Post-concert press comments

Here are the comments in the Varanasi Hindi press about Minamizawa-san & my performance at the Ashu-Babu Memorial Concert. It took me a few hours with a Hindi-English dictionary just to do this... If any Hindi speakers can improve my translation, please help!

There is also a review by English sitar player Nick on the chandrakantha.com sitar forum.

SANMAARG

Japan ke kalaakaar Yasuhiro Minamizawa ne sitaar par Raag Puriya Kalyan ki avataaranaa kar sabko achamti kar diyaa. Inhone is raag men sarwapratham aalaap, jod, jhaalaa ke pashchaat teen taal nibaddh gatkaari se kaaryakram kaa saphal samaapan kiyaa. Aapke vaadan men swaron ki shuddhataa kaabile taarif rahi. Aapke saath Australia ke kalaakaar Shen Flindell ne table par poorna paripakvataa se saath sangat kar kaaryakram ko karn-priya banaaya.

Japanese artist Yasuhiro Minamizawa astounded everyone with his rendition of Raag Puriya Kalyan on sitar. In this raag, he firstly played alap, jor, jhala, and then with compositions (gatkaari) in Teentaal completed a successful programme. The purity of the notes was praiseworthy in his performance. With him, Australian artist Shen Flindell, giving close accompaniment (saath-sangat) on tabla with complete maturity, made the programme attractive to the ear.

AMAR UJAALAA

Dhrupad Tirth par sthaaniya srotaaon ki khachaakhach upasthiti ke bich kaaryakram ki shuruaat deshii kalaa ke videshii saadhakon ki shaastriya prastuti se hue. Japan ke Yasuhiro Minamizawa ne sitaar ke taar par anguliyaan pherin to tablaa par anguliyaan thirakaane ke lie Australia ke Shen Flindell unke saath the. Donon videshii kalaakaaron ki deshii kalaa men siddhahastaa dekh kuchh achraj kar rahe the to kucch aanand le rahe the.

At Dhrupad Tirth, amidst the burbling of local listeners taking their places, the programme began with a classical opening by foreign (videshi) devotees of Indian (desi) arts. Japan's Yasuhiro Minamizawa's fingers bent his sitar's strings and then Australia's Shen Flindell's fingers beat upon the tabla with him. Seeing both of the foreign (videshi) artists' great skill in Indian (desi) arts, we were quite astounded and received quite some enjoyment/bliss.

HINDUSTAN

Kaaryakram ki shuruaat Japan ke kalaakaar Yasuhiro Minamizawa ke sitaar vaadan se huaa. Unhone Raag Puriya Kalyan men sitaar ke taaron ko jhankrit kar sabhi ko bhaavavibhor kar diyaa. Unke saath table par Australia ke Shen Flindell sangat kar rahe the.

The programme began with the sitar playing of Japanese artist Yasuhiro Minamizawa. With his sitar's strings resounding in Raag Puriya Kalyan, he gave inspired emotions (?) to everyone. He was accompanied on tabla by Shen Flindell from Australia.

DAINIK JAAGRAN

Kaviraj Ashutosh Bhattacharya ("Ashu Babu") ki dwiteeya punyatithi par aayojit sangeet sandhyaa ka aagaaj Jaapaani kalaakaar Yasuhiro Minamizawa ke sitaar baadan se hua. Unhone Raag Puriya Dhanaashree ko sadhe andaaj men pesh kar logon ki jamkar vaahavaahee lootee. Iske baad Raag Puriya Kalyan ke saath guru vandanaa ki. Unke saath table par Australia ke kalaakaar Shen Flindell ne sandhe andaaj men sangat ki.

The second musical evening in the memory of Kaviraj Ashutosh Bhattacharya ("Ashu Babu") opened with a sitar performance by Japanese artist Yasuhiro Minamizawa. He presented Raag Puriya Dhanashree in perfected style (sadhe andaaj) as the gathering assembly delighted (in the music). After that he gave homage to the guru (guru vandaana) with Raag Puriya Kalyan. With him on tabla, Australian artist Shen Flindell gave accompaniment in united style (sandhe andaaj).

AAJ

Kaaryakramkaa sriganesh Japan se padhare Yasuhiro Minamizawa ke sitaar baadanse huaa. Unhone Raag Puriya Kalyan men sitaarke taanonko chhedaa. Unke saath tablepar Australia ke Shen Flindell sangat ki.

The programme was "opened in the name of Sri Ganesh" with the sitar playing of Yasuhiro Minamizawa from Japan. He tuned his sitar's strings in Raag Puriya Kalyan. He was accompanied on tabla by Shen Flindell from Australia.