After a somewhat exhausting journey from London to Shanghai and then on to

India, we were invited to perform at the inaugural concert of “Baithak – the Art House”. This is a new music space set up by our friend Sanjeev for learning music and dance and from which to run concerts and performances in the heart of Bhopal – the second most greenest city in India and in March full of bright spring blossom and birdsong. Indian music being the main source of inspiration, the spirit of Baithak also sets out to draw in other musical cultures world-wide, as in for example flamenco guitar and also dance and indeed musicians from other parts of the world and to host and promote other art forms...

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The invitation to take part in the concert, even though at such short notice, we were delighted to accept – in actual fact our performance had been advertised before we even knew about it! So what could Neil and I offer with no tablas and no aide-mémoire notes? The only instruments we had on board was a Hohner airboard and a small Chinese flute called….Cucurbit flute (Hulusi), a delightful companion on which I had had just one lesson in the Chinese music shop in the musical street (Jinling Lu) on the way to the Bund in Shanghai.

We were looking forward to our first meeting with Sanjeev’s friends Surekha Kamble, Ranjit Nicose and Rajendra Vishwaroop. Sanjeev had already told us that Surekha is a Dhrupad vocalist and Rajendra is a surbahar player and that both of them are disciples of Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar and had lived with him, according to the guru shishyaa tradition, for 8 years. When we did meet Ranjit we learnt that he is a professor of mechanical engineering (and head of department) at the local RKDF University.

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Surekha and her husband Ranjit had invited us to dinner and so we set off from our hotel to their home, where we would also meet Rajendra. With Sanjeev accompanying us and Ranjit as our driver, we arrived in their street to discover a fiercely burning bonfire in the road and a whole crowd of excited locals celebrating Holika Dahan around it. They made way for us and Ranjit gingerly circumnavigated the bonfire to park beyond. The fire represents the burning of Holika, the demoness of Hindu Vedic scripture - the story of Holika’s death signifies the triumph of good over evil. We chatted with the happy and animated locals and there was a lot of talk about music around the bonfire and the word Bollywood kept coming up as it seems to be the young people’s interpretation of Music whenever vocal or dance is mentioned. Yes yes they are learning dance, they say happily – which kind? Kathak or Kathakhali? - No - Bollywood dance! The gathering gave another opportunity to advertise the concert on 4th March - a chance which Sanjeev took, inviting the crowd and encouraging them to listen to something different and only when we entered the house of Surekha and Ranjit did we realise that one of the people from the crowd was actually Surekha herself.

Surekha’s food was as delicious as Sanjeev had promised and the evening turned out to be a hilarious exchange of musical stories – stories using the making of food to prove a musical point and failed remembrances by Neil and me of ragas learnt or remembered partially. On a more serious note we heard tales of how music had cured some of us from various ailments arising from accidents and health issues. The musicians had hoped to collaborate with us for the concert but it soon became obvious that there would not be enough time to rehearse and so it was decided that this time both groups would present a separate performance. Sanjeev was an excellent translator for Surekha and the laughter and banter that evening was interspersed by the visits of a much beloved pet turtle, who wandered about freely from room to room.

The next day we went to “Baithak - The Art House" and we were amazed at how big this was and how prettily decorated in soft colours of pink, yellow and green with a tall Neem tree growing next door. It is quite a tall property and while the ground floors are reserved for rental accommodation the upper floors are all designed for music and other activities – there is a large dance area which can also be used for concerts and there are several rooms leading off for private lessons or study and a wonderful rooftop presently used for evening yoga but also to be used as a larger concert area. We were treated to tiny cups of tea either made by Surekha or bought from the local market. The tea was always black and full of delicious perfumed spice – not like a masala tea but more like a tea version of double expressos – a tiny cup was thirst-quenching in itself. We missed it coming back to England.

