PUNE: City-based Suhana Basant Foundation and Kannada Sangha, Pune are jointly organizing Sitar Nawaz Ustad Bale Khan Music Festival on July 1st and 2nd at the Shakuntala Shetty Auditorium, Dr. Kalmadi Shamrao High School at Ganesh Nagar. Entry to this program is free on a first come first serve basis. The program will start at 5:00 pm on the first day and at 3:30 pm on the second day. This is the 5th edition of this music festival which is organized in memory of Ustad Bale Khan, who significantly contributed to establishing Sitar in the southern part of the country.
On July 1st, the program will start at 5:00 pm and will begin with the performance of Bhimanna Jadhav (Sundri). His son Venkatesh Kumar and Dr. Atul Kamble (Tabla) will accompany him. Vidushi Kalpana Zokarkar (Vocal) will perform with Bharat Kamat (Tabla) and Suyog Kundalkar (Harmonium). The first day will conclude with the Sitar recital of Ustad Usman Khan. Pandit Ravindra Yavgal on Tabla.
Sangeet Natak Academy award winners including Ustad Usman Khan, Pandit Vinayak Torvi, Pandit Ravindra Yavgal, Vidhushi Aarti Anklikar Tikekar, and Pandit Uday Bhavalkar will be felicitated at the hands of noted industrialist Dr. Abhay Firodia on the first day of the event. Kannada Sangha trustees including President Kushal Hegde, Secretary Malti Kalmadi, and Vice President Indira saliyan would also be present on the occasion.
Day 2 (July 2nd) will start at 3:30 pm with the performance of renowned vocalist from the Bhendi Bazar Gharana Anuradha Kuberm which will be followed by Pandit Uday Bhavalkar’s Vocal performance. Jugalbandi between Ustad Rafiq Khan (Sitar) and Abhishek Lahiri (Sarod) would take place thereafter. The festival will end with Pandit Vinayak Torvi’s performance.
