KOLKATA: The unforgettable Kathak recital of Pt Birju Maharaj in concert with Ustad Zakir Hussain at Golpark Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture remains the talk of town. So do his jugalbandis with Pt Ajoy Chakraborty and Vidushi Girija Devi. There is also footage of him singing Manna Dey’s ‘Jodi kagoje lekho naam’ at a city concert. His Bengali pronunciation was impeccable. The maestro played the harmonium too. His fondness for Manna Dey was evident from his rendition. Seated next was his disciple, Vidushi Saswati Sen, who diligently held a notebook of the Bengali lyrics.
Many such memories have been doing the rounds of Kolkata’s music corridors ever since the news of the legend’s demise broke out. Pt Kumar Bose, who has accompanied him at countless concerts in India and abroad since 1980, remembered a Kolkata concert in the mid-90s that was organized by Rajan-Sajan Mishra’s Swar Ganga group. In the front row were 51 eminent musicians, who were being felicitated. The atmosphere was charged up and there was magic on stage. “The programme was organized by Rajan-Sajan Mishra. That was an important incentive. Presence of many eminent musicians in the front row was inspiring too,” he said. Clearly, that concert stands out as one of Bose’s memorable Kolkata programmes with the maestro. Describing their chemistry, Bose said, “He loved my playing style and was fond of my guru, Pt Kishan Maharaj. Knowing dance steps alone didn’t make him a legend. He was a complete musician, singing, composing, choreographing, playing tabla and writing poetry.”
