Bangla Sangeet Mela a great platform for rural performers: Sen

Kolkata: Bangla Sangeet Mela will be held in as many as 10 venues in the city from December 14 to 22 this year in which an estimated 2,000 singers, including those from districts, are expected to perform.

The Biswabangla Lok Sanskriti Utsav will also be held side by side from December 14-18 at Ektara Mukta Manch. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will inaugurate both the festivals from the open air auditorium at Uttirna in Alipore on December 14. A number of eminent musicians will be awarded by Banerjee as well. "Around 2000 singers, 450 artistes who are adept in playing different musical instruments and 180 comparers will take part in the Sangeet Mela. There will be performers from the city as well as the districts. It is indeed a great platform to showcase their talent," said Indranil Sen, minister of state for Information and Cultural Affairs (I&CA) at a press conference in Nandan IV.

This is for the first time when students from 32 schools and 16 colleges will be participating in the Sangeet Mela. The young artistes who have taken part in various music competitions and workshops that are organised by the state government from time to time will also be given an opportunity to perform. A senior official of the state government informed that Rabindra Sadan, Sisir Mancha, Rabindra Okakura Bhavan, Phanibhusan Bidya Binod Jatra Manch, Mohor Kunja, Hedua Park, Madhusudan Mukta Mancha, Ektara Mukta Mancha, Deshapriya Park and Rajya Sangeet Academy Mukta Manch will be the venues for the mega event. Last year, there were nine venues for the same. Deshapriya Park will see performances from promising Bangla bands and budding artistes. There will be musical performances titled 'Paray Paray Sangeet Mela' from December 15 to 22 in different localities in the city too. There will be an exhibition of a variety of musical instruments titled "Banglar Lokbadya" at Gaganendra Pradarshanshala in the Nandan complex from December 15 to 22. The Ektara Mukta Mancha will host a discussion on basic Bengali songs and Bengali film songs on December 22. The Sangeet Mela will conclude with a night long musical programme at Rabindra Sadan on December 22.