In the flow

It’s that time of the year when you sit back and enjoy good music. Come January 20,and the city will lend its ears to the Fifth Annual Sangeet Sammelan ‘Aai Basant Bahar’ organised by Chandigarh Sangeet Natak Akademi on the occasion of Basant Panchmi. This year the festival is being organised in collaboration with Indian National Theatre,and it will have performances,including that by well-known vocalist Nivedita Singh and internationally acclaimed classical singer of Kirana Gharana Pt. Kaivalya Kumar Gaurav from Dharwar (Karnataka).

A classical vocalist with a scholarly insight,Nivedita began her training in vocal music in her childhood under late Prof. Tara Singh,a pioneer of Gurmat Sangeet,who belonged to the Gwalior tradition of Khyal Gayaki. Later she got her lessons from Prof. Ajit Singh Paintal,disciple of Ustad Amir Khan Sahib of Indore Gharana. Currently,she is learning from Pandit Ganesh Prasad Sharma,a renowned music Guru and scholar of Sahaswan School of music. Combining her concert career with teaching and research in music,Nivedita did her M.A. in vocal music from Punjabi University,Patiala and M.Phil. in Music from University of Delhi. Nivedita’s forte is khyal,and she is quite an active performer with a strong stage presence and a profound understanding of both tradition and innovation. A regular on AIR and DD,she skillfully uses melodic strains to highlight the idea of the shabads of Gurbani without allowing the raga to overshadow the intent of the verses. You can find her work in the form of albums and research papers. Book your seat for the concert on January 20 at 6:30pm,Bhartiya Vidya Bhawan,Sector 27,Chandigarh.