Ekatvam, the Indian classical music festival returns with an all-women edition

The annual Ekatvam Holi Music Festival is all set to make a grand comeback for its fifth edition and this time with something special up its sleeve. Unfolding across two weekends, this event promises an extraordinary celebration of Indian classical music. This year’s edition presents an exceptional all-women line-up.

The festival, founded in 2019, is the brainchild of the Entrust Foundation and is curated by Rajmohan Krishnan. In Rajmohan’s own words, the festival was conceived to offer a platform for Indian classical music to shine, particularly for up-and-coming artistes who are yet to perform in Bengaluru.

“The idea behind the Holi Music Fest is to bring both hindustani and carnatic classical music to the fore allowing upcoming musicians who have not had an opportunity to perform in Bengaluru, to showcase their talents. We always make sure to have an afternoon slot, from four to six, dedicated to emerging artistes, followed by the main evening performances by more reputed musicians, to ensure that the festival is accessible to all,” he shares.

The festival takes on a special significance this year, as it has expanded to four days to accommodate the newly introduced award function —Vidushi Gangubai Hangal and Mysore Vasudevachar Awards — honouring veteran carnatic and hindustani musicians. The audiences attending this event will be treated to performances by an array of eminent names including H Amritha Shenoy, Debopriya Chatterjee, Kalpana Kishore, Shreya Kolathaya, Sreeja Rajendran, Sriranjani Santhanagopalan, Sangeeta Katti Kulkarni and the Kanchana sisters.

A key highlight of the 2025 festival is the unique all-women line-up. The curator tells us that while female musicians have always been an integral part of classical music, women accompanists are often rare, especially when it comes to instruments like the tabla or mridangam, which are traditionally male-dominated.

“We have always believed in women empowerment and in this instalment made a concerted effort to feature women in every aspect of the performances, from the singers to the instrumentalists, ensuring that the line-up is entirely female across all four days,” he reveals.

Entry free. Some events are ticketed. March 22 & 23 at Bengaluru Gayana Samaja and March 29 & 30 at Pathi Sabhangana, Basavanagudi.