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Artists of Ashtanayika – Kal Aur Aaj performing at the Mahindra Percussion Festival in Bengaluru on Sunday.
The second day of the Mahindra Percussion Festival roared to life at the Prestige Srihari Khoday Center for Performing Arts on Sunday, treating audiences to a whirlwind exploration of percussive styles from across the globe.
The evening began with Rhythms of India, comprising B.C. Manjunath, Darshan Doshi, Varijashree Venugopal, and Praveen Rao. Theirs was a performance showcasing India’s musical heritage infused with a contemporary flair.
The opening piece tantalised spectators with a splash of Spanish influence. However, it was Ms. Varijashree who stole the show, seamlessly alternating between vocals and flute in a display sometimes more remarkable than the percussionists themselves. A vocal-percussion duet further highlighted her skills.
The performance continued with a percussion-heavy piece titled ‘Rhythms of India’, punctuated by a beautiful flute interlude and a dazzling mridangam solo. Further percussion solos showcased the ensemble’s virtuosity. The first performance ended with ‘Bandish Blues’, its staccato bursts giving way to a flowing, melodic exploration.
The festival stage transformed with Ashtanayika – Kal Aur Aaj, an avant-garde performance fusing ancient poetry with contemporary music, dance, and rap. It explored the emotional world of the ‘Ashtanayika’ (eight archetypal heroines) through Sur Das’s lyrical poetry, expressive Kuchipudi dance, and the raw power of rap.
Taufiq Qureshi and team performing at the Mahindra Percussion Festival in Bengaluru on Sunday.
Viveick Rajagopalan’s music formed a rhythmic backdrop of classical Indian sounds and modern jazz, resonating with the nayika’s myriad emotions. Aishwarya Meenakshi’s Bharatanatyam brought authenticity and depth, while rap artists like Shivangini Yeashu Yuvraj and Ashwini ‘Krantinaari’ Hiremath and Pratika offered a modern counterpoint. The vibrant energy of traditional tasha and dhol drums completed this immersive experience, a celebration of both heritage and innovation.
The festival culminated with Taufiq Qureshi’s Surya, an innovative project blending Indian classical music with vibrant energy from jazz, folk, Afro, Latin, and contemporary sounds. Led by the percussion maestro, Surya’s focus on improvisation ensured a unique and dynamic performance each time.
Mr. Qureshi was joined by a talented ensemble, including Sarang Kulkarni on the sarod, Abhay Nayampally on the electric guitar, Shikhar Naad Qureshi on the djembe drums, with Kaushiki Joglekar’s fingers waltzing over the keyboard.
The first day of the festival saw performances by the Charu Hariharan Quartet featuring Kozhikode Nanthalakootam and artists from the Jenukuruba tribe from Nagarhole; Two Summ featuring Mr. Viveick Rajagopalan and Anantha R. Krishnan; Swarathma featuring Thavil Raja and Beat Guru, and the legendary Vikku Vinayakram with his family.
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