A Classical Concoction of Creativity and Talent

Pracheen Kala Kendra's 12th Quarterly Baithak under the "Legends of Tomorrow" series showcased breathtaking Sitar and Kathak performance Music and Dance lovers of Delhi rejoiced with admiration after witnessing an electric evening of spell binding performances last evening at Pracheen Kala Kendra's 12th Quarterly Baithak under the "Legends of Tomorrow" Series. The musical evening started off with a heart touching Sitar recital by Sh. Soumitra Thakur, a senior disciple of sitar maestro Pt. Kushal Das. The young sensation proved once again his capabilities and the reason why he was awarded a gold medal by the faculty of music, DU. His performance started with Raag Desh set to ektaal. This followed the beautiful monsoon Raag Miyan Ki Malhar set to Teental. Listening to the drut jhala portion, the audience could feel how the Gods of rain were getting pleased with the melodious sitar. He was beautifully supported on Tabla by Sh. Romaan Khan, another promising young sensation for the future who played beautifully. The sitar recital was followed by a graceful, heart touching yet electric Kathak recital by Sh. Shinjini Kulkarni, disciple and grand-daughter of legendary Kathak dancer Pandit Birju Maharaj. She proved her mettle on stage as her dance moves oozed with grace while her drut laya tatkars were showering the audiences with the beauty of the Kalka- Bindadin Gharana, from which she belongs. She was accompanied by son and disciple of Anindo Chatterjee, Tabla virtuoso Sh. Anubrata Chatterjee. Anubrata ji set the stage on fire with his high-energy tabla accompaniment with the kathak performance, where he played a few solo parts showing off his repertoire's clarity and elegance he is renowned for. Smt. Miss Kulrani completed her performance with a heart touching thumri written by Maharaj Bindadeen ji. She was also supported on Tabla Sh. Zakir Hussain Warsi ji, on Sarangi by Sh. Ghulam Mohd. whose support set the divine mood throughout the performance. Sh. Zohaib Hassan's vocal support repeated the bols of Kathak briiliantly accompanying the footwork of Shinjini ji while singing the soulful classical verses her dance recital was based on, setting up a perfect evening for the houseful audience. The artists were felicitated after their respective performances by the Hon'ble Registrar of Pracheen Kala Kendra Dr. Shobha Koser, who herself is a senior kathak exponent and a Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee, as well as by Secretary of Pracheen Kala Kendra, Sh. Sajal Koser and Tabla Maestro Ustad Akram Khan and flute exponent Pt. Chetan Joshi, who were present among a star studded and notable set of audience. The future of Indian Classical Music and Dance looks immensely bright every time young artists like them take the centre-stage and thrill the audiences like they did yesterday. It gives us hope if youngsters carry forward the heritage and tradition of classical art forms, which is the sole objective of Pracheen Kala Kendra ie, to promote and preserve Indian Classical art forms