Begum Parveen Sultana continues to enchant together with her energetic rendition  

Parveen Sultana performing in Bengaluru

Begum Parveen Sultana is 75. Her cheeks could also be much less rounded however her smile stays intact. She is as swish and strikingly dressed, together with a string of jasmine adorning her hair, as earlier than. Most significantly, her enchanting voice appears untouched by time. 

Performing for Bhoomija Basis’s Holi Re! in Bengaluru just lately, the Begum mentioned: “Is umr mein gaana… jaan nikal jaati hain!” (To sing at this age is exhausting) Nevertheless, when she started singing to a full home on the Status Centre for Performing Arts (PCPA), one hardly felt any pressure in her voice — it effortlessly traversed octaves. 

Parveen Sultana visits Bengaluru no less than twice a 12 months, certainly one of which is to carry out on the reputed Sree Ramanavami International Music pageant  in Chamarajpet. 

Listening to her sing, I used to be overcome with nostalgia. It introduced alive recollections of these HMV recordings that launched me to her beautiful rendition of raags Salagavathi, Thodi, Lalith, Nandkauns and Mangal Bhairav. 

Discussions after her live shows normally centre round her means to sing at a excessive pitch. However there may be way more to her voice, as seen on this live performance —  open-throated aakar, speedy taans and seamless modulation. 

Parveen Sultana started with Puriya Dhanashri (bandish ‘Laagi mori lagan’). In her attribute model, she took the viewers alongside proper from the opening notes that had a  solemn grandeur about them. She explored the decrease octaves with conviction, lending the music a pensive high quality at the same time as her voice saved good tempo with the sur. Within the drut bandish, ‘Payaliya jhankar extra’, the taans have been brisk and marked by readability. 

She embellished the composition with tonal variations Her flamboyant aesthetic just isn’t merely a present of her prowess, it signifies her thought course of. 

Begum Parveen Sultana’s live performance was a tremendous mix of method and emotion

Parveen Sultana adopted this with conventional thumris, specifically picked to invoke the colors and moods of spring. ‘Kaise kari barjori shyam’ set to raag Mishra Kafi. It started with a gradual exposition, capturing the reflective nature of the attractive lyrics, however reached the climax too quick. Then got here a Surdas bhajan — a posh composition, with sudden turns, once more in raag Mishra Kafi. 

Can there ever be a live performance with out the diva singing the evergreen, ‘Humein tumse pyar kitna’ composed by the inimitable  R.D. Burman? She will need to have sung the music a thousand occasions, but it sounded refreshing.  That night, she recalled the rehearsals and recording of the music in 1981 and was stuffed with reward for the composer. 

The musical values she introduced into her singing made Parveen Sultana’s rendition of  ‘Bhavani dayani’ (raag Bhairavi) a gem.

The well-known Ravindra Katoti on the harmonium and Ojas Adhiya on the tabla offered unobtrusive accompaniment.