All genres of musicians to come together

India’s cultural heritage is so rich in music that merely categorising it as classical or folk or Sufi cannot define it unless every note of the lyric is enjoyed in its dedicated raag.

It is to celebrate this rich tradition of Indian music that Department of Art, Culture and Languages along with different genres of all academies is organising Raag Rang which will showcase Hindustani classical music, Sufiana Qalaam, Folk music from Rajasthan and Qawwali, all together.

This musical concert is an initiative to showcase the nuances and shades of Indian culture. The five-day long festival will take place at three different venues - Nehru Park, Dilli Haat, Pitampura and Utsav Park, I.P Extension, to reach a larger audience and to bring music closer.

The concert at Nehru Park will witness a sitar recital by Meera Prasad, who is known for pure rendition of the raags.

This will be followed by a performance by renowned Hindustani vocalists Pt. Rajan-Sajan Misra. Sarod artistes Amaan and Ayaan Ali Khan will perform thereafter.

There will also be a heart rendering Sufiana qalaam by Ali Brothers, a qawwali session by Javed Husain Khan; Kabir Gayan by Bharti Bandhu and traditional and colourful performances by Pappa Khan, Jaipu Khan and Prakash Bhagat and Kamal Bhagat.

At Dilli Haat, Pitampura Inderjeet and his party will kick start the evening with Punjabi Folk and Pop Music. A Qawwali session by Javed Husain Khan, Langas of Rajasthan by Pappa Khan and traditional folk forms by Prakash Bhagat and Kamal Bhagat promise to sway the audiences.

Punjabi Pop Music performance by Ashok Masti and Lok Nritya by Prem Matiana is also slated at the same venue.

A traditional folk music band, Dunes of Rajasthan will set the mood for the East Delhi crowd at Utsav Park, I.P Extension.

This will be followed by a ghazal concert by Ahmed Hussain and Mohammed Hussain and qawwali by Ehsaan Bharti. Bhojpuri folk artistes Malini Awasthi and Sharda Sinha are slated to perform thereafter. An Urdu Mushaira by Poonam and Punjabi Folk and Pop music by Manpreet Akhtar and Party sound like a must watch.

Sharing her views about the festival, Meera Prasad, says, “We performers will come down to celebrate the richness that our country offers – from Hindustani Classical to Punjabi pop. The different diversities will be presented in a compact, seamless format that will appeal to contemporary audiences, while maintaining the essence of the tradition.”

Raag Rang is slated from September 5 to 9 from 6.30 pm onwards.