The timeless symphony

06 January,2012 06:40 AM IST |   |  Surekha S

At the Citi-NCPA Aadi Anant festival, to be held over the weekend, maestros of Indian classical music will enthrall you with their performance as they showcase the enduring quality of traditional Indian music


At the Citi-NCPA Aadi Anant festival, to be held over the weekend, maestros of Indian classical music will enthrall you with their performance as they showcase the enduring quality of traditional Indian music

Ustad Zakir Hussain, Kaaraikkudi Mani, Anindo Chatterji, Rashid Khan, Shujaat Khan, Ashwini Bhide, Taufiq Qureshi there cannot be a more impressive line-up of artists, especially in the realm of classical music.
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These musical giants have come together for the Citi-NCPA Aadi Anant festival From here to Eternity.


Sitar maestro Shujaat Khan
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Through innovations within the boundaries of traditional music, these maestros will explore the timelessness of music and showcase how traditional music has constantly been re-defining itself.

"We decided not to rehearse at all," says Shujaat Khan, who will be performing with Rashid Khan, this Sunday. "We want to showcase traditional music and we are making a few innovations in it," he says.

According to the sitar maestro, "Traditional music gets passed on from generation to generation, with five to seven world-class performers within each generation.


Ustad Zakir Hussain

Each performer lends his own unique touch and personality to the music bringing about subtle changes. But traditional music is still timeless; it is surely without an end."

After solo performances by Rashid Khan (vocal) and Shujaat Khan (sitar), Rashid Khan's voice will merge with Shujaat Khan's instrument to present a beautiful musical dialogue.

On Saturday, Zakir Hussain (tabla), Louiz Banks (keyboards), Ganesh Rajgopalan (violin) and Rakesh Chaurasia (bansuri) will present a creative blend of melodies from north and south India, as well as from the world of jazz.
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Zakir Hussain, who has conceptualised the piece, blends traditional and contemporary melodies to create a mesmerising and innovative fusion.

"The concept of Aadi-Anant is embedded in our tradition," says Dr Suvarnalata Rao, head programming, Indian music, NCPA.

"It reflects in our lives as well. Our material life is finite whereas Indian philosophy believes that life goes on from one birth to the next. Our artistic traditions have also been rejuvenating itself over time due to the efforts of artists whose lives are finite," she explains.

"The most important aspect that we wanted people to respect and understand was that traditions are not frozen.

It is akin to flowing water and is constantly evolving. Adaptability and innovation make it sustainable and stronger.

This festival will also showcase the innovations that can be done within the spectrum," she concludes. After the Mumbai concert, the festival will be travelling to Delhi and Bangalore.

ON January 7 and 8
At Tata Theatre, NCPA, Nariman Point.
call 66223724 / 66223754
Tickets Rs 1,000, Rs 750, Rs 500, Rs 300, Rs 150
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