AIR classical Music Festival across country from tomorrow

New Delhi, Oct 6 (UNI) Taking forward its tradition of promoting Indian classical music, All India Radio is hosting a two-day 'Akashvani Sangeet Sammelan' beginning from tomorrow at 21 venues across the country.

Through this unique festival of music, AIR has featured known and up-and-coming artistes on the national stage.

This year's Sammelan is being dedicated to the legendary Sarod maestro Ustad Baba Allauddin Khan for his great service to classical music. As a tribute to the multi-faceted musician, a concert is being hosted in his home town Maihar as well.

Akashvani Sangeet Sammelan will be that rare occasion for music lovers to listen to some of the seldom heard ragas like Malgunji, Kaushik Dhwani, Saraswati Kedar, Basanti Kedar, Swanandi, Suha, Chhaya Behag, Maluha Kedar etc. Besides vocal recitals in Hindustani and Carnatic forms, the event offers a treat to music lovers featuring a wide range of instrumental recitals on Sitar, Sarod, Veena, Chitraveena, Rudraveena, Guitar, Violin, Sarangi, Tabla, Pakhawaj, Flute and Nagaswaram Vidushi Veena Sahasrabuddhe, N Ravi Kiran , Pandit Buddhadev Dasgupta , Dr N Ramani, Pandit Samaresh Choudhary, Pandit Arvind Parikh, Pandit Basant Kabra, Pandit Nityanand Haldipur, Pandit Madhav Gudi, Bahauddin Dagar, C Saroja and C Lalita are among the prominent artistes participating in the Music Festival.

To popularise the Indian Classical music, AIR is holding the Sangeet Sammelan in several tier two cities like Jammu, Dehradun, Darbhanga, Patiala, Kolhapur and other cultural centres like Shantiniketan, Varanasi, Dharwad etc, besides the metro and capital cities.

Brijeshwar Singh, CEO, Prasar Bharati said "All India Radio has played an exemplary role in national integration and Akashvani Sangeet Sammelan is one of its activities which has truly and completely reflected the national ethos, and for the first time AIR will also release CDs of the best of the Sangeet Sammelan concerts." Started in 1954, Akashvani Sangeet Sammelan indeed, brings one part of India to another through music, which knows no language barrier.

The recordings of the Akashvani Sangeet Sammelan will be aired on AIR National Network and AIR FM Gold during December 2006 and January 2007. They will also be telecast on Doordarshan's culture channel - DD Bharati.

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