Kashmir was in the limelight, but curiously this time on account of music. For Zubin Mehta, it was music for peace, for some others it was music of conflict. Whatever be the nomenclature for this sort of music, I personally would vote it as one of the most admirable ventures in the land of bounties.

For once, music stood tall over other choices and for once, one wasn’t Bollywooed.
The concert had its own aura, probably because it was a historic moment of sorts — nestled in nature’s lap, in a splendorous locale of the restored Shalimar Bagh and the publicity surrounding the event. When music combines with natural beauty, the effect cannot be anything but mesmerising. The interesting dimension was that music scored above all the controversies that clouded it. The other fascinating aspect was that the note of dissent expressed by the opposing elements was itself manifested through music — in a parallel concert! So all in all, it was a victory for music.
Ehsaas-E-Kashmir, the concert began on a marvellous collaborative note. In my opinion, the Bavarian State Orchestra’s Western classical meeting with Kashmiri music was a tremendous intercultural beginning to the concert. Abhay Sopori, son of Pandit Bhajan Sopori led the Kashmiri troupe to a sterling start with which the Bavarian orchestra blended amazingly well. It was a neat, heart warming and well-rehearsed first piece that set the mood. Exquisite Kashmiri percussive instruments, quite similar to the South Indian ghatam caught my attention with their lovely designs.
I watched Mehta in action after several decades. He was the consummate master, thoroughly involved and cherishing every moment of his act. I also heard an interview with him. It was mostly his fervent appeal to listen to music for music’s sake, that he expressed in many different ways. One anecdote of his touched my heart. On a holiday in the Himalayan regions in the 70s, Mehta ended his day at midnight with some trailing music that played at midnight on the All India Radio. It was a tune composed by his father and a German counterpart in those days, which was the radio’s closing-hour music. It must have been a moving experience. Listening to that, I felt with this concert, Mehta had kept his tryst with music, the mountains and the homeland.
It was a good move to telecast the concert on national television. It was a while since I had watched Doordarshan. I read that the Bavarian Orchestra went home a trifle offended because they expected the locals to throng the venue, but it turned out to be a sophisticated VVIP audience instead. My question is of a different order — how many true music lovers were in there listening to the concert and how many real listeners were kept out for sake of the pseudo elite?
Frankly, I did not understand why the detractors felt offended by the concert. If there was bloodshed, here was tranquility. If there was unrest, here was serenity. If there was disturbance, here was quiet. There hasn’t been an event of this kind in the Valley in decades. It should have been heralded with joy. Like Mehta I would say, once music starts, positive energy is unleashed, it travels to one and all. So, what was the clamour about? Nevertheless, I was curious to listen to the “parallel concert”, which had some musical dimensions. What music did they play? What instruments did they use? No one spoke about it. Music is born of different motivations — music of spirituality, music for peace, music of protest. A comparison between the two concerts at the musical level would have made for an interesting study.

Dr Vasumathi Badrinathan is an eminent Carnatic vocalist based in Mumbai. She can be contacted on vasu@vasumathi.net