Chhayanaut's Shuddha Sangeet Utshab concludes

Chhayanaut's two-day (December 21-22) Shuddha Sangeet Utshab, featuring vocal and instrumental music, concluded this early morning at its main auditorium in Dhanmondi, Dhaka. The annual festival comprising two sessions was the tenth edition of its kind.

Noted music exponent and Guru Manjusree Roy Choudhury (from Rajshahi) inaugurated the festival as chief guest while vice-president of the organisation Khairul Anam Shakil delivered welcome address.  

The programme began with the lighting of candles as a symbol of diffusing knowledge, followed by the rendition of National Anthem. The festival aimed to fulfil the desire of music lovers for events dedicated to classical music and to inspire the practice of the genre in Bangladesh. The artistes of Chhayanaut set off the festival performing a Raagmala based on eight distinctive ragas including Yaman, Bhoopali, Shudh Kalyan and Chhayanaut.

Chhayanaut Guru Sangeetacharya Razwan Ali directed the performance and composed the bandish based on teentaal. 

Promising vocalist Diptee Samadder Dipu was next to take the stage. She started off with a romantic raga, Madhuvanti. The artiste beautifully showcased the raagdari along with akar and sargam taan during her performance of vilambit and drut bandish.

Noted vocalist Satindranath Halder rendered Raga Shree. Anil Kumar Saha performed a majestic Raga Malkauns while Khairul Anam Shakil presented Raga Bhinna Shadaj at the festival.

Ebadul Huq Shaikat recited Raga Jait Kalyan on sitar while Sheuli Bhattacharjee played folk-themed Raga Jhinjhoti on her violin on the opening day of the festival.

The nightlong second session of the festival featured group vocal and instrumental (tabla and violin) performances by Chhayanaut artistes.

Renowned and upcoming vocalists and instrumentalists -- Shekhar Mondol, Razwan Ali, Asit Dey, Asit Roy, Jagodananda Roy, Bizon Chandra Mistry, Shrabanti Dhar, Supriya Das, Abhijit Kundu, Bipul Kumar and Tasaouf Islam perform khyal music. Md. Moniruzzaman (flute), Murtaza Kabir Murad (flute), Dolon Kanungo (Mohan veena), Nishit Dey (sitar) and Proshanta Bhowmik (tabla) presented instrumental recitals in the session. The nightlong concluding session of the festival featured many evocative musical moments.