<p>Bangalore’s classical music lovers got together recently at the Indian Institute of World Culture to enjoy Sama-E-Khusro, an evening of sufi music. Sama-E-Khusro was an effort to celebrate poetry by Amir Khusro. While the City is generally cut off from sufi tradition, this event enthralled the audience. <br /><br /></p>.<p>The programme commenced with Kannada songs by B B Kulkarni, a popular artiste, which was followed by a sufi kathak recital by dancer Anurekha Ghosh. <br /><br />“Sufi thought and emotion liberate the spirit and the soul. When that gets connected to the cosmos and when one gets lost in that, there is a connection,” said Anurekha Ghosh. <br /><br />Nityapriya Srivastava, a Hindustani classical vocalist performed Kafi style sufi kalam of Amir Khusro in pure Hindustani classical form. The programme concluded with Nityapriya Srivastava and Anurekha Ghosh performing a jugalbandi of sufi vocal and kathak recitals. <br /><br />Some of the compositions that were rendered were Aaj Rang Hai Ri Ma Rangi Hai, Main To Piya Say Naina Lada Aayi Ray and Eri Sakshi More Piya Ghar Aaye.<br /><br />“It was an invaluable experience. It was the first time that people in Bangalore witnessed such a jugalbandi. It was a chance to be away from worldly affairs. We look forward to our next performance, which is bharatanatyam and sufi jugalbandi in June,” said Nityapriya Srivastava, a Hindustani classical vocalist. The instruments that were used included the tabla and harmonium. Meera G Shanbhogue and Kiran accompanied them on tabla, while Kalgurgi was on violin and Aparna G Shanbhogue on harmonium. <br /><br />The mother-daughter duo, Meera Shanbhogue and Aparna Shanbhogue who perform regularly, said, “We have been performing regularly at temples. It is a really good experience,” said Meera adding that every evening both of them practise the bhajans. While Meera plays the tabla, Aparna plays the harmonium. <br /><br />“The kathak sufi style of Kolkata is different from that of Jaipur. In Kolkata, artistes are influenced by Manipuri style and Ravindra Nrithya. The songs were very lively but I found that they resembled Urdu shayari. I try and attend sufi concerts regularly,” said Satyanarayana, a music enthusiast and a dancer. <br /><br />“It’s the first time that I am attending a sufi music concert. I’ve enjoyed the programme,” said Prabha, an audience member.<br /><br /></p>
<p>Bangalore’s classical music lovers got together recently at the Indian Institute of World Culture to enjoy Sama-E-Khusro, an evening of sufi music. Sama-E-Khusro was an effort to celebrate poetry by Amir Khusro. While the City is generally cut off from sufi tradition, this event enthralled the audience. <br /><br /></p>.<p>The programme commenced with Kannada songs by B B Kulkarni, a popular artiste, which was followed by a sufi kathak recital by dancer Anurekha Ghosh. <br /><br />“Sufi thought and emotion liberate the spirit and the soul. When that gets connected to the cosmos and when one gets lost in that, there is a connection,” said Anurekha Ghosh. <br /><br />Nityapriya Srivastava, a Hindustani classical vocalist performed Kafi style sufi kalam of Amir Khusro in pure Hindustani classical form. The programme concluded with Nityapriya Srivastava and Anurekha Ghosh performing a jugalbandi of sufi vocal and kathak recitals. <br /><br />Some of the compositions that were rendered were Aaj Rang Hai Ri Ma Rangi Hai, Main To Piya Say Naina Lada Aayi Ray and Eri Sakshi More Piya Ghar Aaye.<br /><br />“It was an invaluable experience. It was the first time that people in Bangalore witnessed such a jugalbandi. It was a chance to be away from worldly affairs. We look forward to our next performance, which is bharatanatyam and sufi jugalbandi in June,” said Nityapriya Srivastava, a Hindustani classical vocalist. The instruments that were used included the tabla and harmonium. Meera G Shanbhogue and Kiran accompanied them on tabla, while Kalgurgi was on violin and Aparna G Shanbhogue on harmonium. <br /><br />The mother-daughter duo, Meera Shanbhogue and Aparna Shanbhogue who perform regularly, said, “We have been performing regularly at temples. It is a really good experience,” said Meera adding that every evening both of them practise the bhajans. While Meera plays the tabla, Aparna plays the harmonium. <br /><br />“The kathak sufi style of Kolkata is different from that of Jaipur. In Kolkata, artistes are influenced by Manipuri style and Ravindra Nrithya. The songs were very lively but I found that they resembled Urdu shayari. I try and attend sufi concerts regularly,” said Satyanarayana, a music enthusiast and a dancer. <br /><br />“It’s the first time that I am attending a sufi music concert. I’ve enjoyed the programme,” said Prabha, an audience member.<br /><br /></p>
