Bengal Classical Music Fest 2014

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Societal Events Report :
The third edition of the Bengal Classical Music Festival was wrapped up on December 2 at the Army Stadium with great enthusiasm of thousands of classical music lovers. Every day over 50,000 audience-enjoyed performances of the leading classical singers and dancers of Bangladesh and India at the festival, which was dedicated to the memory of the Pollikobi Jasimuddin.
A total of 160 artistes, including 75 local and 85 Indian artistes, performed in the dusk-to-dawn shows during the five days of the festival. The big names of this festival included Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Vidushi Kishori Amonkar, Pandit Shivkumar Sharma, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty, Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan, Kaushiki Chakrabarty and others, along with noted local artistes like Asit Roy, Mohammad Moniruzzaman
and Amit Chowdhury.
The last day’s performances were dedicated to the eminent artist Qayyum Chowdhury, who died on Sunday after attending the festival. Chairman of Bengal Foundation Abul Khair announced that the next festival would be organised in the memory of the late artist.
The main attraction of the last day’s event was the legendary Indian classical singer Kishori Amonkar, who mesmerised the audience with her magical vocal presentation
of a few ragas such as suha, kedar and a bandish.
The captivating vocal recital of the octogenarian singer while presenting the ragas created magical
moments for the august audience. Her high pitched melodious vocal recital while presenting a raga based song Jhanana Jhanana Baaje Mor Payel resonates on the ears,
said many listeners. Other attractions on the concluding day’s event were Indian dancer Vishal Krishna’s kathak presentation, local artiste Mohammad Maniruzzaman’s flute performance, Indian artistes
Ashwini Bhide-Deshpande and Uday Bhawalkar’s vocal recitals.
The last performance of the festival was Ustad Amzad Ali Khan’s sarod presentation. The maestro presented raga khabraj, jogiya and bhairabi and left the audience rapt.
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