Maestros to perform at the classical music festival

Offering a sensory treat to art lovers, Sahitya Kala Parishad is organising a five-day long festival to celebrate the unparalleled traditions of Hindustani music.

'Delhi classical musical festival,' which is to be held at the Kamani Auditorium in New Delhi, is aimed to promote the Capital's art and cultural heritage. Manish Shisodia – Deputy Chief Minister, New Delhi, will grace the festival with his presence as the Chief Guest.

The festival will showcase the city's deep-rooted passion for indigenous art forms. Apart from connoisseurs, the cultural events are expected to mesmerize and enlighten Delhiites with the immense wealth of authentic Indian talents and traditions that often miss the spotlight.

The festival will be featuring the mesmerising glimpses of Indian traditional music and various performances by acclaimed artists including vocalists and instrumentalists. The amalgamation of classical renditions from different parts of the country will be a profound sensory treat for music aficionados.

A cultural experience for the art lovers, the festival will begin this year's journey with an immersive performance by Padmashri Parveen Sultana. From traditional to contemporary, Praveen Sultana excels in every form and is known for her slap tanas, gmaks, tan palta and jamjama. She is well-known for singing Khayal, Thumri, Bhajan or a Ghasal. Murad Ali Khan, Fateh Ali khan will also enthrall the audience on Day 1.

On the second day, Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty, Ranjendra Prasanna and Ajay Prasanna will present their celebrated talents. Day 2 will also feature Delhi Ratan Awardee Akram Khan, who shall be presenting his contemporary art in tabla, followed by remarkable performances by Bhuvanesh Komkali, Bahauddin Dagger,and Professor M Venkatesh Kumar on Day 3.

Pandit Madhup Mudgal, a brilliant composer of choral music, will take the stage on Day 4. His work with solo dancers and his compositions for choreographed group dance routines use a variety of poetic texts and are much appreciated by both connoisseurs and lay listeners, earning him the Sanskriti Award for music, and Padma Shri in 2006.

Nishad Bakre, an A-Graded artist of All India Radio, follows Mudgal, with his rich style of rendition that combines the Gwalior, the Jaipur and the Agra Gharanas.

Santoor maestros Abhay Sopori and Bhajan Sopori will take the stage next. Regarded as a cultural icon of Jammu and Kashmir, Abhay has inherited a profound sense of music from his fabled Sufiana Gharana of Kashmir, the exclusive traditional Santoor

family with its roots spanning over more than 300 years. Bhajan is accomplished in Indian classical music on the Santoor and has a record of composing over 5000 songs in various languages of India and abroad.

Day 5 line-up features the unique artistic vocal skills of Pandit Jasraj, the versatile skills of Nitin Sharma from Kirana Gharana and finally the exceptional folk music by Ustad Shujaat Khan.

The festival will commence on October 25 and will last till October 29.