A musical monsoon in August

NEW DELHI: It’s been a really tough summer. But beginning August, classical music enthusiasts in Delhi can look forward to a melodious month of sawan sangeet. And September too is packed with classical music events.
Tempting the rain gods through music has been an old tradition. In addition, it’ll provide respite from loadshedding. In fact, India Habitat Centre (IHC) has planned a musical monsoon.No, they didn’t anticipate the delay in rains. However, that’s not dampening their spirits. Vaswati Misra, daughter-in-law of Pt Shambhu Maharaj, will present Myriad on August 5 at Kamini Auditorium; on Rabindranath Tagore’s death anniversary, August 12, director Sudhir Chanda will stage a musical opera, Shyama; Madhu Dayal’s music concert, Sawan Ayo will be performed on August 16th; Dalia Rahut from Benaras gharana will perform hindustani light classical music on 21st August; Begum Akhtar’s disciple, Shanti Hiranand will sing songs of rain, Barkha Bahar at IHC.
In September, the city readies for a popular annual event, a three-day musical extravaganza, Legends of India, organised by Dipayan Mazumdar & Associates, (DMA) where stalwarts of Indian classical music will participate to revive the magic of ragas.
Not only that, there’s tabla maestro and Grammy award winner, Bikram Ghosh, who will be introducing Rhythmscape, his fusion band to the audience. ‘‘He’s got brilliant set of drummers, violins, mandolin and congas. He creates music that’s rooted in tradition,’’ says Dipayan Mazumdar, organiser and director of DMA.
‘‘Classical music is an integral part of our cultural heritage. We must keep it alive.’’ In fact, Shubha Mudgal, Pandit Rajan and Sajan Mishra, Ustad Shujaat Husain Khan and Ustad Amjad Ali Khan will also be performing from September 13 to 15 at FICCI auditorium for this festival of classical music.