 Dr. Prabha Atrre receiving the Kalidas Samman Award |
Dr. Prabha Atrre has been honoured with the prestigious National Kalidas Samman instituted by the Madhya Pradesh Government this year. (Manipuri dancer Guru Singhjeet Singh and sculptor Nagji Patel are the others honoured alongwith). Dr. Atrre is a veteran Hindustani vocalist belonging to the Kirana gharana and is also a Padmabhushan and Sangeet Akademi awardee.
Kalidas Samman is given on the basis of exceptional creativity, highest artistic excellence, outstanding achievement and long time dedication in the field of Indian classical music. The award is meant for the total contribution of the artist and is awarded for being actively engaged in creative work at the time of selection.
Pt. Mallikarjun Mansoor, Pt. Kumar Gandharv, Pt. Ravi Shankar, Bharat Ratna Smt. M.S. Subbulakshmi, Ustad Vilayat Khan, Ustad Alla Rakha, are a few of the maestros honoured with the Samman.
Shri Lakshmikant Sharma, Minister for Cultural Affairs, Government of Madhya Pradesh announced the awards on 23rd December 2004 at Bhopal. The award carries an amount of Rupee One lakh and a plaque of honour. The award ceremony would be held on 12th February 2005, the announcement said.
 Dr. Prabha Atrre receiving the 1st Govind Lakshmi Gaurav Puraskar |
Dr. Prabha Atrre received the '1st Govind Lakshmi Gaurav Puraskar' from the Hon’ble President of India Shri. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. Also seen in the picture (left to right) are Shri. T.N. Chaturvedi, Governor of Karnataka, Shri. Tanveer Ahmed, Minister of State for Wakfs, Smt. Shyamala G. Bhave, Executive Director – Saraswati Sangeet Vidyalaya and Shri. M.S.A. Rao.
On November 5th, Dr. Prabha Atrre was honoured with the ‘Govind Lakshmi Gaurav Puraskar’ at the Platinum jubilee celebrations of Saraswati Sangeet Vidyalaya at Bangalore by the Hon’ble President of India Shri. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. Dr. Atrre is the first recipient of the award instituted in the names of late Pt. Govind Vithal Bhave and his wife late vidushi Lakshmi Govind Bhave, also the founders of the Vidyalaya. The award was conferred on Dr. Atrre for displaying constant innovation and creative endeavour in Indian classical music said Smt. Shyamal G. Bhave, Executive Director of Saraswati Sangeet Vidyalaya. Smt. Bhave is hailed to be proficient in both Hindustani and Karnatic styles of music and was also Chairperson of the Karnatak Sangeet Nritya Academy.
'Sur Sangam' – a Hindustani classical vocal music concert based on Carnatic raagas was organized by 'Swaramayee' in association with the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) Mumbai at the Tata Theatre on 19th December 2003. The programme had noted Hindustani classical vocalist Dr. Prabha Atrre performing accompanied by Ramdas Phalsule on the tablaa and Sunil Borgaonkar on the haarmonium.
|
Dr. Atrre was honoured on the occasion, on her 70th birth year, by Shri. Suresh P. Prabhu, M.P., the then Chairman of the Task Force on Interlinking of Rivers of the Government of India.
The programme was hailed for its uniqueness – having a maestro performing a full-fledged concert (which is rarity of late), and for presenting Carnatic raagas which have no parallels in Hindustani music in the Hindustani style. This is for the artist needs to have good command, hold and understanding of both the styles of Indian music. The theme was hailed for carrying academic and entertainment value. The concert attracted music lovers both from the Carnatic and Hindustani styles, connoisseurs, musicians, academicians, music critics, musicologists, etc. The programme was sponsored by Dena Bank.
A seminar on 'Sargam as Musical Material' followed by a workshop on 'How to Sing Sargam / Sargam Rendition' was organised on 11th-12th September 2004 by Dr. Prabha Atrre Foundation and Pu La Deshpande Maharashtra Kala Academy at the Poorva Ranga mini theatre at the Ravindra Natya Mandir in Mumbai.
