Stringing it along

Two years ago Ulhas Bapat, veteran santoor player, created a sensation of sorts at a concert at the Nehru Centre in Mumbai. He began his recital with the raga Chandranandan, a complex yet beautiful melody created by sarod maestro Ali Akbar Khan. No santoor had ever been heard playing this raga.

After the piece, Bapat asked the audience to suggest ragas they wanted to hear. Many ideas were mooted, from Bageshri and Malkauns to Jaijaivanti. The musician politely nodded and played something he composed as he strummed, instantly incorporating all the ragas requested into a complex composite.

Bapat could accomplish this feat because of his unique system of tuning his instrument. His chromatic tuning of the santoor using all 12 notes sets him apart from other players.

With this system he can play all the ten thats (scales) of Indian classical music on the spur of the moment, without having to adjust his instrument during the performance. Chromatic tuning also enables him to play vakra ragas, or those with a crooked note structure, as well as any other raga from any other scale.

He showed off this skill at a recent concert during which he played a natya geet (stage song) based on a rather weird raga called Lalit Bhatiyar. As Bapat says, “It is a big challenge. To play natya geet on the santoor is in itself a big departure from the routine track. And to play a combination of Lalit and Bhatiyar — both difficult morning melodies — is even more challenging,” Bapat smiles, obviously delighted with the musical challenge.

He has also reconstructed the tongs  of the santoor to enable him to produce the glissando or meend, a s of Indian music. This innovation has contributed to the enrichment of the sound produced by the stringed instrument.

Bapat’s bond with music stretches into the non-classical, too. He recalls, “I enjoyed a special relationship with composer RD Burman,” with whom he was associated from 1978 until his last film, 1942 A Love Story. “Burman completely approved of my innovations and asked me to play the meend in the song Mera kuch samaan (Ijaazat),” a favourite sung by Asha Bhonsle.

“He also asked me to combine the ascent of the morning raga Ahir Bhairav and descent of the evening raga Yaman for the film Zamane Ko Dikhana Hai,” explains Bapat, who plans to present these songs in his concert tomorrow.

And he has worked with other well known composers, too, Khayyam among them. “Veteran composer Khayyam does not normally give any freedom to musicians,” Bapat has found. “He insists on them sticking strictly to his score. However, for Parbat Ke Us Paar he just told me that I had to play Pahadi in my way. I consider it to be a big compliment."

Pandit Ulhas Bapat performs at the Chetna College Auditorium, Bandra (E), June 17, 5.30 pm