All India Radio is organizing its annual Akashvani Sangeet Sammelan 2014 on Saturday in 24 different cities across the country simultaneously.
A large number of eminent artists shall be participating in the event. This being the centenary year of one of the greatest doyens of Indian classical music Akhatari Bai Faizabadi or the legendary Begum Akhtar; this year's Sangeet Sammelan would prominently feature two of her direct disciples - Vidushi Rita Ganguly who will be performing in Kolkata andVidushi Shanti Hiranand who will be performing at Allahabad and bring to life the inimitable style of rendering of Begum Sahiba.
It is important to mention here that Begum Akhtar recounting the role of Akashvani in her growth as an artist in a radio interview in 1983 had told "Akashvani to mera wozzoot ka hi hissa hei"-"All India Radio is the part of my being.
Akashvani Sangeet Sammelan began in 1954 to provide a platform to upcoming and budding and talented young artists alongside the doyens of Indian classical music. Many legendary artists have featured in the last 60 years in this Sangeet Sammelan which has earned a niche place for itself in the world of Indian classical music.
As a responsible public service broadcaster, even in this age of media rat race for garnering the slice of advertising revenue, Akashvani has not abdicated its responsibility of being the torch bearer of the Indian musical tradition; the annual music competitions for young and budding artists and Akashvani Sangeet Sammelan concerts are testimonial to this.
Akashvani Sangeet Sammelan has gone a long way to promote the cause of Indian classical music of different traditions and patronizing the musical heritage of India.
In the late 20s of the last millennium, when the luster of majority of royals of the princely states was fading, resulting in eroding support and patronage base for the music and the musicians, Akashvani arose as a saviour. There has been no looking back ever since and Akashvani has stood grounds in support of the Indian music.
Akashvani has been like that big Ocean of Indian music where musical rivers and rivulets of all hues and size have mingled and as a result Akashvani itself has become like a national 'Gharana' of Indian music. All legends and luminaries of Indian music past and present belong to this gharana.
The National Sound Archives of All India Radio is a treasure tomb for any connoisseur of Indian music with countless recordings including those of Akashvani Sangeet Sammelan by almost all the who's who of Indian music of any tradition which have been preserved for the posterity.
In yet another step towards fulfilling its commitment to the cause of popularizing Indian classical music, this year's Sangeet Sammelan is also being fully recorded by Doordarshan. The recordings of all the artists shall be part of the common software and shall be widely rebroadcast and available for the music lovers all over the country.
Some of the eminent artists who are participating in this year's Sangeet Sammelan are Vidushi Rita Ganguli (Kolkata), Pt. Rupak Kulkarni (Delhi), Pt. RajendraPrasanna (Mumbai), T.V. Sankaranarayanan (Mumbai), UstadNishat Khan (Chennai), Pt. MadhupMudgal (Hyderbad), Trichur C. Narendran (Hyderbad), R. Thyagarajan (Bangalore), Pt. Ramesh Prem (Bhubaneshwar), UstadNajmudinQuadri (Bhubaneshwar), Pt. Kartick Kumar (Gwalior), VidushiKalpanaZokarkar (Aurangabad), Vidushi Shanti Hiranand (Allahabad), Pradeep Kumar Bhanot (Allahabad), Pt. Nayan Ghosh (Jammu), AlkaDeoMarulkar (Kota). Besides, many upcoming young artists like AbhishekRaghuram (Delhi), SriramParasuram (Kolkata), LahariKolachela (Chennai), S. Harikumar (Hyderabad), Saketha Raman (Bhubaneshwar), SaraswathiRajagopalan (Dharwad).
The event in Delhi shall be held at 6.30 p.m. tomorrow at Chinmaya Mission Auditorium, Lodhi Road.
