Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 17: The ongoing SaMaPa Digital Baithak Series celebrated the Independence Day with Mangal Vadya Shehnai recital followed by Pakhawaj recital in its 7th week.
Music legend Pandit Bhajan Sopori and Maestro Abhay Rustum Sopori have specially designed the SaMaPa Digital Baithak series, which is exclusively running on the SaMaPa official YouTube channel.
The first programme of the 7th week featured Shehnai duet recital by one of the most well known young Shehnai players of the country, Sanjeev Shankar and Ashwani Shankar who were accompanied by Anand Shankar on Tabla. The Shankar brothers were born in a family of musicians of Banaras Gharana in which Shehnai & Flute has been played for over 450 years. They received guidance under their father Pt. Daya Shankar, an internationally acclaimed Shehnai player and also their grandfather, the legendary Shehnai player Pt. Anant Lal.
They also had the privilege to learn under Bharat Ratna, the legendary sitar maestro Pt. Ravi Shankar. They presented Raga Jogeshwari, a raga composed by Pt. Ravi Shankar himself followed by Kajri in Raga Pacham Se Gara. They concluded their recital with Thumri in Raga Bhairavi.
The introduction to the recital was presented by renowned Sitar exponent Pandit Shubhendra Rao. Meanwhile, the SaMaPa Samiksha of Vrinda Chadha’s Odissi Dance recital was presented by Shveta Arora.
The other programme featured Pakhawaj Duet recital by Rishi Shankar Upadhyay & his younger sister Mahima Upadhyay, the representatives of the 15th generation of the 400-year-old Pt. Vasudev Upadhyay Pakhawaj Parampara of Gaya (Bihar) are the children and disciples of renowned Pakhawaj player Pandit Ravi Shankar Upadhyay.
An ‘A’ grade artist of All India Radio, Rishi is one of the most outstanding Pakhawaj players of the younger generation and was awarded the prestigious SaMaPa Yuva Ratan Samman 2017 by Sopori Academy of Music And Performing Arts. Mahima is a young talented Pakhawaj player and the 1st female Pakhawaj player in Bihar State.
She is also an ‘A’ grade artist of All India Radio. They presented Dhamar Taal, a 14 beat cycle. The introduction to the recital was presented by Pt. Vijay Shankar Mishra, eminent Tabla guru, musicologist, music critic and writer, and Vice President of SaMaPa. The Baithaks were compered by well-known broadcaster and anchor Sadhna Shrivastav.
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