National center for arts to feature classical music and dance stalwarts

Stalwarts of Indian classical music and dance Ustad Rashid Khan, Pandit Birju Maharaj, and Ustad Wasifuddin Dagar among others will aim to connect the youth with the country's age-old traditional classical art forms and culture at the Dilli Durbar music festival starting Saturday. The two-day festival, organised by Dilli Gharana in collaboration with Sursagar Society and Ameer Khusro Institute of Music, will be held at Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts.

The main components of the musical extravaganza will be Hindustani classical vocals, Kathak, Carnatic instrumental performances along with workshops, lectures on Hindustani music, seminars and panel discussions. Eminent Indian classical vocalist and the founder of Dilli Durbar, Ustad Iqbal Ahmed Khan said the festival gives him an opportunity to pass on his learnings to the younger generation.

"I had the great privilege of learning music under the tutelage of great maestros of Indian Classical Arts; they not only taught us the art but also imbibed in us the great culture and traditions of India. "I being the flag-bearer of Dilli Gharana feel that it is my responsibility to pass on my learnings to the younger generation to refine their sensibilities and to cultivate their taste for these finer things in life," he said.

The event will witness the participation of renowned Indian classical maestros including Ustad Iqbal Ahmed Khan, Ustad Shahid Parvez, Guru Shovana Narayan, and Javed Ali The younger generation of artists performing at the festival include the likes of Dhruv Sangari, Roohani Sisters, Syed Sahil Agha, Imran Khan, Veena Srivani, and Anuradha Pal.

Apart from pure classical, the music lovers of the city will also get to experience other formats of music during the festival. It will also feature three bands of differing music styles -- A R Divine, Fusion Band by Gharana Unplugged, and Sufi Rock by Rocknama -- which though patronized by the youth are also known to be "true to their music basics". "The idea of Dilli Durbar originated from the fact that many youngsters in the country today are being fed a deadly cocktail of cacophony in the name of music which is as far removed from true music as chalk is from cheese.

"Hence, we wanted to reintroduce the young people of India once again with true Indian Music. We hope we will be able to at least make a small change with this initiative of ours," Vusat Iqbal Khan, co-founder of Dilli Durbar 2019 said. The music festival will come to a close on March 17.

(With inputs from agencies.)