Soul-stirring music brings an evening alive

It was a musical evening that the members and guests of Tollygunge Club will not forget in a hurry. Ruhaniyat, a Sufi and mystic music festival that took place at the club on Saturday, was a rare treat.
The event kick-started with a performance by Avadhoot Gandhi and group. They churned out a few religious songs, apart from folk music of Maharashtra.

This was followed by an engaging act by Parvathy Das Baul. Each of her songs gave a glimpse of the enchanting Baul world. At the end of her performance, she also requested the audience to sing aloud with her. When she crooned Radhe Radhe Gobindo Joyo Joyo, the crowd happily joined her in chorus.

Up next was the Indo-Iranian production, When Hearts Connect. It had two segments — while the first part was presented by a New Delhi group, Chaar Yaar, the next was performed by Rifayi Fakirs along with the

Vasl

trio from Iran.

Madan Gopal Singh

, the vocalist of Chaar Yaar, said, “I am performing in Kolkata after long and I love coming back to this city. It’s the land of Kobi Guru Rabindranath Tagore and many other luminaries who are truly inspiring.” The group performed songs of Hazrat Ali and Kabir.

The final performance of the evening was a series of

qawwali

numbers by Chand Nizami and group. They enthralled the audience with songs like Mast Kalandar, Bhardo Jholi Meri Ya Muhammad and others.

Anukta Ghosh, a Tolly Club member, told us excitedly, “Ruhaniyat has become one of the signature events of the club. Listening to these soul-stirring songs is always an enriching experience. I am eagerly looking forward to the next year’s edition.”