Kolkata, Nov 24 (IBNS): Classical music institution ITC Sangeet Research Academy (SRA), in association with Bengal Foundation of Dhaka, on Friday jointly announced that Classical Music Festival 2012 would be held in Bangladesh at the Army Stadium from Nov 29 to Dec 2.
According to the officials, this year the music festival would be dedicated to the music maestros like Waheedul Haque, Ustad Vilayat Khan, Pandit Uday Shankar and Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, all of whose birthplace was originally in Bangladesh.
Various dignitaries of Indian classical music would be present at the summit to witness the 4-day long programme where classical music, instrumental and vocals would be performed dedicated to the particular maestros and their genre.
Bengal Group chairman Abul Khair said, "This year 103 rich performers from Bangladesh and India would be performing to grace the classical music fest, resulting to a grand success. Already 25,000 people all over both the countries even from world scenario have registered themselves for the festival. We are expecting around 50,000 people would participate in this music carnival.”
"Apart from vocals and instrumentals there would be dance performances as well. Pandit Birju Maharaj in Katthak, Allermel Valli in Bharatnatyam and Sujata Mahapatra in Oddissi form would please the audiences all along the 4 days."
Indian Hindustani classical vocalist Ajoy Chakrabarty said, "On the prolific soil of Bangladesh the Classical music or Hindusthani music had been generated and it has genuinely given importance to the folk songs and instrumentals. So it would be a golden opportunity for the music lovers to enjoy classical music and sense its value sitting in Dhaka."
“We might need to show passports to go beyond the borders but that would not stop loving the essence of classical music with deeper roots in Bangladesh," Chakrabarty said.
Executive Director of ITC-SRA Ravi Mathur said, "In order to convey classical music to the remotest parts like Khulna, Pabna, Rajshahi, Mayamansingha of Bangladesh the artists would perform live on boat."
Like Bangladesh, in India also musical bus journeys to Northern and Southern part of the country would be commencing very soon to popularize classical music to the new generations, he informed.
ITC-SRA also would be going to hold a festival from the Feb 8 to 15 Bengal Sangskriti Utsav in Kolkata, joining hands with Bengal Foundation, where music and Bengali food festival both would be featured, he added.
