Romance of thumris at annual Delhi festival

Thumri, the light romantic or devotional Hindustani classical music attempts to capture aptly the melody of the pouring rain and the rhythm of cool winds. Now, masters of the genre are poised to present the romance of the monsoon through a festival here.
Veterans Girija Devi, Pandit Channulal Mishra and Ustad Ghulam Sadiq Khan are among nine vocalists set to participate in a three day Thumri Festival that begins here on August 7.
The event is being presented by Delhi Government's Department of Art, Culture and Languages and Sahitya Kala Parishad would also showcase emerging talent in the genre.
Pandit Channulal Mishra is scheduled to open in the festival with young talents Aarti Ankalikar and Kakli Mukherjee.

Performances by Anjali Pohankar, Devasish Dey, and Ustad Ghulam Sadiq Khan have been lined up for the second day whil the final evening would see performances by young classical music exponents Uma Garg and Nabhodeep Chakroborty, organisers say.
Girja Devi, the 84-year-old thumri maestro who has made immense contribution to the profile of thumri over several decades, takes the stage in the event's finale, say organisers.

Once among the most popular art forms in the royal courts of Awadh, Thumri still commands a following with the semi- classical singing form appealing equally to classical music connoisseurs as well as those who prefer lighter musical art forms.

"Despite much talk in recent years about the diminishing followers of the classical tradition, Thumri has always had its loyal audience," says Girija Devi.
Thumri rose in popularity in the 19th century under the patronage of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah. Romantic and devotional in nature, the genre is a blend of Hindustani classical with traits of folk literature and music. The dohas of Indian bhakti poets form the core of the content of Thumri songs.
"Thumri is often an expression of the love for Lord Krishna and with time a number of lighter forms have emerged from its folds like Dadra, Chaiti, Hori, Kajari, Saavan and Jhoola. With its power to attract audiences, Thumri has been able to keep alive the tradition of Bhakti poets, despite emergence of new forms of entertainment," says Ustad Ghulam Sadiq Khan.

"It becomes important to give a greater platform to artists who practice it and take it down generations. It is heartening to see young and fresh blood taking up the art form with zest," says the veteran.