( An Obituary )
Sunanda Patnaik is no more. The doyen of Odia classical music is no more.
Married to music.
Sunanda has remained unmarried. For the last 70 years, she followed a strict regimen — morning meditation followed by hours of rigorous riyaz. And her dress – Only white Saree.
..
When Rains rescued her.
This happened in September of 1957. The All India Sadrang Sangeet Sammelan – a classical musical extravaganza was being organised by sri Kalidas Sanyal at Calcutta.
Sunanda was only 23 then. But she was already a Radio artist of AIR Cuttack and had gathred few followers by her inimitable rendition of Tarana and Drut. Sanyal sir was one such devoted follower and had invited her to take part.
..
To her dismay, she was slotted immediately before the great Ustad Vilayat Khan.
The accompanist a veteran tabla player “Karamatulla Khan” was waiting for the great mastero. But when he heard he had to play for a young unknown girl that too from a not so famous Odisha left the green room with others just before her turn.
When Sanyal heard this he had to arrange an accompanist from west Bengal to play Tabla for the girl.
As Sunanda Patnaik took stage, the audience who were impatiently waiting to hear Ustad Vilayat Khan headed out for a break before a big recital.
“I prayed to god and started singing Jayant Malhar with my heart and soul to an empty Sadan.” Remembers Sunanda.
It seems Gods listened to her prayers and send the Rain God to intervene. All of a sudden It started pouring heavily though it was late September. People were forced to come back indoors and listen to her.
When she reached the antara, the audience became quite. But they are yet to taste her Drut phase. Sunanda Patnaik’s gorgeous Drut phase remains still unmatched in Classical Indian music world. The crowd were up for a treat they never had.
“When I entered the drut phase, people stood up on their feet. And then as my high-speed taranas started they were up on chairs. After I ended, there was a thunderous ovation followed by a surge of people backstage.”
Sanyal sir assured her,” they were coming to praise you.” Instead the crowd gheraoed Sri Sanyal for a repeat performance by this unknown girl.
Sanyal was forced to allow her to sing for three consecutive nights. She was gifted 13 gold medals,
That was Sunanda Patnaik in the Ninteen fifties. Today she is no more.
“Music is my blind man’s stick,” the lady in white would often smile and say. That smile faded away today on 19/01/2020 forever.
Dr Ramakanta's Ideas 