The Maestro and his Music: Ustad Asad Ali Khan Sahib

On 14 June 2011, the Rudra Veena, the first-ever stringed instrument, lost its greatest proponent of all time -- Ustad Asad Ali Khan. Legend has it that the Rudra Veena was born out of Lord Shiva’s urge to measure swaras and shrutis (micro-notes). Ustaad Asad Ali Khan, became its custodian at a time when the deep and intense-sounding been was being pushed into obscurity by the more commercially-viable and easier-to-master instruments such as the sitar and santoor. Known for his exacting technique, Ustad Asad Ali Khan, evoked a contemplative mood with his music.

As a tribute to the departed Ustad, the Vageeshwari Foundation presents a special concert:


Date and Time: 18 April 2012, 7 PM
Venue: Stein Auditorium, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi.


Featuring:

• Screening of ‘Asad Ali Khan: A Portrait’: A film by Renuka George
• Vocal recital by Madhumita Ray
• Rudra Veena recital by Ustad Bahauddin Dagar 

Entry: Free and first-come-first serve. 

Madhumita Ray - Hameer

Madhumita Ray - Raga Hameer

Accompanists:

• Tabla: Manoj Nagar
• Harmonium: Mehmood Dhaulpuri
• Tanpura: Chhandasree Roy, Sushmita Lahiri Kuri

Portraits of Delhi

                                                     Celebrating 100 years of Delhi

The legend goes that the Nizamuddin dargah had run into debt and had to mortgage Raag Purvi, their most precious property. Under mortgage, no one could perform this beautiful twilight raga. But when poet-composer Amir Khusrau, creator of the raag, returned from his foreign travels, he had it redeemed. Raag Purvi, one of the city’s priceless gems, has been performed ever since. The two-day festival of music and dance Portraits of Delhi presents Raag Purvi, and other faces of the city. 

28 Jan
6.30 pm: Raag Purvi by Madhumita Ray

7.30 pm: Kathak by Pandit Birju Maharaj and Sashwati Sen

Sashwati Sen.

Pandit Birju Maharaj

Pandit Birju Maharaj, teaching us rhythm.

30 Jan
6.30pm: Dilli Gharana showcase by Ustad Iqbal Ahmed Khan (vocal) and Saeed Zafar (sitar)

7.30pm: Qawwali 

Ustad Iqbal Ahmed Khan, Khalifa of Dilli Gharana.

Concept and Direction: Madhumita Ray

Mohey Rang De: A Mosaic of Meera Bhajans and Qawwalis; dance and drama.

Shashi Banerjee as Mirabai. 

Mohey Rang De tells the story of the saint-musician Meerabai starting from her childhood as a young Rajput princess, her introduction to her Girdhar (Lord Krishna), her marriage into the royal family, to her abandonment of worldly ties, and ultimate surrender to Lord Krishna. But Meera’s story is also the journey of the mortal soul from awakening, to complete submersion; her love for Krishna was symbolic of the compulsive attraction that every soul feels for the ultimate divinity. Therefore Meera’s story, and her message, is also at the crux of the Sufi movement.

Using vocal performances by Smt Madhumita Ray, Majid Qawwal of Rampur, and dance by Asavari Pavar and Shashi Banerjee, Mohey Rang De is thus also an exploratory journey threading together the Bhakti and Sufi movements using Meera Bhajans, Sufi couplets of Amir Khusrau and Kabeer. The aim of the presentation is to highlight that all religions have the same message; and all souls, lead to the same divinity.  

Madhumita Ray sings Mirabai's bhajans. On the Tabla: Pandit Subhash Nirwan, on the flute: Devendra Raj Ankur. 

Majid Qawwal from Rampur.

Concept and Direction: Madhumita Ray 
Vocals: Madhumita Ray
Dance (Kathak): Asavari Pawar, Shashi Banerjee

Art and design: Sikandar Bhasin

Sarangi: Sufi Munir Ahmed Warsi

Sitar: Saleem Ahmed

Tabla: Manoj Nagar and Pandit Subhash Nirwan

7pm, 25 October, Stein Auditorium, India Habitat Centre, Lodi Road.