New Delhi, May 31 (IANS) An annual two-day music festival will begin here Monday to keep alive the soulful melody of the sitar.
Padma Bhushan awardee Debu Chaudhuri has been organising the “UMAK Festival” for over two decades in memory of his guru, Ustad Mushtaq Ali Khan.
“I started this festival in 1996 to keep his name and legacy alive,” Chaudhuri told IANS.
“Through this festival, I have been trying hard to keep the tradition of playing sitar alive, and I am doing it with great difficulty,” he added.
The festival will be held at Stein Auditorium of the India Habitat Centre and start by an orchestra ensemble and dance performances by students of the Ustad Mushtaq Ali Khan (UMAK) Centre for Culture, and will be followed by a sitar performance by 79-year-old Chaudhuri.
On the second day, there will be a “santoor jugalbandi concert” by Bhajan Sopri and his son Abhay Sopori.
“The tragedy is that today’s youth don’t want to learn sitar. He is more keen to learn guitar. But, I hope such festivals will keep our rich traditions alive,” Chaudhuri said.