By Asia Samachar | Malaysia |
Fans of Indian classical music, stringed instruments and dance performances are in for a treat next week.
The maiden Bhai Mardana International Festival of Music 2024 this week is set to dazzle them over a two-day performance featuring local and globally renowned talents.
The two-day festival pays tribute to Bhai Mardana, a long-time companion of Guru Nanak, the first in the order of Sikh Gurus. Bhai Mardana was a highly accomplished Rabab player and was the foremost follower of the Dhrupad tradition, which is the oldest form of Indian classical music.
Organised by the Bhai Mardana Sangeet Academy (BMSA), the festival will be held on December 5th and 6th at Shantanand Auditorium at the Temple of Fine Arts, Kuala Lumpur. Asia Samachar is the event media partner.
“This festival, I hope, will allow the audience to witness some of the top talents in music. I also hope they connect with their rich heritage,” BMSA founder Arvinder Singh Raina tells Asia Samachar.
“Harmonium is fine for basics, when you’re teaching a child. But to go up the ladder, harmonium is ill suited to learn raags. For voice training, you need tanpura, not harmonium. I do parchaar of tantti saaj,” he added.
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Newly incorporated BMSA is actively engaged in conserving and propagating the high-end Indian classical music and dance traditions in Malaysia.
It has a detail program to teach Indian vocal and instrumental classical music. Apart from teaching the primary genres like, Khayal and Dhrupad, it will provide intensive training of Gurbani singing, Esraj and Dilruba playing for the Indian diaspora living in Malaysia.
The academy also intends setup the Raina Studio for the audio and video recordings.
ITEMS FOR DAY ONE
The first evening begins with presentation by three local talents: Bhai Mardana Gandharva choir group, Temple of Fine Arts students and Kamaljit Kaur from SGGS Gurmat Sangeet Academy.
Arshad Khan, the Delhi-based son of the legendary sarod player and notable music teachers Ustad Alauddin Khan, will come up next with a recital on the Esraj.
The esraj is a bowed stringed instrument–originated in the 17th century and is an integral part of the cultural heritage of the Indian subcontinent. It is also widely played as an accompanying instrument for Gurbani and other regional and popular music ofIndia.
Accompanying him on the tabla will be Atharva Nitin Ware, an accomplished tabla player who has done solo recitals in India.
Vidushi Parwati Dutta, a versatile Odissi and Kathak danseuse, will then dazzle the audience with her dance performance.
The first day’s festival will conclude with a vocal rendition of Carnatic music by versatile vocalist and flautist Gaana Kalasri Sampagodu S Vighnaraja.
He initiated learning Carnatik vocal music at the age of 5 from his father Sangeetha Varidhi, Gaanakala Suvarna Sri D S Suryanarayana Bhat.
Sampagodu is the founder director of Surya Global Music Academy based in Bangalore where he has been teaching for more than two decades.
Accompanying him on the violin is Sriram Sheshadri, a talented musician who is pursuing a career in regional supply chain with a multinational corporation, as well as Brahmashri J.J. Prathap Sharma on the percussion instrument mridangam and his brother Brahmashri Aravind Sharma on the kanjira.
ITEMS FOR DAY TWO
The second Day of the festival begins with a vocal Dhrupad rendition an outstanding local talent Harsimran Raina, with Ameeshaajit Kaur providing Pakhawaj accompaniment.
Next up will a Taus recital by multiple award winner Sandeep Singh who belongs to a family of traditional Raagis (Sikh devotional singers) and now regularly collaborates with renowned artists from the Punjabi film industry.
Sandeep initiated Dilruba training at an early age with his father Ustad Tarlochan Singh. In 2018 he became the disciple of Ustad Dilshad Khan of the renowned Sikar Gharana.
He will be accompanied on the Tabla by Malaysian tablist Bekramjit Singh who has developed a unique blend of tradition and contemporary playing of the instrument.
This will be followed by a vocal Dhrupad recital by Pandit Nirmalya Dey, with Pakhawaj accompaniment by Mithun Chakraborty.
Nirmalya Dey is a widely acclaimed exponent and teacher in the tradition of Dagarvani dhrupad. Early in his career, Nirmalya Dey’s musical prowess was acknowledged when he won the first prize at the National Music Competition organised by the All India Radio in 1979.
The finale will feature the Tabla/Jodi Pakhawaj by child prodigy Sukhvinder, who received training at a young age under the Pakhawaj Samrat Ustad Nihal Singh of the Punjab Gharana.
Sukhvinder became a phenomenal Tabla performer and well known for his keen capability to capture the audience with his spontaneity, power and virtuosity during his performances.
He has toured extensively across US and India and has won a Grammy Award in 1994, with Ry Cooder for the composition “A Meeting by the River”.
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ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond. You can leave your comments at our website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We will delete comments we deem offensive or potentially libelous. You can reach us via WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 or email: asia.samachar@gmail.com. For obituary announcements, click here
Welldone Arvinder And Family.
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