Kaushiki Chakraborty’s Raag Bhimpalasi and the Eternal Charm of Indian Classical Music

‘Yaad Piya Ki Aye’ is playing in the background with Kaushikiji humming हाए राम! (Haye Ram) in a tune as melodious as one falls in love — slowly and beautifully. Ojas Adhiya on tabla, is as fabulous and crisp as ever with Rakesh Chaurasia on banasi (flute) and Deepak Pandit on violin with Kaushiki cooing ‘Bairi Koyaliya Kook Sunave…’ which flows as mellifluous as Ganga from Gangotri. Purbayan Chatterjee is on sitar, engaging in a jugalbandi (tussle) with Ojas Adhiya on tabla. This song will be etched in the minds of all the listeners for time immemorial. Blessed are the viewers who were able to watch and listen to this concert in person. The thumri has ended and the crowd cheers ‘Kya Bat Hai, Hooo Hooo, Wah Wah…’.

I recently stumbled across Kaushiki Chakraborty’s Raag Bhimpalasi and was instantly mesmerized. The ease with which Kaushiki could stress and expand her vocal cords has been an out of the world experience. I haven’t heard anything as melodious as this raag before, it instantly drew me in and refuses to leave ever since.

I could finally understand why my parents were always enthralled when they returned from an Indian classical concert. They would talk at length about the beautiful experience they had. As a young kid, I didn’t understand the deep love my parents shared for Bharatiya raag sangeet. At some level I pretended that I didn’t care, but deep within, I’ve always wondered what it would be like to enjoy and fall in love with music the way my parents have.

The song in the background has now changed to ‘Sawan Ki Ritu Aye’ performed by Kaushiki with Ojas on tabla and Ajay Joglekar on peti (harmonium). It starts off beautifully with Ajay’s peti playing a peaceful and meditative sur which garners a compliment from Kaushiki — ‘Kya Baat Hai…!’ and then she begins her Kajri. Kaushiki takes her time and lets the listener enjoy every sur in this Kajri, Ojas patiently waits to step in on tabla six minutes after the Kajri has begun, this is a monument in itself to Kaushiki and her talent. She keeps the listener engaged and wanting more — hoping that this melody never ends. You, as a listener don’t want this to end, there is no hurry to go anywhere or do anything else. This is a rare feeling in today’s fast paced world.

I have always wanted to understand the deep meaning and connections that exist among the various ragas that so many generations have enjoyed. I think I just didn’t know where to begin. Something that had previously eluded me — why did my parents appreciate and enjoy the repetitive singing of certain sounds and words in shastriya sangeet? Something I clearly failed to notice as a child or later as a teenager, was the various voice modulations and pace manipulations that happen in classical singing, expressing the deep emotions a singer experiences and wants to convey to the audience.

This is something I have been able to appreciate and enjoy as time has slowed during this global pandemic. With California under lockdown, I have been spending hours simply listening to various classical songs by different Indian artists. This is something I have never done before, no television, no phone nor computer, just classical music dancing amongst my ears.

In the background I still hear ‘ सावन की रितु आयी ‘ (Sawan Ki Ritu Aayee) as beautiful and peaceful as ever, yet a certain excitement exists in this Kajri. How can one raag express so many varied emotions at the same time?

Classical music was always a constant presence in my household due to my father’s love for Carnatic and Hindustani sangeet. Bhimsen Joshi’s cassettes were scattered about the house. Bhismilla Khan’s shehanai and Jitendra Abhisheki’s songs were played morning and night. M. S. Subbulakshmi, Hariprasad Chaurasiya, Zakir Hussain and Pandit Shivkumar Sharma were frequent guests of the house, courtesy of our 90’s Sony cassette player sitting in the northeast corner of the living room. I think it still lies somewhere in my parents’ Belgaum home in Karnataka.

When out on my evening walks with one of Kaushiki’s songs as my companion, it’s like the world around has disappeared and I walk in another realm. What Kaushiki and her dedication to music has done, is to introduce a whole new generation to this beautiful and magical world of Indian classical music and for that, I’m forever grateful. Her raag becomes an eternal part of you.

In Haruki Murakami’s words ‘If I have left a wound inside you, it is not just your wound but mine as well’. On the same note, all the classical musicians can attest, ‘If there is a note inside you that refuses to leave, it’s not just my note but yours too’.