Delhi gears for its annual classical music pageant amid extreme air pollution 

Kashish Mittal will likely be performing for the primary time on the pageant
| Photograph Credit score: Particular Association

For greater than 20 years,  the Delhi authorities has constantly held festivals for the humanities —  be it classical music and dance, thumri and bhakti geet, or showcasing younger artistes by Sopan. Being given efficiency alternatives in Delhi is at all times particular for artistes. 

This 12 months, the eagerly awaited Delhi Classical Music pageant is being held on the Shri Ram Centre from December 3 to five. Regardless of the town reeling below excessive air pollution ranges, the pageant is anticipated to see excessive footfall. Ruchira Katyal of the organising physique, Sahitya Kala Parishad, mentioned that “because of the air pollution, we’re having the pageant indoors this time”. Prior to now,  the pageant was held within the picturesque Sunder Nursery. 

The road-up is intriguing — seven of the 9 artistes, unusually, are vocalists, of which solely two are feminine. Whereas some, like vidushi Shubha Mudgal and Pt Ajoy Chakrabarty have carried out on the pageant earlier than, some like Rindana Rihasya and Kashish Mittal are performing right here for the primary time. Curiously, whereas a lot of the artistes have a hyperlink with Delhi, nobody from the Delhi gharana has been included.

Ojesh Pratap Singh will sing solo for the primary time on the pageant
| Photograph Credit score:
Particular Association

The primary day options three singers — Ojesh Pratap Singh has accompanied his guru, Pt. Ulhas Kashalkar, on this stage earlier, however this will likely be his first solo live performance. A professor of music at Delhi College, Ojesh has lived within the metropolis for the previous 25 years. He shared “I’m completely satisfied that I’m opening the pageant, it’s an honour and privilege. Like my guru’s ‘gayaki’ which is a composite of three ‘gharanas’, I’ll attempt to current completely different ‘gayakis’ within the allotted time.”

Rindana Rihasya is an assistant  professor of Music at Delhi College, and he or she is a disciple of the Kirana and Jaipur kinds. She is grateful for the chance to carry out, as there’s a false impression amongst organisers that that academicians will not be good  live performance performers. The night will conclude with Patiala gharana doyen, Pt Ajoy Chakrabarty.

The second day begins with vocalist Kashish Mittal of the Agra gharana. Kashish may be termed a Delhi boy, having studied at IIT, Delhi, and served in Delhi as an IAS officer, earlier than he resigned to give attention to music. A disciple of the late Pt Yashpaul of the Agra gharana, Kashish’s singing is powerful and an genuine illustration of his gharana. Says Kashish: “Agra gharana gayaki has an amazing hyperlink with Delhi.  Ustad Vilayat Hussain Khan and Ustad Yunus Hussain Khan each lived in Delhi for a number of years; will probably be a privilege to attempt to showcase this nice legacy on the pageant.” Curiously, whereas at IIT, Kashish was actively concerned with organising SPIC MACAYconcerts on campus and has fond reminiscences of the great music shared.

Subsequent, there will likely be a solo tabla recital  by Satyajit Talwalkar from Mumbai. The night concludes with Kolkata’s Patiala gharana vocalist Deborshi Bhattacharya. 

The concluding day opens with a vocal recital by Delhi-based Kirana gharana exponent Harish Tiwari. Subsequent is Delhi-based sitar maestro of the Maihar gharana Pt Shubhendra Rao. The pageant concludes with the evergreen Vidushi Shubha Mudgal; once more somebody who had made Delhi her residence.