The four-day festival will be held at New English School, Ramanbaug. As in the past few years, this year too, the organisers have managed to strike a fine balance between performances by maestros and young artistes.
As the 57th edition of the Sawai Gandharva music festival kicks off on December 9, it will be a special occasion, for this year is the 125th birth anniversary of Sawai Gandharva, in whose memory the festival was initiated by his disciples.
The four-day festival will be held at New English School, Ramanbaug. As in the past few years, this year too, the organisers have managed to strike a fine balance between performances by maestros and young artistes.
Among the renowned artistes performing are Begum Parveen Sultana, Pt Jasraj, Malini Rajurkar, Pt Hariprasad Chaurasia and Pt Shivkumar Sharma. This year, the young generation of artistes include Kumar Gandharva’s grandson, Bhuvanesh Komakali, Debapriya Adhikary (vocal) and Samanvay Sarkar (sitar) along with a performance by singer Sawani Shende Sathe.
When asked if Pt Bhimsen Joshi would like to perform to mark his guru’s 125th birth anniversary, Joshi’s son and executive president of the Arya Sangeet Prasarak Mandal, Srinivas Joshi said, “Panditji had sung in 2007. Since then, he hasn’t expressed a desire to sing at the Sawai fest. I cannot say if he will sing.’’
The organisers are hopeful that the rains would make an exit by the time the festival kicks off on December 9. “The festival is held in a covered pandal, but we are prepared to make the necessary arrangements if rain persists,’’ said Srinivas Joshi.
“Last year, it was swine flu and before that was the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist attack, but music enthusiasts have always come out in large numbers,’’ said Joshi.
Tickets will be sold from December 1 at Dinshaw & Co on Laxmi Road; Behare Ambewale on Bajirao Road’ Shirish Traders near Kamla Nehru Park; and Navdikar Musicals at Kothrud and Tilak Road. Seasonal tickets are priced between Rs1,800 and Rs350. Students will get season tickets for Rs150.
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