This majestic voice from Patiala Gharana will be showcased at 6.30am on Sunday at a specially curated 'Spiritual Morning' concert by Pancham Nishad. The concert is being organised by Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation as a part of it 'Make in India Week' celebrations.
Always on the run, Mumbai loves to sleep in on a Sunday. But not this one. This has nothing to do with Valentine's Day, but the coming together of two very special icons — the Gateway of India with the vast Arabian Sea lapping at its feet and the magical classical vocalist Begum Parveen Sultana, whose voice effortlessly spans the length and breadth of the four octaves.
This majestic voice from Patiala Gharana will be showcased at 6.30am on Sunday at a specially curated 'Spiritual Morning' concert by Pancham Nishad. The concert is being organised by Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation as a part of it 'Make in India Week' celebrations.
Ecstatic about the response which saw the concert sell out soon after being announced, Shashi Vyas, who heads Pancham Nishad, said, "India's spiritual music holds sway all over the world. In this bustling metropolis, the common person, due to her/his hectic schedule and a stressful life, is always in search of inner peace. Nothing can do this as beautifully as spiritual music. The Spiritual Morning series of concerts began like this in 2002."
Padma Vibhushan Kishori Amonkar, Pt Jasraj, Pt Hariprasad Chaurasia, Pt Shivkumar Sharma and several other veteran artistes have performed at these concerts over the last 14 years.
Begum Parveen Sultana who handles, with utter ease, even the most complicated ragas, moving from the slow alaap to swift taans and bol tans (her signature style), said she looked forward to the concert. "Concerts like these are an answer to those who try to say there aren't many classical music lovers. It also gives artistes an opportunity to present several unsung ragas meant for the morning which are rarely heard as concerts are mostly held in the evening."
She pointed out how across ages, Bhakti poet-saints from various parts of India have moulded people's expression of devotion. Be it Dnyaneshwar, Tukaram, Kabir, Bulle Shah, Rahim, Mirabai, Purandaradasa or Thyagaraja — they have always been the unifying thread in all the diversity. "Devotion expressed through music has had maximum appeal since time immemorial for people of this land," she added.
When asked whether she will sing the much loved Pt Bhatkhande composition in Bhairavi, Bhavani Dayani, which she has turned into a priceless gem, she laughed. "Why don't you come find out at the concert?"
The making
A child prodigy, Begum Parveen Sultana received her early training from her father Ustad Ikramul Majid. Later, she was under the tutelage of her guru Ustad Mohammed Dilshad Khan. She has acquired a new dimension to her singing, giving it the required mastery of ragas and voice culture. This youngest Padmashri awardee has been the 'Queen of Hindustani Music', the 'Poetess of Music' and 'the Ultimate Soprano'.
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