JOIN USRed Fort Fest helps artists back on their feet
The Red Fort Festival—Bharat Bhagya Vidhata, a week-long thematic cultural event showcasing India's rich history and diversity in art, heritage, culture and cuisine, took place between March 25th and April 3rd.
The festival was conceived by the Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Culture and Dalmia Bharat, the "Monument Mitra" for the Red Fort, to bring back on-ground events showcasing food, music, art and heritage.
These kinds of events are instrumental in bringing back livelihoods to regional performers.
Ghulam Waris Nizami belongs to the Khurja Gharana from erstwhile Secunderabad (now Hyderabad). He performs with his group, the Nizami Brothers, qawwāls who have performed at the prestigious Royal Albert Hall in London.
"The universe of music opens doors to a whole new world, and doing online programs isn't as much fun as performing live to an audience. We are thrilled to be back at an iconic place like the Red Fort to share our music," said Nizami.
The event was executed on a grand scale with stunning projection mapping shows, VR galleries, textile bazaars and food stalls.
"We themed the festival around a diverse artistic and cultural canvas. It was designed as a tribute to our social fabric," said Puneet Dalmia, MD, Dalmia Bharat Ltd.
The Nizami Brothers have an ancestral connection to the Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya and Hazrat Amir Khusro Sufi Darbar courts.
Another celebrated singer who performed at the Red Fort, Babu Khan, belongs to the Manganiyar community from Rajasthan's Barmer.
"We are folk musicians, and regardless of the instruments used, we are versatile in folk style", Khan says.
The pandemic had a lasting impact on artists.
"The last two years were challenging for our community. We are lucky to have created music even during the tough days. We did virtual performances to collect donations online and helped underprivileged members of our community with necessities," said Khan.
The festival had other notable performances by singer Shaan, Maitreyee Pahadi (dance), Raghu Dixit (folk fusion), Dadi Pudumjee (puppet theatre) and Yuvraj Hans (Punjabi music).
The Government of India's campaign "Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav", celebrating India's 75th year of Independence, is counting down to August 15th with a line-up of exciting events exploring the cultural heritage of India.
(Chandreyi Bandyopadhyay is a marketing communications professional and a freelance writer, an avid traveller and a food lover)
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