An instrument of beauty
Madhya Pradesh musician Naviin Gandharv comes to Pune to introduce a one-of-its-kind instrument: the Belabaharr, that combines the tonal effects of the Sarangi with the convenience of the Violin
Under The Tree, a fusion music concert presented by We the Artists India, is all set to feature Naviin Gandharv with his unique instrument, the Belabaharr. The instrument, designed by his father Pandit Babulal Gandharv, is a unique combination of the Violin and the Sarangi. It is believed to give more scope to an artist than any other bow instrument.
Naviin is a versatile musician who also plays the tabla. Born in the heart of Dewas, Madhya Pradesh, he started learning music at the age of 16 from Pt. Vishwanath Mishra and the great legendary tabla maestro, Ustad Allarakha Khan. As a young artist, Naviin leads a busy life. During his childhood, like in most musical families, he had tabla at home. He loved entertaining people with his skills, and this gradually became his passion along with cricket and football. “These games were a matter of worry for my parents. They thought my interest was diverting from music to sports. So they started taking me to concerts, and I fell in love with music again,” he adds.
Just like the uniqueness of the Belabaharrr, Naviin has developed a very different style of playing it, with vocal highlights intermingling with instrumental music. He emphasises more on raag, sur and taal. “I was initially interested in playing the tabla. But I was constantly hammered by people who told my father, “you have made such a nice instrument, but who is going to play it besides you? Your elder son plays the keyboard and your younger son plays the tabla.” So eventually I started learning the Belabaharr. It was difficult to pick up this instrument, and really painful on the body. But over time I could see I am getting better. Once I took it seriously, I was ready to play concerts in two years,” he says.
Babulal, his father, learned the sarangi and vocals from his father Pt.Kashiram Gandharv, and later developed a fondness for the Violin. After practising the instrument for years, he missed the resonating sound of the tarabs, which were a part of Sarangi. After years of research, he came up with a design that looked and played like a Violin but also blended sympathetic strings. He carved a 200-year-old piece of teak and created the instrument. “Those days, our financial conditions were not stable. We lived in a hut at a slum pocket. So he bought a second-hand instrument and innovated it into the Belabaharr,” he shares.
Naviin recently formed his band Anuraaj, which is a product of his journey through the Belabaharr and Tabla. His songs are a blend of nuances of ragas and interesting taal. Anuraaj is a platform for highly talented youngsters in Indian classical music with a vision to take Indian music to the highest level in the world.
When: September 26, 6 to 9.30 pm
Where: Aksharnandan School ground, Behind JW Marriott hotel, Senapati Bapat Road
zainab.kantawala@goldensparrow.com
Originally published on The Golden Sparrow
