Haveli music: Recreating a bygone era in Delhi

Thirteen musicians from different parts of India are set to come together in the national capital with their tablas, sarangi, guitars and a piano, to recreate the music of the havelis with a new twist.

"Haveli music has often been associated with devotional music. So it is losing its charm. We have tried to infuse various elements into it and have combined it with traditional instruments like the guitar and piano to make it relevant to modern audiences," Bhavana, creative head of Hometown Productions, the brain behind the programme, said of the July 19 event.

"These havelis were once a hub of culture, and many emerging artistes and dancers performed there. We plan to bring back forgotten memories with this performance," she said.

Haveli sangeet, a semi-classical form of Hindustani classical music sung in private mansions (havelis), has always been associated with devotional music because it was performed as daily worship for Lord Krishna.

These days, the tag of "devotional music" has dented its popularity, and it is no longer widely performed.

"This is a better way to promote classical music, because deep classical music can become too taxing. This performance is a good blend of so many instruments that audiences will connect with it," Arvind Kumar Azad, a tabla player, told IANS over the phone from Pune, adding that muscial sensibilities from across the country would blend at the performance.

The two-hour performance will see artists like khartal player Dewo Khan, music composer and violinist Deepak Pandit, Odissi dancer Arushi Mudgal, vocalist and sarangi player Ustad Fayaz Khan, sitarist brothers Rafique and Shafique Khan, saxophonist Sridhar Sagar, drummer Stanley Jeoraj, French bassist and pianist, Mishko M'Ba, and kamaiacha players Ghenwar Khan and Dare Khan come together to perform and enthral.