Classical music enthusiasts in the city had a rendezvous with music in Whitefield this weekend. The Whitefield Music Festival, in its seventh edition, saw performances by 28 renowned musicians and performers. Organised by Ananda Dhwani, which was founded by renowned sitarist, Late Pandit Deepak Chaudhary, it was helmed by his student Sangeet Ratna Shree Prabir Bhattacharya
There were acts by Pandit Subhankar Banerjee (Tabla), Milind Kulkarni (Harmonium), Unni Krishnan (Kathakali dancer) and Suma Sudhindra (Veena), among other performers. The festival was initially started with the initiative to nurture, propagate and popularise Indian classical music and dance. “There is a fear that you need to understand classical music in order to enjoy it and that is not true. Classical style is just like any other kind of music and one can enjoy it,” Ishita Dutta, Trustee of Ananda Dhwani, explained.
The festival provided a venue for upcoming and unknown artists, and it aims at bringing forward talented youth. “Exposure is what makes the difference. There is still a questionable part of the youth who don’t know much about classical music. Organising events like this is just one way of giving exposure,” says Pandit Sanjeev Abhyankar, a Hindustani Classical music artist of international acclaim.
Western music has had and is continuing to have a widespread impact on the public. And due to the wide scope of the media, there has been a cementing of Western musical taste, which has its own influence. As a result, the youth’s interest in classical music has dwindled. “Any kind of music that appeals to you should be taken up and the interest shouldn’t be affected by which genre it is,” advises Ishita.
Bring classical into the fray, the mood is rife for more such festivals. “There are a lot of youngsters who are interested about knowing more about classical music. But what we lack is an audience which understands and supports this interest,” says Dr Suma Sudhindra, a classical musician and an acclaimed Veena artist. She also stressed on the need to develop a certain kind of pride in classical music and appreciate it. The festival received a mixed response from the public. “Music is a good stress buster. Given the lifestyle today, one hour of music can be equal to 20 minutes of meditation. By incorporating music, we can also improve public health,” Ishita concludes.
Jones Biju
