BENGALURU: Fans of Pt Hariprasad Chaurasia will be in for a treat this Independence Day. You can watch the flute maestro play a special raga, one that will go with the spirit of the occasion, right from your homes through an event organised by banyantreeevents.com. Every year, the firm organises the thematic Barkha Ritu festival in Bengaluru, dedicated to the not-so-common monsoon ragas.
This year marks a milestone for them, as they step into their 20th year. Nurturing the rich heritage of Indian classical music, this festival is organised in eight cities every year. “Going digital was the only option in this situation and we are geared up for the first ‘Digital Barkha Ritu’,” says Sachin Mane, one of the organisers. There are four episodes starting from August 15.
Each episode will feature a studio-recorded new concert of musicians, including the younger generation as well as masters. Mahesh Babu, founder- director of Banyan Tree, says, “This pandemic has brought in a tough time for performing arts. Artistes need our support. This series will be in aid of ‘Meri Kala Meri Pehchaan’, a project we have created to support folk artistes across India.” All the concerts begin at 6 pm. On August 15, vocalist Ronkini Gupta will perform, followed by Pt Chaurasia.
August 16 will bring performances by sarod player Debasmita Bhattacharya and vocalist Pt Venkatesh Kumar. The festival will resume after a 13-day break, on August 29, with performances by vocalist Prasad Khaparde and sitar player Ustad Shujaat Khan . The final day, on August 30, will have Vivek Sonar on flute and Ustad Rashid Khan on vocals. Tickets available on BookMyShow, where the concerts will be streamed. Priced at `200 for single day, `500 for all four concerts. (The author is a city-based dance critic)