I was also introduced to a set of tablas but the tabla was very out of tune and the bayan itself did not ring out at all. I would have to work at them and fingers crossed all would turn out well. There was no tabla hammer in Baithak to tune them with but I had fortunately packed a hammer into my luggage as well as some talcum powder, which we use to protect the tabla from moisture, so I was equipped. What was promising was that both tabla and bayan were heavy so professionally made for performances. The day was the 2nd March and Holi itself so a happy mood prevailed and Sanjeev did not mind me taking the tabla set away to our accommodation.

That evening and most of the next day Neil and I dedicated ourselves to practicing for the concert on the 4th. I worked on the tuning of the tabla and it started to sing, as did the bayan. It was quite extraordinary - it was high in pitch (D) and didn’t fit in with the tuning of the Hohner airboard so, for my tabla solo, Neil decided to sing the 16 beat lehra to the bols of “re” and “na” in Chandrakauns. It is a tough job to vocalise a lehra but there was no alternative as no harmonium or keyboard were kept in Baithak. Neil also was working on singing a happy bandish in Bhopali, a Bhajan possibly, and finally a song like a chant inspired by the Incredible String Band, which he had adapted for Indian style. We found out that this goes nicely into a 6 beat dadra tal, and we also had Hindi words in a translation provided by Sanjeev. Neil hoped to sing it in Hindi and then in English and then in Hindi once more.

Finally we were ready for the day and Sanjeev was constantly on the phone while we did a rehearsal at Baithak with the sound system. He was telling the Press that that night would be the first classical music night for the newly opened Centre. He was a bit worried by the fact that the great maestro of santoor, Pandit Shivkumar Sharma was also performing that night in one of Bhopal’s big concert venues, Bharat Bhavan. Very unusually Shivkumar was playing a jugalbundi with his son, Rahul Sharma. It was the first concert in an eight day event exploring how creative art forms benefit health. The date could not have been predicted or avoided since the decision to have this concert had only been made a couple of days before his concert.  However, Sanjeev need not have worried because as Zakir Hussain said earlier this year at the Kolkutta Literary Festival “Indian Classical music is essentially a chamber music – it is best enjoyed in a small Baithak”. With hindsight we felt that much of the original spirit of  all the music making that night would have  been lost in a large hall.

We had about 75 wonderful people of all ages in our audience for the night of the 4th and there was a very festive feeling. The experience was so unlike anything we experience in England. In the UK there is so much to do and worry about that it is hard to keep focused on the performance itself. In Bhopal there were no demands on us at all except to keep an eye on the time. A car came to fetch us to the venue and a lively conversation about music in the car developed on our way. We didn’t have to worry about car parking. One of the passengers was very keen to hear us play and we requested her, in true Indian style, to be forgiven our mistakes! We didn’t have to bring our own sound system and set it up. This was all done beforehand. When we arrived in the already crowded room we were immediately surrounded by children and their parents wanting to know who we are and what our instruments were and above all could they have their photos taken with us? We were only just aware of Ravi unpacking his pakhawaj drum on the humble stage – the stage was actually on rugs at floor level so as to facilitate communication with the audience more by being on the same level.

Before we had started with the first Dha on tabla and Sa on vocals we were presented each with a beautiful red rose. It was such a wonderful idea and we greatly appreciated it.

After some introductions and a short sound test and a few words from us we began our programme. Our performance was of course improvised but following a pattern of events that we had been discussing over the last couple of days. We never know what will happen on the night of a performance and our practicing over the last couple of days was really to find my tabla fingers again and for Neil to find his voice – both a bit lost in China! There is never enough time for riaz (practice) wherever one is in the world but this was Baithak and in the spirit of Baithak, we played and enjoyed.

Afterwards we thoroughly enjoyed the performance given by our new friends, Surekha and Rajendra, whom we had now got to know quite well. Their performance was very dynamic and exciting in dhrupad style and splendidly backed up by flamenco guitar by our dear friend Sanjeev and Ravi on pakhawaj. We had a great evening afterwards talking to all and having more photos taken.

It wasn’t very late in the day but nobody had a plan to celebrate afterwards so we all went our separate ways and Neil and I had a late dinner where we were staying and suddenly while we were having supper, Sanjeev, Surekha, Ranjit and Rajendra all turned up to celebrate! Wow!