‘10/10 performances’ leave spectators floored on Friday

Nagpur: “A 10/10 score,” is how a young Std VII student described the performances at the 8th international convention of the Society for Promotion of Indian Classical Music And Culture Amongst Youth (Spic Macay) at VNIT on Friday. The day included a soulful qawwali performance by Warsi brothers, Nazeer Khan & Naseer Khan, and an extremely energetic and expressive performance of Pandwani, a dance form, by Usha Barle.
Rating the performances a 10/10, Tejas Betharia said, “I enjoyed all the performances very much. Usha Barle’s Pandwani had me craving for more.”
Ahana Dixit, a Bharatanatyam dancer from city, said, “I will be performing as a Bharatanatyam dancer in the convention in the coming days. The workshops here helped me explore my skills as a dancer and made me even better.”
Shweta Dixit, a teacher from Alwar, Rajasthan, said that the qawwali left her mesmerized. “The vocals were so strong that they sent goosebumps up my spine.” Sejal, a student from Alwar, said, “Apart from the concerts and performances, the yoga we do here has piqued my interest the most. We’ve been introduced to so many different asanas and practices, I simply love it.”
Anuj Patel, a student from Chennai, said, “I have been following the works of Usha Barle for a while now, and it was a privilege to see her perform live.”
Manvendra Singh, a student of Rajasthan, said, “Earlier, I found classical music boring. But after seeing these renowned artists perform, my opinion has changed.” Ananya, a Std XII student, said, “I have attended Spic Macay conventions before as well, but this one is the grandest I’ve seen so far.”
The evening performances included an Odissi dance by Sujata Mohapatra. Later, Carnatic music singer Aruna Sairam gave a captivating performance.
Akshara Jain, a student from Gujarat, said, “The instruments in the dance performances work in such harmony, it’s as if they were made perfectly for this.” Swara Kumari, a student from Rajasthan who has been involved in classical music since her childhood, said, “My grandfather plays the sitar and my fascination for classical music has existed since then. Attending this event was a no-brainer for me because it is something I know and have loved all my life.”
Diven Singh, a student from Amravati, said, “It’s my first time attending a Spic Macay convention, I think it’s a wonderful initiative. Such events should keep happening to improve our knowledge of Indian classical arts.”
The evening performance on Saturday will include a series of performances from 9.30pm on Saturday till 6am on Sunday. Umayalpuram Sivaraman (Carnatic mridangam), Ulhas Kashalkar (Hindustani vocal), A Kanyakumari (Carnatic violin), Sajan Mishra (Hindustani vocal), D Sesha Chary (Carnatic vocal), Mukul Shivputra (Hindustani vocal), F Wasifuddin Dagar (Dhrupad) will be among those performing during the overnight event.
(Reporting by Pyush Agrawal)