Other States - Orissa   

‘Special’ bond blossoms into musical band

— Photo: Lingaraj Panda

HONING SKILLS: Members of Hari Om Bhajan Samaroha, a musical group of visually challenged persons, practising on Thursday for a performance on the Republic Day in Berhampur.

BERHAMPUR: Love for music has united 20 visually-challenged musicians from different parts of Orissa to form a musical troupe.

These musicians are now camping at the headquarters of the Orissa Service Centre for the Blind (OSCB) and practicing for their professional musical career which is expected to start from January 26.

The OSCB has played a major role in bringing together these musicians for the formation of this first of its kind musical troupe in Orissa.

Bhabani Shankar Padhi, one of the directors of OSCB, who himself is a visually impaired, said it was an effort to provide income opportunity and exposure to some real talents of the State. All members of this new musical troupe have graduate and post graduate level degrees in music. But their physical handicap has become a hindrance in the path of their excellence.

Jayadev Dixit, a sitar player from Puri, who is part of the troupe, said they want to make their troupe different. “We would try to prove that music can be entertaining without being vulgar and loud,” he said.

The orchestra and musical troupes have started to forget traditional musical instruments and classical tunes.

According to Mr. Dixit, their troupe would have sitar and flute recitals to prove these instruments have their following even in rural areas of the State.

The team includes other professional artistes like classical vocalist from Bhadrak, Jharana Padhi, tabla players and percussionists like Belalasena Nayak, Jagdish Mangaraj, Chaitanya Majhi. “Music has filled up the physical lacking and it is the bond that would keep the troupe united,” said Padhi.

They decided to put emphasis on classical tunes and devotional songs during their performances. They have named their troupe ‘Hari Om Bhajan Samaroh’.

They have the confidence that their stage performances of Odissi classical tunes and bhajans written by traditional poets of Orissa would attract the attention of young and the old alike. They have also written some lyrics to create awareness regarding provision of equal status to the physically challenged.

The unique musical troupe is going to have its maiden performance at Patrapur on January 26.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Mega health camp gets under way
Discom workers threaten stir
Naxalites stab trader to death
Initiative lauded
Kandhamal limping back to normal
Two judges take oath
Congress renews demand for CBI probe
Rape attempt: arrested youth produced in court
Shreekshetra Utsav kicks off in Puri
‘Special’ bond blossoms into musical band
Stone laid for bridge
Consumer disputes redress panel gets new chief

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu