The 32nd edition of Mumbai Sanskriti Festival will bring together stalwarts of Indian classical music including flautist Rakesh Chaurasia, vocalists Ashwini Bhide Deshpande and Sanjeev Abhyankar to share the message of universal peace through music. An initiative of the Indian Heritage Society, the two-day festival will be held at the city’s iconic Town Hall (Asiatic Library) on January 13-14. On the opening evening, Chaurasia will start his performance – ‘Confluence – Music for Peace and Harmony’ – with Indian classical music before weaving in elements of fusion and folk. ‘’This platform provides an ideal stage to spotlight Indian Classical Music, an integral part of our cultural heritage. I commend the Indian Heritage Society for this impactful initiative, poised to resonate with a diverse audience and extend the cultural richness of our heritage to as many as possible,’’ he said in a statement. Chaurasia will be accompanied by Sridar Parthasarathy on mridangam, Ojas Adhiya on tabla, Shikhar Naad Qureshi on percussion, Sanjoy Das on guitar, and Ritik Chaurasia on flute.
The second day of the festival will witness performances by acclaimed exponents of Hindustani classical music such as Ashwini Bhide Deshpande, who will present the musical traditions of her Jaipur-Atrauli gharana, and Sanjeev Abhyankar of the Mewati gharana. The performance titled ‘Bhakti Sangam’ promises to be a confluence of the devotion embedded in both the artistes’ unique styles, gharanas, and of various musical genres like khayal, bhajans, stotras and stutis. The vocalists will be supported by Ajinkya Joshi on tabla, Abhinay Ravande on harmonium, Amar Oak on flute, Omkar Dalvi on pakhawaj, Uddhav Kumbhar on side rhythm, and will have Avanti Patel as the compere. Talking about the cultural initiative, Anita Garware, chairperson – IHS, said that ‘’heritage must adapt with the changing times, and it is held in trust by the present generation to carry forward to the next”.
“IHS plays a pivotal role in rejuvenating heritage landmark structures in the city. Committed to fostering a continual understanding of Mumbai’s history and culture through the medium of music, IHS strives to raise awareness about our rich heritage-what we have inherited-and actively works towards its conservation, restoration, and transmission to future generations,” Garware said. To ensure a more inclusive cultural experience, the entry to the Mumbai Sanskriti Festival has been kept free of cost. The free passes to the festival can be obtained from Chetana Book Centre, Kala Ghoda and Dadar Matunga Cultural Centre.