With the onset of winter, every year Delhi witnesses a busy cultural calendar and currently the capital is enjoying the Youth Festival, a six-day long extravaganza of music, dance, art, street plays and more. Organised by Sahitya Kala Parishad and Department of Art, Culture, and Languages, Delhi Government in collaboration with New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), the ninth edition of the festival is taking place at Central Park, in the heart of the city.
From Bharatanatyam performance by the disciples of Jayalakshmi Eshwar to street play by Artwork Theatre Studio, the festival has more than 500 artists showcasing their creativity.
Moving forward, Delhi-based Rock N Raaga band will be performing today. Having been busy preparing for this show, Shravan Kumar, the guitarist and manager of the band professes how excited they are. “We will be performing on the same stage that our mentors have performed, so the level of enthusiasm is definitely high.”
The basic genre of the band is Hindi Rock fusion by reviving the old classic music and making it contemporary. “Our music is an ensemble of jazz, metal and rock with the music of the ’70s, making it more appealing for the youth. It is an honest attempt to introduce the golden pieces of Indian music,” says Kumar, who is glad to see such platforms being created for the artists, something that was rare when they started in 2013.
Classical violinist and music composer Sharat Chandra Srivastava, too, feels that such platforms provide the much-needed encouragement to the students pursuing classical music. The last day of the festival has a violin ensemble by Srivastava’s disciples.
Talking about the performance, he says, “It’s a very special concert as it marks the death anniversary of my grandfather and guru Joi Srivastava. My students will be paying tribute to him and thus, the concert is called The Legacy of Pandit Joi Srivastava. Another special feature is that my son Raghav Chandra will be playing a classical piece followed by the orchestra composed by my grandfather in the early 60s by my students.”
Apart, from this, the final days of the festival will have cultural performances by Prayas Juvenile Aid Center Society (JAC), Odissi performances by Madhumita Raut and street plays by Prasoon Narayan and group. The festival also has a fine art section, Kala Mela, offering a platform for upcoming artists by conducting on the spot painting competition today with the theme Delhi- Through the eyes of youth artists. The winners will be honoured with a cash prize and the selected art pieces will be exhibited on the last of the festival during the art exhibition.
Till: December 6, 6:00 pm
AT: Central Park, CP