani presented an evening of Kathak that was truly a memorable experience for the Bhubaneswar audience. He was accompanied on a flawless orchestra by Ravi wShankar Sharma on sitar, Ayyub Khan on the Sarangi, Samiullah Khan on vocals and Yogesh Gangani on the tabla.

The Kathak was followed by a classical Carnatic violin recital by the immensely talented Ambi Subramaniam. Hailed as the new king of Indian classical violin, Ambi lived upto his reputation with a sensitive, mature and spell-binding performance. He performed pieces from a traditional Carnatic repertoire and was ably accompanied on the mridangam by V.V. Ramanamurthy and on the morsing by Satyasai Ghantasala. He commenced his recital with a composition by his father, the legendary Dr. L. Subramaniam in Raag Abhogi and went on to present a Pallavi in Raag Charukeshi, and concluded with a Tillana.

Odissi dance guru Lingaraj Behera and thespian Satchi Das will be presented the Nalco GKCM Awards on the concluding day fo the 24th OMC GKM Award Festival, here on Sunday.  Nalco GKCM Award  Yuva Prativa Samman will presented to Sonali Mohapatra (Odissi), Subikash Mukherjee (Odissi), Swati Sinha (Kathak) and Rohan Suresh Dahale (Odissi music) for their commendable performances in their respective fields. The concluding evening will have an Odissi performance by the host organization Srjan.