Awadhi in Delhi

There was an Anarkali (Madhubala) and then there was a Begum Para (Madhuri Dixit-Nene). What is common in them is the exquisite jewellery, a sharara worth crores, pines for their beloved and a huge haveli  to perform in. Do not miss out on the amazing lights, candles, decorations, and all that jazz...we were glad when we found out about it and we hope you'd be too, that Zarina Begum, the only artist from the time of Mallika-e-Gazal Begum Akhtar is performing in our very city. Yes, yes. You'll get to see this stuff LIVE!

Zarina Begum is one of the last living disciples of ghazal maestro Begum Akhtar. Since Begum Akhtar was the pupil of Gulam Hazrat for a long time, therefore her singing shows the same quality. After the demise of Ustad, Zarina Begum received her remaining training from Begum Akhtar. Begum Akhtar had a quality of never teaching her students through speaking but through singing. This is the reason that the pupils of Begum Akhtar sing in her style. Zarina Begum is one of them. She is not only perfect in ghazal but also in thumri, dadra, and tappa. 

To create awareness about Zarina Begum’s work and archive the Awadhi ghazals, Manjari Chaturvedi, a pioneer of her dance - Sufi Kathak, is organising a talk. 

Titled The Last Song Of Awadh, the event will start with the screening of an excerpt from New Delhi-based film-maker Saba Dewan’s documentary The Other Song, which showcases Zarina Begum and her work. The screening will be followed by a discussion by, among others, music enthusiast and scholar Vikram Lall, thumri singer Kumud Diwan, journalist Prem Shankar Jha, the erstwhile nawab of Mehmudabad, Mehmudabad Amir Naqi Khan, and theatre personality Aamir Raza Husain. At the end, Zarina Begum will perform along with Chaturvedi. 

You don't wanna miss this one!