Chennai: Along with showers visiting the city, as music filled the air ahead of the Margazhi season, Sunday morning opened up to a musical performance by the differently-abled artistes.
The 12th edition of the Parallel Music Fest, an annual event providing a platform for differently-abled artistes to showcase their classical music talent, was organised at the Music Academy by the Rotary Club of Madras.
Violinist, and Sangita Kalanidhi awardee, Padmashri A. Kanyakumari, inaugurated the fest on Sunday and gave a riveting performance with other classical music artistes.
She, along with Anil Srinivasan on the piano and Satishkumar on Mridangam, mesmerised the audience with their special performance ‘East Meets West.’
A Ghatam ensemble of ‘Mrittika Vaibhavam’ band followed the concert, led by Sangita Vidwat Shiromani Suresh Vaidyanathan.
The title of ‘Distinguished Differently-bled Artiste’, was conferred on the Ghatam Maestro, Suresh Vaidyanathan, and the ‘Promising Differently-abled Artiste’ award was conferred on Yuva Kalanidhi Karaikal R Jaishankar, a vocalist.
“Encouraged by the positive response over recent years, the number of aspiring artists participating in the fest has increased with every edition,” said a member of the Madras Rotary Club.
While more than 2,000 concerts are held in December for the Margazhi season at Chennai with 4,000 artistes performing in 100-odd concert halls, the Parallel Music Fest is an exclusive music fest to promote inclusiveness and honour those who remain undeterred despite facing challenges and create magic with music, she added. The audience was a mix of Carnatic connoisseurs and differently-abled invitees who enjoyed the performances.
