Percussion instruments in jugalbandhi concerts

[gobilalitha]

At the outset excuse me for my poor knowledge of taalam(as if I have abundant knoledge of other aspects!) In a jugalbandhi performance after the hm artist finishes the song , the tabla player takes over, meanwhile the mridangam artist just watches and enjoys. similarly when the mridangam srtist plays tani , the tabla player enjoys watching. My question is why it is not possible for the tabla artist and the mridangam artist to observe keenly the beatsand the kanakku of his counterpart and reproduce the beats .GOBILALITHA

[srinivasrgvn]

I don't know about reproducing the beats of each other but I've seen the tabla player and mridangam player play together in a jugalbandhi concert. Is that possible or did I see something new?

[Nick H]

If it is really a jugalbandi, the percussionists should converse, surely?

There is no reason that skilled artists of either tradition should not follow and understand each other.

I have seen jugalbandis that are not conversations at all, but like two performances on the same stage, taking it in turns to play.

To my mind, a N/S jugalbandi should include different permutations of the instruments, and if the chosen musicians cannot play for each other's music, they are the wrong people for the job. I've certainly seen it done like this.

So, I guess I've seen both ways, but I have not seen enough jugalbandis to be able to say what the "norm" is.

[vijay]

The ones I have seen have been mostly for Shakti and L Sub with artistes like ZAkir Hussain and Vijay GHate on the Table. Most of the performances I have seen have been similar to the Tani Avarthanam with the Tabalachi taking on the role of the upapakkavdayam or vice versa...In some cases the Tabalchi appears clueless when confronted with kanakku oriented sections and gives up on the tala! However artistes like Zakir Hussain have taken pains to understand South Indian rhythm and are generally in control.

[Nick H]

In some cases the Tabalchi appears clueless when confronted with kanakku oriented sections and gives up on the tala!

I think this is a problem of programs being put together by organisers who are only concerned that they can put as many big names on their poster as possible, rather than with whether the individual artists are actually suitable and qualified. I have seen several tabla players hi-jack thanis or even tala vadya kutcheries because they think that the mridangist playing ten minutes was just a warm-up for their half-hour solo --- they obviously did not have a clue!

Zakir Hussain is a very notable exception, and not only does he understand carnatic percussion very well, he does not steel the thunder of the mridangist, even though he may be (probably is) 100 times more famous. I enjoy and respect his playing.



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