The 27th iteration of the National Festival of Dance and Music, from October 6–8, will take place from 7 p.m.–9 p.m. at Raja Radha Rangmanch, Natya Tarangini Performing Art Centre, Pushp Vihar, Saket, Delhi.
The 27th iteration of the National Festival of Dance and Music is still a force to be reckoned with in the sacred spheres of artistic expression, where melody and rhythm combine to produce a symphony of feelings. This historic festival was created and maintained by veteran Kuchipudi dancers Raja Radha Reddy, and it has grown to be a key venue in the performing arts community. It draws musicians and dancers from many genres with each passing year.
“The objective is to showcase the majestic and timeless essence of our rich musical and dance traditions. Although all dances have their roots in the Natya Veda, they have all acquired their own unique styles because of regional influences. We aim to present the audience with creative forms from various locations in our Parampara collections”, adds Raja Reddy. He founded the Natya Tarangini Institute of Kuchipudi Dance in Delhi in 1976 alongside his wife Radha. Natya Tarangini started this yearly celebration the very following year.
Natya Tarangini makes an effort to enlist seasoned performers for each installment of the Parampara series in order to provide the audience with a complete experience. At previous iterations of the event, artists such as Pt. Birju Maharaj, Kishori Amonkar, Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia,Kelucharan Mohapatra, M. Balamurali Krishna, Begum Parveen Sultana, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Vyjayanthimala Bali, Hariharan, Alarmel Valli, and Astad Deboo have all given performances.
This year’s vocalists include Shubha Mudgal, Fareed Hasan Khan, and Mehboob Hussain Khan. The dance category includes Vaibhav Arekar (Bharatanatyam), Santosh Nair, a modern performer, and Raja Radha Reddy Repertory.
Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Kuchipudi, and Mohiniattam are the four dance forms that King Krishnadevaraya of the Vijayanagara kingdom supported in the 16th century. Their performance, named “Hampi Vaibhavam,” is presented by Raja Radha Reddy Repertory.
The Hindustani vocalists of the “Bandish Bandits,” Fareed Hasan Khan and Mehboob Hussain Khan, have stated that they will begin with the raag Yaman Kalyan and then continue on to highlight other facets of the Dilli gharana. The two declare that it is an honor to play at a festival. Additionally, Fareed will perform his well-known “Garaj-Garaj” from “Bandish Bandits.”
Sadhya Santosh Nair, the artistic director of the dance group, will present “Game of Dance,” which centers around the Mahabharata and incorporates modern, Kathakali, and Chhau dance styles. Vaibhav Arekar, who is renowned for his deep theater display style, will produce an intriguing show.
With the group “Rhythmscape,” Bickram Ghosh, who has contributed to four Grammy-nominated albums and one Grammy-winning record (Full Circles with composer Pt. Ravi Shankar), will play “Dance of Shiva,” “Gangotri,” and “Little Krishna.” There’ll be a complex drum jam. “This platform is a fantastic way to interact with the sophisticated Delhi audience. Raja-Radha Reddy and I have been friends for more than 20 years. They’ve constructed a pretty significant festival, claims Bickram.
