Oopali Operajita Choreographs Concert for President Obama at Rashtrapati Bhavan, November 8, 2010
L-R: (front row) Mridangam maestro Srimushnam Raja Rao, the legendary Vidwan Guruvayur Dorai(mridangam), Artistic Director Oopali Operajita, Chandrika Ramamurthy (tambura); (Back row) Babu,K S Gopalakrishnan (kanjira), Vidwan Vittal Ramamurthy (violin), Pandit Anindo Chatterjee (tabla), Vidwan E M Subramaniam (ghatam) stand at the entrance to Rashtrapati Bhavan, India, ahead of the state dinner and concert for US President Barack Obama, hosted by India’s President Pratibha Patil.
The dome of Rashtrapati Bhavan is visible at the back.
Noted choreographer and classical danseuse Oopali Operajita was awarded the unique and rare honour of being named artistic director and choreographer for the once-in-a-lifetime Concert for President Barack Obama, hosted by India’s President Pratibha Patil, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, (India’s presidential palace), November 8, 2010. Ms. Operajita was chosen over all her peers because of her familiarity with the American audience, for over 20 years, in her capacity as a Distinguished Faculty Fellow at Carnegie Mellon University, where she was appointed by its founder president. Dr. Richard Cyert. Ms. Operajita holds the distinction of being the first classical Indian artist to have performed at Carnegie Music Hall, Pittsburgh.
The opening suite was by an ensemble of south India’s legendary classical percussionists, maestros Guruvayur Dorai and Srimushnam Raja Rao on the mridangam, the celebrated Pandit Anindo Chatterjee on tabla (he's from the Hindustani, or North Indian school of music), violinist Vittal Ramamurthy, ghatam vidwan E M Subramaniam, K S Gopalakrishnan on the kanjira (tambourine) and Chandrika Ramamurthy on the tambura. Mr. Ramamurthy started off the recital with a mesmerizing solo in the lively Raga Ravichandrika, and this was followed by all the drummers playing, in unison, a galloping and rivetting suite set to Adi Talam (8 beats).
The distinguished audience was heard asking for more, while the chief guests were seen rocking to the inimitable and hypnotizing beats of India’s greatest percussionists.
This was followed by another presentation for the occasion by Ms. Operajita – the gifted Shillong Choir, singing for the first time at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The audience also included Indian President Pratibha Patil, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson, Sonia Gandhi, members of the cabinet from both the USA and India, and leading industrialists from both countries.
This was one of India’s finest classical concerts, particularly because it deliberately avoided the cliché-ridden classical dance routine that has become common at recitals for visiting heads of state.
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