*Talent in border areas needs proper direction: Abhay Sopori
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 16: The ongoing 15 days long SaMaPa Aalap Festival (SAF) 2014 has already featured presentations of Santoor, Flute, Sitar, etc, here.
As part of SaMaPa’s Border initiatives programme, the seventh day of SAF 2014 featured the first ever Sarod recital at Maharaja Surajmal Institute of Education and Research in border area of RS Pura, which was witnessed by around 1000 people comprising of students and local residents.
SAF 2014 is being presented by SaMaPa (Sopori Academy of Music And Performing Arts) in collaboration with Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, Jammu & Kashmir Police and Department of Tourism, Jammu.
Pt Joydeep Ghosh, eminent Sarod exponent from Kolkata tuned his instrument to leave the audience spell bound.
The harmony of the notes created a beautiful ambience with various compositions in different morning ragas. He also presented a Bengali folk composition and concluded his recital with the Bhajan “Raghupati Raghav”.
He was accompanied on Tabla by Subhash Kanti Das from Delhi. The concert was also attended by Pt Vijay Shankar Mishra, eminent music critic and musicologist, Pt Mithilesh Jha, Ustad Zunain Halim Khan and other who have come for the festival from different parts of the country.
The proceedings of the concert were coordinated by Sapna Sundar.
Principal of the institute, Sushil Chaudhary thanked SaMaPa and maestro Sopori for giving an opportunity to the residents and students of R S Pura area to interact with artists of international fame.
Music maestro Abhay Rustum Sopori in his address highlighted the need to provide music as a daily listening practice. Sopori said that there is abundance of talent in border areas but this needs sincere direction. SaMaPa has made special efforts in shaping the latent of the youth and creating avenues for them, he added.
SAF 2014 on February 17, 2014 will feature Violin recital by Vidushi Kala Ramnath at Govt College for Women, Parade at 10 am and Sarod recital by Pt Joydeep Ghosh at Jammu Sanskriti School at 1pm.