Natyasangeet Options

[Bertie Wooster]

I rediscovered Natyasangeet recently and wanted to share some songs that have lodged themselves in my mind.

I do not recall from where I picked this track - a kind soul had uploaded this as a part of a collection. I cannot thank him enough wherever he is.

Pu La Deshpande had entered the entertainment world in the early ’40s as an actor and singer on the Marathi stage by joining Mo Ga Rangnekar’s Natya Niketan drama troupe. Paakhara jaa, the song he rendered in the play Vahini was an instant hit.

[archimoz]

On Dhananjay-saab's request. However, I don't think Ustad Abdul Karim Khan had sung them as pure 'natyageets'. He just sought to use the bandishes to render his delectable khayals. Anyway, with that kind of a voice, whatever he did was music. Notice how his sargams are beautiful adaptations from the Carnatic style.

I do not have the Ustaad's 'nach sundari karu kopa'. There was this cassette that I had heard which had 6 songs of Ustaad and 6 by her able daughter, Hirabai Barodekar based on natyasangeet. I had heard the song there. Worth it's weight in gold.

Regards-Archie.

P.S. The raag-names are put as they appear on the labels of the 78 rpm records. I personally do not think that 'chandrika jhanu' is based on raag 'devgandhar'. It sounds more like raag 'Aarbi' to me. Devgandhar is more similar to a 'jaunpuri with a beautifully placed shuddh gandhar. An example would be K L Saigal's 'jhulana jhulaao'.