L Subramaniam, Roshan Kumari receive Hafiz Ali Khan Award

Acclaimed Indian violinist L Subramaniam and Kathak exponent Roshan Kumari were awarded with prestigious Hafiz Ali Khan Award-2014 by renowned Sarod player Ustad Amzad Ali Khan at a function held here.

Subramaniam and Kumari of Jaipur Gharana received the 30th Hafiz Ali Khan award last evening.

The award was instituted by Amzad Ali Khan in 1985 in memory of his father Hafiz Ali Khan, a great court musician of the Gwalior Gharana.

Subramaiam and Kumari said it was a matter of pride for both of them to receive the honour at Gwalior which is "a temple of music".

Subramaniam, an acclaimed Indian violinist, composer and conductor, is trained in classical Carnatic music tradition and Western classical music, while Kumari is India's leading exponent of Kathak dance of Jaipur Gharana.

"We will never forget the honour which we have received here. As long as functions related to classical music will be organised, nobody would be able to diminish Indian music from the world," they said.

Madhya Pradesh Industries Minister Yashodhararaje Scindia was supposed to present the award to the acclaimed artistes but she could not make it to the programme due to some official engagements in Bhopal.

Later, Ali Khan gave the award to Subramaniam and Kumari that carries a shawl and a citation.

Addressing on the occasion, Ali Khan said, "We should patronise our artists. Earlier, kings used to patronise art and culture and now governments should play this role for ensuring music's existence."

Ali Khan also honoured Subramaniam's wife and noted playback singer, Kavita Krishnamurthy on the occasion.

Ali Khan's sons, Amaan and Ayaan, both noted Sarod players performed along with renowned Tabla player Sukhvinder Singh Namdhari in the evening.

They began their concert with Raag Shri and later rendered Mahatma Gandhi's favourite devotional song, 'Vaishnav Jana To..' and closed the evening with Raag Durga.