 Seminar - SARGAM as Musical Material Workshop - SARGAM Rendition |
The seminar had eminent musicologists and musicians from classical, light to film music participating. The paper presentations were supplemented by illustrations, listening session of recordings of sargam singing of old maestros from Hindustani and Carnatic music also from semi-classical and light forms. This was followed by a discussion also involving panelists.
This is probably the first time in India a Seminar/Workshop involving eminent musicologists and practising musicians from Hindustani, Carnatic and also light music was being organised which dealt with the different aspects of sargam in performance.
The seminar attempted to examine the history of sargam; its place as a separate musical material besides aalaap, bols and taan; evolution of the usage of sargam with time; potential of its usage and the factors that have made sargam popular with most of the genre right from classical, light to geet, ghazal, bhajan, Indi-pop, fusion, commercials advertisements etc.
The workshop was huge success having nearly 80 registrants comprising of a large number of students of music, connoisseurs and also lay listeners from Surat, Pune, Solapur, etc., besides Mumbai.
Seminar - SARGAM as Musical Material Workshop - SARGAM Rendition |
The two day programme had Dr. Ashok D. Ranade, Shankar Mahadevan, Dr. N. Ramanathan, Dr. Prabha Atrre, Prof. P.N. Krishnamoorthy, Pt. Arvind Parikh, Dr. T. Lokanadha Sharma, Dr. Suhasini Koratkar, Pt. Ajay Pohankar, Pt. Babanrao Haldankar, Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan, Dr. Vikas Kashalkar, Shri. Anand Modak, Dr. Suvarnalatha Rao, Shri. Satyasheel Deshpande participating as subject experts.
Dr. Prabha Atrre opined: "Sargam has proved itself to be an effective multipurpose musical material. However, it should not be considered as a substitute for other musical material. It is the responsibility of the performer / composer to make use of sargam wisely and judiciously".
Papers presented :-
'Sur Sangam' – a Hindustani classical vocal music concert based on Carnatic raagas and style’ was organised by Swaramayee, the cultural banner of Dr. Prabha Atrre Foundation. The programme was organised at Vishnudas Bhave Auditorim, Vashi on 17th May 2005. The main objective of the programme was to encourage and enable audience of the both Hindustani and Carnatic music styles to try, understand and appreciate the other style.
|
The programme had Dr. Prabha Atrre who gave a rare performance singing self composed bandishs in khyaal, taraanaa, chaturang, thumri, daadraa and bhajan - the forms of Hindustani music in Carantic raagas which have no parallel raags sung in Hindustani style and in Carnatic style.
Dr. Atrre started her concert with a vilambit khyaal in raag Saraswati “Jaago hein Jaganmaate....” followed by a drut khyaal in Ektaal “Maata Saraswatidevi....” and a taraanaa. Later in raag Hansadhwani in madhyalaya Roopaktaal was presented bandish “mana sumirana karalee....” followed by a beautiful taraanaa in the taan ang. In the carnatic raag Mishra Kanakangi a daadraa “Shyaam bin paaoon main paaoon kaise chain...” was presented wherein Dr. Atrre used both the Rishabhs and Dhaivats together making one experience the flavour of Carnatic music.
After the interval Dr. Atrre presented “Nanda nandana mana mohana....” in madhyalaya followed by a drut khyaal “Tore binaa chain naahin...” followed by a taraanaa in raag Keerwani wherein the swar rachana as done in the Carnatic style was evident. Later in raag Hemaawati in the madhyalaya Rupak taal was presented “main tore sharan hein Raghunandan...” in an attractive Chaturang form. Dr. Atrre concluded her recital with a bhajan in raag mishra Chaarukeshi “Nisadin gaaoon mangal naam....”.
Dr. Atrre’s attempt to show the salient features of Carnatic music in her compositions with the usage of sargam and gamakas was well evident. The concert received a great applause from the audience which had music lovers both form the Carnatic and Hindustani styles comprising of lay listeners, connoisseurs, academicians, musicologists, musicians and students of music.
Dr. Atrre was ably accompanied on the tabla by Shri. Mukundraj Deo and on the harmonium by Shri. Ajay Joglekar. Her student Chetana Banawat provided vocal support along with Smt. Veena Kulkarni who provided taanpuraa accompaniment. On the surmandal was Shri. Sudhanwa Bodas.