This event puts the spotlight on Hindustani classical music

Purbayan Chatterjee

If you think youngsters are veering away from Hindustani classical music, Nandini Mahesh would beg to differ. Mahesh, who's been organising Teen Prahar - a classical music festival - for 13 years now, says that the average age of the audience has in fact dropped significantly over the years.

"When we started off organising events about 22 years ago, people would say that classical music is on its last legs. And you would see a majority of 55-plus people in the crowd. But now, we see so many youngsters that the ratio of them and older people is probably 40:60 these days. So, it's not like the genre has taken a backseat. In fact, classical musicians have never had it so good," she tells us.

Lions of Africa

On that note, Teen Prahar is back today with a line-up that includes a blend of prodigious talents and established maestros. "We have three different sections that cover different genres. And each is helmed individually by a newcomer, a maestro in the making and then a big star, reflecting the different stages in a musician's life," Mahesh reveals.

She adds that the line-up includes Joshua Katamala. "He is a Catholic priest's son, and a fine Hindustani classical music singer. There has never been any other singer in his family. So, it's a natural gift that he has," Mahesh says.

She also says that the rest of the performances consist of a rendition of Carnatic music by Prasanna, Purbayan Chatterjee and S Shashank, apart from a recital by vocalist Pandit Venkatesh Kumar. And the festival will end with two percussion-based shows. The first will be performed by a Senegalese group called Lions of Africa, who weave music around a fable involving a character who's half man and half lion. And the other will involve a collective of Indian musicians called Taal India, with both these groups bringing the curtains down with a final jam.

On Tonight, 7 pm
At Nehru Centre, Dr Annie Besant Road, Worli.
Call 28261885
Entry Rs 250 to Rs 600

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