In what can be seen as New Delhi’s biggest classical music festival, music lovers in the capital will get a chance to tap their feet to the beats of thumri, a light form of classical music, at Thumri Festival 2012. The annual festival, now in its third year, is being organised by the Sahitya Kala Parishad, the cultural wing of the government of Delhi.
Starting today, the two-day music festival, which will be held at Kamini Auditorium, Mandi House, will bring four music maestros on one stage. The first day will kick start with performances by singer Shubha Mudgal and Bengali musician Ajoy Chakrabarty. Veteran Girija Devi and folk singer Malini Awasthi will perform on the concluding day.
“I feel great to be a part of such a rich music festival. It gives us performers a boost to see that people are interested in classical music and they wait for such cultural evenings. It’s also an honour for me because I will get an opportunity to perform on the same day as my guruji, Girija Devi,” says Malini Awasthi.
One of the important forms of north Indian music after khayal, thumri became popular in the 19th century in the court of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah of Awadh, who composed thumris under the pen name Akhtar Piya. Usually romantic and devotional in nature, thumri is associated particularly with Lord Krishna’s raas leela. Evoking sensuality and amorousness, its lyrics are aimed at the subtle feelings of the heart.
Although thumri has evolved since the days of Wajid Ali and today enjoys a varied audience, it’s yet to gain the popularity of other music forms like ghazal or sufi. Padma Shri recipient Shubha Mudgal says, “Specialisation in thumri is rare. I don’t have much hope from our musicians when it comes to the growth of this music form. But the audience will hopefully continue to support classical music. I am glad that the Parishad is organising this festival.”
Over the years the festival has seen many young people pouring in to witness the musical extravaganza. “It’s good to see so young people in the crowd. That’s why it’s important to showcase names which are popular among the youth. Shubha Mudgal, for example, is a name in the classical music industry which young people can easily identify with,” says Sindhu Mishra, deputy secretary, Sahitya Kala Parishad.