Beginning today, the first day of Holi, the Ekatvam Holi Music Fest features young names from the field of Indian classical music such as Hindustani vocalist Anagha Bhat, sarangi player Sarfaraz Khan, Carnatic vocalists Girijashankar Sundaresan and Abhishek Raghuram, and A Carnatic Quartet.
“In 2020 we were forced to cancel, in 2021, we couldn’t even organise it. But we wanted to continue our tradition, hence we have are happy to host this year’s edition,” says Rajmohan Krishnan, founder of Ekatvam. The three-day festival will have a total of 12 concerts. Day one begins with a flute duet by popular flautists Heramba and Hemantha. The twins, fondly called F lute Brothers, are known for their unique technique of playing the flute, which enables them to switch between different ranges. Their shruthi shuddham (perfect pitching), synchronisation and innovative approach to the gayaki style of music makes their performance unmissable.
On day two, Girijashankar and Abhishek, and Hindustani singers Hiranmayee S and Bharath Narayan will perform. “They are not newcomers. They have been performing but they need more encouragment and platforms to present their work. At the same time, we want to offer something new to the audience. Hindustani exponent Sanjeev Abhyankar and Carnatic vocalist Balamuralikrishna will perform a jugalbandi. We always ask artistes if they can bring anything new to the table for the audience,” Rajmohan elaborates.
The jugalbandi will take place on day three, and A Carnatic Quartet, comprising Shreya Devnath, Mylai M Karthikeyan, Praveen Sparsh and Adyar G Silambrasan will perfor m their ensemble compositions. The funds raised from the show will be used to support senior citizens through community living initiatives.
Rs 100. March 18-20, 10 am. At Bangalore Gayana Samaja, KR Road
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