Rediscovering Veenatai Sahasrabuddhe – Exemplary artist of Paluskar Tradition

Rediscovering Veenatai Sahasrabuddhe – Exemplary artist of Paluskar Tradition 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Anjali Malkar

On 29^th June this year, Veenatai departed, for the heavenly abode. She became one with the the eternal sound of the universe.  For the last four years, us, students were watching her, battling helplessly with an incurable disease.  We were in awe of Baba’s (Dr. Hari Sahasrabuddhe) ability to savor every precious moment with Veenatai, displaying strength to face the adversity with courage and fortitude.

As for me, I was fortunate to be her disciple for many years, the years when her career was on flight. Armed with a degree of M.A music, I joined her class and for ten years for at least three hours nearly every day, I had witnessed her magician-ship in singing.  Whether there be a festival, or a holiday, all the days in the year were converted into music celebration.  A simple and graceful woman, Veenatai was an ultimate example of an inspired musician for me. The obsession I experienced during those days is unforgettable. Veenatai purposefully avoided indulgence in matters other than music and focused on improvement in music making. She introduced to us to the compositions of Pt Ramashreya Jha, Pt Balwantrai Bhatt, and Pt. Vasant Thakar and also to the music of her father Pt. Shankar Shreepad Bodas and her brother Pt. Kashinath Shankar Bodas. Flawless both in words and tunes, she demonstrated the beauty of the compositions with great ease. When I joined her class, I was a small girl coming from a small town. Every class opened the deepest caves of musical treasure and I felt overwhelmed and desperate at the same time.  The glittering notes, meaningful words in the Bandish imbibed in us, the aesthetic beauty of lyrics in Classical music.

Veenatai was a humble musician.  As I remember, she never felt beneath to learn a particular bandish she needed for the cassette from a novice girl like me. She sat for hours with a Dagga to teach a large group of multileveled students in SNDT College even on fasting days without a slightest sign of exertion. Long after she resigned from the college, the department still cherished the memories of her dedication to the

subject.

Her demonstrative approach of unfolding the raga instilled basics of critical thinking in us. She always said, “The first step to elaborate a raga is to sing the outline of Bandish in ‘Aakar’. We are then benefitted with two things. Firstly, we understand the structure of notes used in the Bandish and secondly the beat number or Matra on which the pattern ends, thus knowing the interweaving pattern of Bandish and Taal”.  She would also elaborate on the importance of 5th, 7th and 10th beat in a Taal with a plain structure, such as Ektaal.

It was under her tutelage that for the first time I experienced a discipline in teaching. It was a glimpse of Paluskar tradition for me. She demonstrated in her riyaz that Alap was not just a glue of notes, (as it may be generally assumed) but a beautiful necklace of shining pearly notes woven in the silken thread of Aavartan.  I vividly remember how the grand show of demonstration, singing and playing Dagga simultaneously continued for hours leaving us mesmerized.

Veenatai had a beautiful mind and warm heart. The books, ‘Uttaradhikar’ and ‘Nadninad’ she published in memory of her father, a disciple of Pt. Vishnu Digambar Paluskar and her brother Pt. Kashinath Shankar Bodas showed her deep affection and regards for the tradition she inherited. Her literary eye and aesthetic sense in displaying the lecture demonstrations on different musical topics was very sophisticated.

Learning was Veenatai’s second nature. Though she inherited music from her father and brother, she learned ‘Layakari’ (singing in various speeds of Taal) from Pt. Gajananbua Joshi, delicate presentation of notes from Vidushi Kishori Amonkar, and self-studied the beauty of a meaningful pause from different recordings from Kirana Gharana.  She incorporated these elements from various styles seamlessly in her original Gwalior style of singing, which as a result brought her international fame and recognition.

‘Eliminate the bad and see what is good in others singing, try to identify what is suitable for you and imbibe that in your singing’. I still remember these words when she was actually in the formative process. We had always seen her rehearsing tirelessly to achieve what she aimed for. She was a perfectionist and never spared herself till she got it up to the mark. Veenatai viewed music as a wealth of knowledge and took it very seriously. She executed with great responsibility but never took a hard line approach on technicalities. She managed a fine balance of logical and innovative alternatives while staying true to the music. The honesty and faithfulness towards the art reflected in her singing.  Her special liking towards the vocal form Tarana, took her to composing number of Taranas. Having learnt dance in her tender age, she composed taranas full of swings, gamak and stressed notes. Her vigorous Taranas were widely applauded by the listeners. I still remember the thrill I felt listening to her melodious Taranas with forceful, undulating taan patterns.  Self-reliance and self-awareness were two more virtues I saw in her during my tutelage. She had an immense clarity in her approach and varied repertoire.

Unlike most of the musicians, who learnt in Ustadi system, Veenatai’s musical genes nurtured on curriculum system.  Musical teaching tradition in Bodas family were passed down to her. Her father Shankarrao Bodas, mother Shantabai and brother Kashinath were all music teachers of Paluskar system. She received further reinforcement in Sahasrabuddhe household. The neatness in her presentation, presence of mind in selection of Bandishes, announcing the name of Raga, and the meaning of Bandish, thus making the listeners comfortable, was a part of Paluskar tradition she inherited. That helped to build rapport between the artist and the audience. I also found manifestation of Paluskar tradition, which combined good literature to enhance the intellectual quality of music when she designed  theme-based albums such as ‘Rituchakra’ and ‘Pancharatnamala’ and live presentation such as ‘Ritusangeet’ and ‘Krishna Sandhya’, in which she incorporated works of famous Sanskrit and Hindi poets such as Kalidas and Surdas.

All kinds of music listeners – from learned musicologists to untrained music lovers, were equally mesmerized by her music. The energy in her notes and beats and the authenticity of her music moved the experts in the field. An innovative way of elaborating phrases in a Raag in Khayal impressed the learned. Similarly, a detailed, cyclical expansion of raag in Khayal impressed the learned, and apt choice of bandish and attractive taan patterns won hearts of lay music-lovers. Deep impact of Kumar Gandharva on her Nirguni Bhajans would make the crowd lose themselves to the divinity of pure notes.

‘The notes must stay crisp and the laya pattern in them should be varying, this will keep the audience engaged’ she used to say during the practice session. She practiced all forms of music – from film music to ghazals with full sincerity to develop crispness. As a postgraduate student of Sanskrit and Sangeet Praveen equivqlent to Doctorate in Music, the experiments such as Saraswati Upasana Stotras and light emotional songs in ‘Bhava Veena’ were successful.

Just as in India, Veenatai took the audience abroad by storm when she performed as an eminent singer of Gwalior Gharana. Her fans and followers all over the world still cherish her Raga Shree in unforgettable concerts. Baba as an authoritative figure in Computer Science used the technology appropriately to spread Veenatai’s melodious voice all over the world. He worked as a frame of a beautiful painting till her last breath.

As a Shishya, and researcher of music, I have meekly tried to unfold Veenatai’s genius. I am very well aware of the shortfall in my perceptions. Still recollecting her virtuosity was like rediscovering new facets from the revised lesson by me. She will forever be remembered as a brilliant singer of Paluskar tradition and will be in our hearts as a generous Guru for all students.