Nature took centre stage at the ‘Ragas by the River’ festival held amidst the wilderness of Jim Corbett National Park

industani vocalist Kaushiki Chakraborty was thrilled about sighting tigers, while singer Hariharan was delighted at spotting elephants in the wild. Flautist Rakesh Chaurasia left the venue in a hurry after his morning concert to go on a safari. “I wanted to perform before I went into the forest. What if a tiger hunts me down?” he laughed, before playing a soulful raag Pahadi.

In a bid to provide a unique musical experience, curators of cultural festivals are constantly on the lookout for locations that will spark wanderlust in people. Palaces, forts and lush landscapes are being turned into performance arenas, allowing the audience to discover the freespiritedness of our arts. The unconventional settings also motivate artistes to push the boundaries of their creativity.

‘Ragas by the River’, which was held recently in Uttarakhand, celebrated the ageold connection between music and Nature. We have heard how Tansen could set off a blaze by singing raag Deepak and could bring rain with his rendition of Miyan ki Malhar, still a popular monsoon

raag.

HThe venue of the festival was on the banks of river Kosi and the fringes of the Jim Corbett National Park. Established in 1936, Corbett is the country’s first national park and is known for its flora and fauna. Sitting under a clear sky on chilly evenings, surrounded by tall trees, rocky hills and a river, raags Yaman, Gurjari Todi, Jhinjoti and Shudh Kalyan seemed to gain a distinct emotional resonance.

Informal ambience

Kaushiki, who went on the safari twice with her son and husband, felt it was amazing to see curators design cultural events for a larger purpose. “I am an outdoorsy person and love going on adventure holidays. This festival has been the best working holiday I have had in recent times. I felt a surge of energy when I sang after experiencing the wilderness,” she said. “The informal ambience allows for a closer interaction with the audience too.

“But the biggest highlight was being able to sit back and enjoy the performances of other artistes. Imagine having Ustad Amjad Ali Khan in the audience at my concert,” she added.

Kaushiki was also invited by the Ustad to sing ‘Aaj jaane ki zid na karo’ as he played the timeless ghazal on his sarod during his late evening performance. “Only in the last few years have we realised how valuable culture tourism is. Our art and heritage stand to gain immensely with this burgeoning interest. The new synergy among artistes, audiences, organisers and curators is essential to make art accessible. Look at how the

Onkara audience is enjoying the music. It is not always important that they understand every note,” he said.

As the delectable sounds of his sarod wafted through the cool air, the veteran musician teased out the character of each melodic phrase. Unlike the racy passages we usually hear today, his phrases began gently, shone with refined improvisation and finally dove into tranquillity. All through, the Ustad demonstrated his impeccable control over the instrument. The evening began with his sons Amaan and Ayaan reiterating through their playing the challenge of innovation and the beauty of tradition.

Sujata Mishra, a young IT executive from Delhi was attending her first classical concert. “This was a perfect space for my initiation. I did not feel like being in a highbrow cultural bubble. There’s a perception that classical music isn’t the most welcoming, and certainly not the most diverse as far its performers or audience members are concerned. Newage festivals are different. And who knows, maybe I’ll next go to listen to classical music in an auditorium,” she smiled.

Curators are attempting all types of stratagems to broaden the audience base. “We must cultivate the next generation of loyal patrons to remain culturally relevant. I am always eager to perform at such events where the audience comes with an open mind and lets the musician take them on a journey. Since there is no pressure on us to stick to the repertoire, we package the presentation in a way that it appeals to both the informed and the neophyte,” said Rakesh Chaurasia (who won the Grammy this year for the album ‘As we speak’).

According Vir Srivastava, the festival director, the idea was to make classical music less intimidating and more enjoyable. A trustee of Ustad Amjad Ali Khan’s Sarod Ghar in Gwalior, Vir hails from a family that has its roots in the RampurSahaswan gharana. It was at the suggestion of the sarod maestro that Vir launched the festival.

“During visits to Corbett with his grandsons, the Ustad would tell me during casual baithaks that music will sound divine in the pure air of this place. So we decided to stage the concerts at the foothills of the Himalayas. However, the bigger purpose was to preserve the natural heritage of the region. Going forward, we plan to join hands with environmental organisations to make Nature an important collaborator of the festival,” said Vir.