Strings attached

Celebrating the 80th birthday of sitar maestro Pandit Debu Chaudhuri, UMAK Centre for Culture is organising a two-day music and dance festival titled Abhinandan 80.

The festival will open with an orchestral presentation by the students of UMAK Centre for Culture. It will be followed by a sitar recital by the living sitar legend of India Pandit Debu Chaudhuri, accompanied by Ustad Akram Khan on tabla. 

The second day of the festival will feature a sitar recital by Pandit Prateek Chaudhuri accompanied by Ustad Rafiuddin Sabri on <g data-gr-id="21">tabla</g>. A Kathak recital by the renowned  Kathak maestro Pandit Rajendra Gangani will be staged next. Gangani will be accompanied by Pandit Fateh Singh Gangani on <g data-gr-id="22">tabla</g>. 

The festival will also see a <g data-gr-id="20">jugalabandi</g> between Pandit Prateek Chaudhuri and Pandit Rajendra Gangani. 

Pandit Devabrata  Chaudhuri, popularly known as <g data-gr-id="27">Debu</g> is a recipient of the prestigious Padma <g data-gr-id="28">Bhusan</g> and Sangeet Natak <g data-gr-id="29">Akademy</g> Award. He received his early training from the late Panchu Gopal Datta and later from the senior most traditional exponent of sitar maestro Ustad Mushtaq Ali Khan of Senia Gharana. It is the only <g data-gr-id="30">gharana</g>, which plays <g data-gr-id="23">sitar</g> with 17 frets, whereas others play <g data-gr-id="24">sitar</g> with 19 or 20 frets.