The Bengal Classical Music Festival Begins

Bangladesh has a rich history of classical music tradition. A good number of musicians perfected different forms and styles in our region with patronage from wealthy landowners and nobles. Many well-known and influential classical music maestros such as Ustad Alauddin Khan, Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Ayet Ali Khan also have their roots in Bangladesh. However, in spite of this legacy, classical music has failed to resonate with the majority of modern audiences, particularly the younger generation.
In an effort to revive the tradition and restore its lost prominence, the Bengal Foundation collaborated with the ITC-Sangeet Research Academy (SRA) to organise the Bengal ITC-SRA Classical Music Festival in 2012. The four-day long event was held at the Army Stadium in Dhaka from November 29-December 2 and brought nearly a hundred celebrated artistes from India and Bangladesh to perform on the same stage. Its aim was to promote classical music and foster an appreciation for the genre among those in attendance.
Musicians who participated at the festival included renowned maestros such as Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, Vidushi Girija Devi, Pandit Shivkumar Sharma, Ustad Rashid Khan, Ustad Shahid Parvez and many others. This made the Bengal ITC-SRA Classical Music Festival the world’s largest classical music event since so many legendary performers had never been gathered on one stage before. The festival was dedicated to the memory of Ustad Alauddin Khan while each of the four days also featured tributes to Waheedul Haque, Ustad Vilayet Khan, Pandit Uday Shankar and Ustad Ali Akbar Khan.
The Army Stadium grounds were transformed for the festival with an elaborate stage for performances, a sprawling seating area and stalls to sell magazines, books, food and coffee. Several big screens were set up at different places in the venue for the audience to view the performances. Those looking to attend the event were asked to register for free, either online or at the venue. The crowd consisted of both dedicated classical music aficionados and first-time listeners, many of whom stayed for the full night on all four days.
The Bengal ITC-SRA Classical Music Festival was universally praised and returned for a second time in 2013. In order to surpass the original in terms of size and scope several functional changes were made to the event, such as reducing the number of artistes in order to increase the amount of time allotted to each performance. New to the stage in 2013 were tabla maestro Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri, Carnatic vocalist Vidushi Bombay Jayashri, rudra veena player Ustad Bahauddin Dagar, Kathak dance performer Vishal Krishna, eminent vocalist Begum Parween Sultana and sitar maestro Ustad Rais Khan.
People registered in droves to attend the festival as hundreds signed up within the first few weeks after registration opened. The 2013 event saw a marked increase in attendance, with people from different walks of life and varying levels of familiarity with classical music coming together to enjoy performances from some of the world’s most celebrated musicians. The crowd increased with every passing hour despite political trouble in the capital, with many staying on for the full night’s performances. One glance at the crowded seats and packed bleachers at the Army Stadium and it would be safe to assume that Bengal Foundation has indeed succeeded in their mission to revitalize interest in classical music. It is to be hoped that the festival returns again and becomes a winter staple of Dhaka’s social calendar.

Bangladesh has a rich history of classical music tradition. A good number of musicians perfected different forms and styles in our region with patronage from wealthy landowners and nobles. Many well-known and influential classical music maestros such as Ustad Alauddin Khan, Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Ayet Ali Khan also have their roots in Bangladesh.…