Reverberations of Innocence !

Between the milk teeth and wisdom tooth, children are restless and creative but seldom mature and contentious. However Prathamesh, Rohit, Karthiki, Avanti, Aarya, Mugdha and Shalmali defy this belief. At a time when most children hop in mud, mischief, and play stations, these kids with their gleaming molars and magical chords, continue to cast a magical spell. For them, music is not just a craft but an eternal quest transformed into an adventure through ‘Marathi - Idea Sa Re Ga Ma Pa - Little Champs’.

In a country where music is an expression of culture and talent, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa continues to dominate, unraveling a beautiful symphony through talented singers, musicians, judges, anchor and loyal audience.

Much can be gleaned from the performances of these little champs. Rohit through instinctive performance and brilliant tempo seeks solace in fusion music. Rohit has the makings of a music composer and it is important that he pursue his passion, learns classical music and develops interest in maths, Denver and Dylan.

Prathamesh is versatile and with his cadence, devotion and rustic diligence brightens the difficult alaaps and taanas. Certainly he will be an all rounder who could sing various form of music - Khayal, Thumri, Bandish and non classical with amazing ease.

Mugdha and Karthiki are cute and indeed prodigious. By singing songs essentially composed for adults, Mugdha compels a different interpretation, renews interest in music and her abilities. Mugdha has a beautiful voice and receives immense adulation. As she matures, Mugdha will learn that music transcends boundaries whether linguistic or cultural and acts as a great catalyst of change.

Karthiki is bestowed with rich timbre and resonant tone. Her songs create a wonderful harmony of lyrics, music and spirituality. Despite having inheritance in music and brilliant sense of timing Karthiki limits herself to devotional songs. Karthiki’s voice promises to enliven classical songs, Sufi, Ghazzals and Thumris but then children prefer to sing what they hear most.

With melody, confidence and poise, Aarya’s gorgeous voice makes every word in the lyrics bloom. Her rendition is expressive (Bhaava) and enhances the aesthetic experiences (Rasa) of audience. Aarya’s singing promises to add a new dimension to the music of her generation (re-mixes) but that requires a brave composer to experiment.

Avanti is versatile and has distinctive incantation, rhythm and hereditary infectious smile. It is sad, she got eliminated but Avanti’s renditions revealed her innate courage to experiment and popularise songs lost with time. Her pitch (Sur) and fluency in languages promises to revive music of Runa Laila and Preeti Sagar.

Shalmali is gregarious, compassionate and has abundant talent. Her ability to mimic presents her inherent acting skills. With amazing energy, Shalmali feels the lyrics and renews interest in ‘Laavani’ and folk music. Her melodious rendition engulfed with gestures and expressions reminds you of your lost adolescence.

If the kids are notes (Saptak), the octave is completed by national award winner Pallavi Joshi, whose effervescence, intelligence, charisma and grace makes her the best anchor. Pallavi adoringly cajoles and motivates the participants, audience, musicians and even the judges. Although she is comfortable in English and Hindi, you cannot imagine Marathi Sa Re Ga Ma Pa without her. “Ekda Jordar Talyaa” (One more round of applause), immortalized by Pallavi irritates but should be broadcasted across stadiums to coerce sports fanatics to graciously applaud other teams.

A consonance exists between note and its octave, but to produce good music a consonant interval known as Shadja- Pancham Bhaava is essential. Often this becomes the basis of musical scale. The judges Avadhoot Gupte and Vaishali Samant add this interval through their spontaneous, encouraging, witty and candid assessment.

Unlike other reality shows, the judges here respect each others opinions, offer different perspectives and are indeed unconventional. Avadhoot speaks his mind and coins new phrases, while Vaishali with her tongue in cheek comments is precise and equally articulate. The judges and other eminent guests educate participants to learn the language of music in same way as they learn their mother tongue. The musicians are humble, magnificent and undoubtedly the main pillars of this programme.

Hopefully the success and failure of these champs will not be related to region, race and class but to their confidence and calibre. One thing is certain, the kids have melody, intonation, rhythm and harmony. They say success is a matter of being in the right place with the right product with the right name at the right time. Sa Re Ga Ma Pa has helped discover new, innocent, vibrant voices and its time to search young musicians to accompany them!