Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 14: The day-5 of the ongoing 9th Annual SaMaPa Aalap Festival (SAF) 2014 featured a scintillating Sitar recital by Zunain Halim Khan from Mumbai.
SAF 2014 is presented by SaMaPa (Sopori Academy of Music And Performing Arts) in collaboration with Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, Jammu and Kashmir Police and Department of Tourism, Jammu.
The concert was dedicated to Ustad Ghulam Mohd Saznawaaz, a legendary Sufiana musician of Kashmir who died yesterday.
Music maestro Abhay Sopori said that it’s a huge loss to the Sufiana Mausiqi and also the State of J&K.
The concert held at Ved Mandir, Amphalla witnessed participation of young children of Bal Niketan, Balika Niketan and Maharaja Pratap Singh Vidyalaya along with their teachers and staff.
The people living in the Home for the Aged and Infirm were also invited for the concert. The programme began with the lighting of traditional lamp by maestro Abhay Rustum Sopori, Senior musicologist and music critic Pt Vijay Shankar Mishra, Sufi Singer Ragini Rainu, performing musicians along with Amar Chand Gupta, President Ved Mandir, Capt Purshotam Sharma, Vice President, K K Mengi, Secretary Ved Mandir and O P Verma, member Ved Mandir.
Mr Gupta presented welcome address, while the vote of thanks was presented by Mr Mengi. Capt Sharma introduced the programme and the artists and coordinated the proceedings of the function.
It is pertinent to mention here that Zunain Halim Khan has emerged as one of the foremost Sitar players of his generation and is the leading exponent of the Jafferkhani Baaj, an innovation of his eminent father and guru Padmabhushan Ustad Abdul Halim Jaffer Khan. He presented Raga Basant Mukhari, commencing his recital with brief Aalap–Jod followed by Gat in Vilambit Teentaal and Drut Teentaal.
