Folk To The Fore

As part of their Sampada series,Culture Department presented a delightful programme in which folk artistes from various regions of Uttar Pradesh played a gamut of instruments at the Sant Gadge hall of the UP Sangeet Natak Akademi on Saturday evening.

The venue came alive to the lilting sounds and foot-tapping rhythm of instruments that are fading into the oblivion,losing out to the din of modern-day techno music. A group of 26 performers representing regions from Bundelkhand to Mathura played an ensemble band at a breathless pace,blending seamlessly one tune into the other.

It was a rare opportunity to hear besides the harmonium,tabla,flutes,sarangi and shehnai,the lesser heard traditional folk instruments like chimtaa,Ramtula,lotaa,thaali,singha,dukkad,nakkara and taasha.