BENGAL CLASSICAL MUSIC FESTIVAL 2015
Artistes share thoughts centring event
festival
SAQUIB CHOWDHURY
The fourth edition of the much-anticipating five-day long classical music festival in the country titled Bengal Classical Music Festival (BCMF) 2015 kicked off yesterday at Army Stadium in the capital. Prior to the event, a press conference was held yesterday with some of the participating artistes at the Le Meridien hotel in the citys Nikunja area. Renowned Indian classical Carnatic flautist Jayaprada Ramamurthy, prominent Indian classical vocalist Kaushiki Chakrabarty and distinguished dancer from Bangladesh Warda Rihab shared some of their thoughts about the Bengal Classical Music Festival.
Warda Rihab said, This is certainly a dream platform to perform. There will be a Manipuri group dance performance with 35 people. To perform at such an event will definitely be inspiring for me as well as my students. We have been working very hard for the performance, as being on stage in the Bengal Classical Music Festival is hard work and is certainly a challenge. For the performance, we did not make any compromise as the costumes and props are all authentic, bought in from Imphal, Manipur.
She added, As far as classical dance is concerned, I feel that more initiatives should be taken to focus and spread the culture of classical dance. More and more dance festivals should be organised so that people can get to know more about it and be inspired.
Jayaprada Ramamurthy expressed her appreciation for the festival, I am very delighted and thankful. I last came to Bangladesh about 17 years back for the festival of India and I can certainly see the change and progress. The Bengal Classical Music Festival is very well publicised and very well organised. As a performer, it will certainly boost me up to be identified as one of the performers who performed along with renowned names.
There could be many in the audience who dream of becoming aspiring artistes and look at the performing individuals as inspiration. For those individuals, Jayaprada Ramamurthy had some solid words of advice, To pursue an art, one should learn, absorb and dedicate oneself. They should learn to sustain themselves. I feel that institutions should get more involved. In some schools in India, classical art forms have become a compulsory part of the programme, and if that is done, it will further encourage people who aim to pursue it.
Kaushiki Chakrabarty has been a regular performer in the event during the last few years. She said, Through the years, I feel that the general awareness is increasing. This festival is dedicated to pure classical form and is certainly a major event. It is a multi-faceted event and it provides an atmosphere and environment for the younger generation to grow up and be inspired. Over the years, I feel that the scenario has become more active and vibrant. The audience feedback and overwhelming reaction always inspire me to come back. l
