SHRIRAM BHARATIYA KALA KENDRA presents 74th SHRIRAM SHANKARLAL MUSIC FESTIVAL 2023 from March 10th to 12th, 2023
Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra brings forth the 74th edition of Shriram Shankarlal Music Festival from Friday to Sunday, March 10th to 12th, 2023 at 6.30pm at Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra Lawns, Copernicus Marg, New Delhi.
Conceptualised and created by Smt Shobha Deepak Singh (Director & Vice Chairperson – Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra), Shriram Shankarlal Music Festival is one of the oldest in the country that celebrates Indian Classical Music by presenting extraordinary performances by legends and blooming talent in the realm.
The lineup for this year is again extremely impressive and includes Rakesh Chaurasia (Flute), Kaushiki Chakraborty (Hindustani Classical Vocal),Shahid Parvez Khan (Sitar), Bombay Jayashri (Carnatic Vocal), Biswajit Roy Chowdhury (Sarod) and Ustad Rashid Khan (Hindustani Classical Vocal).
Through Shriram Shankarlal Music Festival, the Kendra has made a mark for itself in the arena of performing arts and has been nurturing its basic ideology of binding rich Indian traditions onto the wings of current generation as it paces through the clouds of materialism. “The very philosophy is the soul of Shriram Shankarlal Music Festival,” says Padmashri Mrs. Shobha Deepak Singh. She adds, “My fascination for India and its cultural diversity never ends. Having devoted my entire life to performing arts I feel responsible to percolate our riches to the internet generation and make them aware of their roots. Current times are uncertain and music does have the power to bind people together. At The Kendra, we have catered to patrons and amateurs alike making the newbie’s appreciate India more for its cultural heritage.”
Schedule for the music festival is as follows:
Day 1 – Friday, March 10th, 2023 : Harmonious performance by Flautist Rakesh Chaurasia and a soulful Hindustani Classical presentation by Vocalist Kaushiki Chakraborty.
Day 2 – Saturday, March 11th, 2023 : Be mesmerised by sitar performance by Shahid Parvez Khan and plunge into complex melodies by Carnatic Vocalist Bombay Jayashri.
Day 3 – Sunday, March 12th, 2023 : Let Biswajit Roy Chowdhury transport you to a world of tranquility with his Sarod notations and a heartwarming performance by Hindustani Classical Vocalist, Ustad Rashid Khan.
Artist Profiles:
Rakesh Chaurasia: Rakesh Chaurasia is an innovative modern bansuri exponent. His style follows in the footsteps of his illustrious guru and uncle Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, but he has found his own territory too – recent collaborations have included jazz, flamenco, and Bollywood. He credits Hariprasad’s open-minded philosophy with encouraging him to explore new sounds, and still finds limitless inspiration in his uncle’s teaching.
Kaushiki Chakraborty: Kaushiki is a child prodigy who began reproducing music patterns at the age of two. She performed her first solo act at the age of 16.Kaushiki began her training under her mother Smt. Chandana Chakraborty. Subsequently, she had the privilege of becoming the “Ganda Bandh” disciple of legendary Guru Pandit Jnan Prakash Ghosh, before becoming a disciple of her father, vocal maestro Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty, under whom she continues to learn. Later, she was also fortunate to get taalim in Carnatic Classical Music from Padmavibhushan Pandit Balmurali Krishna. Her taalim under her gurus, especially her father, has ensured that she has equal command over the various vocal forms that fall under the umbrella of Hindustani music. Her prowess as a khayal singer is well known, but she is adept at singing other ‘light classical’ genres like thumri, dadra, kajri, chaiti, bhajan etc
Shahid Parvez Khan: Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan descends from six generations of sitarists. He is one of the leading exponents of the Etawah Gharana and was trained by his father and guru, Ustad Aziz Khan . First trained in the classical vocal music that forms the foundation of the “gayakiang”, the young Shahid Parvez was recognized as a child prodigy and started performing in public by the time he was only eight years of age. He is the recipient of numerous prestigious awards including the Government of India’s ‘Padma Shri’ and the ‘Sangeet Natak Academy Award.’
Bombay Jayashri: Born into a family of musicians with rich lineage and steeped in pedigree music, Bombay Jayashri Ramnath represents the fourth generation of music practitioners in her family. She has been groomed under the guidance of legend Shri Lalgudi G Jayaraman and Smt T R Balamani and bears the torch of the Lalgudi tradition. However she is known for her distinct style of music.
With a career extending over three decades, her finely honed voice exudes a hypnotism that is hard to resist, making her one of the most sought after Indian musicians today.
Biswajit Roy Chowdhury: One of today’s brilliant and serious exponents of Hindustani Classical Music, Biswajit Roy Chowdhury stands out not only for his singular commitment to music, but also for his conscious combination of all that is the best in the Indian musical tradition. Initially groomed in music by his father, he learnt Sarod from PanditIndranil Bhattacharya in Kolkata and subsequently from Ustad Amjad Ali Khan in Delhi. He thus received training in both the major schools of Sarod-playing – Maihar and Gwalior. He received advance training in music from legendary vocalist Pandit Mallikarjun Mansoor and also learnt briefly from Vidushi Sumati Mutatkar and Pandit Balasahab Poochwale.
Ustad Rashid Khan: “There is now at least one person in sight who is an assurance for the future of Indian vocal music”, said Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, voicing a few years ago, the concern of connoisseurs of Hindustani vocal music about whether its tradition of excellence would continue. It indeed has, with Ustad Rashid Khan, the young maestro, one of the leading torch-bearers.
