Maverick

I was lucky to attend the ITC Sangeet Sammelan at Nehru Centre in Worli over the weekend. It was my first experience of a classical music concert and, I enjoyed it very much. And whats more, the passes for the concert were not charged for :-)

On the first day was an excellent vocal performance by Kaushiki Desikan (daughter of Pt. Ajay Chakraborty). This was followed by an equally enthralling Sarod play by Ayan Ali Khan (son of Ustad Amjad Ali Khan who was sitting in the audience). And the last performance was another vocal rendition by Ustad Rashid Khan. The second day's solo tabla by Pt. Kumar Bose and vocal performance by Ustad Arshad Ali Khan were also nice.

As the ITC executive pointed out, the ITC's Sangeet Research Academy was part of efforts towards corporate patronage of Indian classical music which has lost its erstwhile royal patronage after the winding up of princely states.

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Current music - Raag Des/Rashid Khan