Music fest in memory of Ustad Balekhan today

Dharwad: The connoisseurs in

Dharwad

will have a musical feast on Sunday with a dozen top class Hindustani classical musicians performing at the Sitar Nawaz

Ustad Balekhan

Sangeetotsav at Srujana Auditorium on Karnatak College campus. Organised by the Sitar Nawaz Ustad Balekhan Memorial Foundation Trust, Bengaluru, the day-long music festival will also see presentation of Infosys Sitar Nawaz Ustad Balekhan Memorial award. Senior Kirana gharana vocalist

Vinayak Torvi

will be presented the award for the year 2020 while renowned vocalist Arati Ankalikar Tikekar will be honoured with the award for 2021. Tabla exponent Rajendra Nakod and harmonium maestro

Vysamurthy Katti

will be presented the Ustad Balekhan Memorial Accompanist award for 2020 and 2021 respectively. Haji Ahmadso Aabaso Satarmaker, a senior Sitar maker from Miraj will be presented the Lifetime Achievement award. Parveen Sheikh, Aneesa Khan Soudagar, vocalists Pandit Vinayk Torvi, Pandit M Venkateshkumar, Arati Ankalikar, Ustad Rais Khan, Sitarist Chhote Rahimat Khan, Rafiq Khan, Shafiq Khan, Mohsin Khan, Shehnai exponent Shailesh Bhagawat and Flautist Praveen Godkhindi will enthral the music lovers. Raghunath Nakod, Rajendra Nakod, Shantalinga Desai Kallur, Nisar Ahmed, Shridhar Mandre, Udya Kulkarni, Dattatraya Joshi (tabla), Guruprasad Hegde,

Vyasamurthy Katti

and Basavaraj Hiremath will accompany the artists. Award winners Arati Ankalikar hails from Vijayapura in Karnataka and is settled in Pune. Pt Vinayak Torvi, who hails from Dharwad, vocalist Pt Vinayak Torvi had his training in music under Gayanacharya Gururao Deshpande and Pt Bhimsen Joshi among others. Pt Vysamurthy Katti, born and brought up in Solapur, he was initiated into music at a very young age by his sisters. Rajendra Nakod, son of famed Arjunsa Nakod has strong roots in traditional music and wide exposure to contemporary developments.