Mamata Banerjee welcomes singers of different genres in bid to promote folk music

The West Bengal government has brought singers, representing different genres of music from all corners of the state, to the limelight, as part of its initiative to promote folk music, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said Friday. 

Inaugurating the eight-day 'Bangla Sangeet Mela' (Bengal Music Festival) and 'Biswabangla Lok Sanskriti Utsav' (Folk culture festival) here, the chief minister said, from Lepcha to Santhali music and from Bhawaya to Baul songs, Bengal boasts of rich musical traditions, and her government is committed to let all the musical traditions to blossom. 

She said the government has given cards to two lakh folk artists or 'Lok Prasar Shilpi', and each of them is given Rs 1,000 as monthly allowance. "All the state departments would utilise these artistes in their public campaigns. The state will project these artists in its various fairs from 'Krishi Mela' to 'Jatra Utsav'," Banerjee said. 

Speaking about the 'Sangeet Mela', Banerjee said 1,500 singers are participating in the festival. As part of the effort to spread the music festival to every nook and cranny of Bengal, the state will hold the festival in each block from next year, she said. 

"We wish to take it to the grassroots level," she said. Popular singers Shaan and Arijit Singh were given 'Sangeet Mahasamman' award along with a host of Bengali singers such as Rupankar Bagchi, Raghab Chattopadhyay, Manomoy Bhattacharya, Saikat Mitra, Pratik Chowdhury and music director Debojyoti Mishra. 

The awards were given away by music legend Sandhya Mukhopadhyay. Several singers from the state - representing different genres of music - were also given the Sangeet Samman award. 

Alluding to Shaan and Arijit, the chief minister said, "We have personalities today who were born on the soil of Bengal but earned fame and acclaim outside the state and made us proud. They have rushed from Mumbai to be on the side of Bengal during this music festival." 

"The Bengali singers, who have earned universal acclaim outside the state, have retained their originality and individuality. They impart the unique cultural ethos of Bengal in their works and make us proud. They never forget their roots," she said. 

The Minister of State for Cultural Affairs, Indranil Sen and the Principal Secretary of Department of Information and Cultural Affairs, Vivek Kumar, were present on the occasion.

(With inputs from agencies.)