CONCERT: Pt. Uday Bhawalkar

Dharohar - Dhrupad concert

Pt. Uday Bhawalkar

Tabla: Sukwindarsing Namdhari

24th Jan, 2010 , 6 PM

Venue: Garware college, Karve Road, Pune

About the artist: Highly praised by music critics, the singer Uday Bhawalkar counts in present-day India as one of the younger generation´s leading exponents of dhrupad, one of the oldest forms of classical song still current in the north of India. Bhawalkar, born in 1966 in Madhya Pradesh, was taught classical Indian music from the age of eight, and a grant from the Ustad Allauddin Khan Sangeet Academy enabled him to be taught dhrupad singing by Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar from 1981 on. He then spent years in being taught by Ustad Zia Mohinuddin Dagar the veena - a lute esteemed for being perhaps the oldest and most difficult Indian instrument. Uday Bhawalkar has received many honours and prizes, including the prestigious Young Musicians´ Award of the Indian ministry of culture, and has been heard outside India since the mid-80s. He has appeared for instance at the Sangeet Parampara Festival in Berlin , the World Music Festival in Switzerland, the Raga Mala in Seattle in the USA and in the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London. Bhawalkar counts as being an outstanding dhrupad singer who not only maintains the old form´s elegance and refinement but, owing to his musical curiosity and wide range of interests, is able to add to it.

Sukhvinder Singh Naamdhari is one of the best tabla players from the Benaras Gharana and suitably emulates his Guru's style. He received his initial training in saath from Ustad Nihal Singh Ji, and went to Varanasi (Banaras) where for several years he received intensive training and guidance from none other than the legendary Pt. Kishen Maharaj, the best known and internationally acclaimed exponent of the Benaras Gharana of tabla playing. Sukhvinder is a shining star in the world of tabla accompaniment and tabla solo playing. He had performed with most of the leading artistes, such as Pt. Ravi Shankar, Ustad Vilayat Khan, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Ustad Shahid Parvez (Sitar), Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia, Pt. Rajan & Pt. Sajan Misra, Pt. Jasraj to name a few.