Time to bask in classical music
The fourth edition of Bengal Classical Music Festival, the biggest festival of classical music in the world, opened yesterday in the capital's Army Stadium, as thousands gathered at the venue to enjoy performances by stalwarts of Indian classical music.
The festival began with a 30-minute group performance by Bharatanatyam Pallavi Dance Center, a dance school run by dancer-choreographer Minu Haque.
The production, titled “Desh”, blended patriotic songs “O Amar Desher Mati” and “Ekti Bangladesh Tumi Jagroto Jonotar” with traditional Bharatanatyam.
It was followed by another group performance by Bangladeshi tabla artistes of Bengal Parampara Sangeetalay.
Led by their teacher Pandit Suresh Talwalkar, eight young performers played tabla in unison, and got a big round of applause from the audience.
Students of the music department at Rajshahi University were the next to appear on stage. Led by Professor Dr Asit Roy, they performed Raga Malkauns and two sanatani dhrupad pieces.
Finance Minister AMA Muhith attended the inaugural ceremony as the chief guest.
Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Noor, Bengal Foundation Chairman Abul Khair, Managing Director of Square Toiletries Anjan Chowdhury, Managing Director and CEO of Brac Bank Selim RF Hossain, and Chief Operating Officer of Robi Axiata Ltd Mahtab Uddin Ahmed, were also present at the ceremony.
In his speech, Abul Khair paid tribute to late Qayyum Chowdhury, who this year's festival is dedicated to. The eminent artist passed away on the stage of this festival last year.
Asaduzzaman Noor stressed the need for taking such cultural practices to the grassroots. "With combined efforts, events like these can be hosted outside of Dhaka," he said.
The people of Bangladesh are friendly and peaceful because of the rich cultural legacy of this region, observed Finance Minister Muhith.
Carnatic flautist Dr Jayaprada Ramamurthy took the stage next and enthralled the audience with her presentation of Carnatic Ragas, and two Rabindra Sangeet numbers, including "Esho Shyamolo Sundoro".
Rahul Sharma, a crowd favourite, was the next performer. He thoroughly showcased the versatility of the santoor in his presentation of Raga Champakali, among others.
Pandit Kushal Das' sitar, Kaushiki Chakrabarty's sweet khayal singing and Vidushi Bombay Jayashri's powerful Carnatic vocals were the next scheduled performances of the night.
Organised by Bengal Foundation, Bengal Classical Music Festival 2015 is presented by Square, powered by Robi and supported by Brac Bank, with Blues Communication shouldering the responsibility for event management.
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