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BMC resolves to promote dying arts

BHUBANESWAR: The high-profile Bhubaneswar Music Circle (BMC) has brought in major changes in its mission of promotion of Indian classical music.

The 45-year-old prominent cultural body of the country has resolved to include programmes for promotion of the dying arts practices of the State besides hosting an annual Indian Classical Dance Festival. BMC general secretary Khirod Patnaik told The Hindu that the as per a memorandum of understanding reached with the Department of Culture, the organisation has been hosting the monthly ‘Sangeetayana’ concert series at the Rabindra Mandap on the third Sunday of each month featuring classical dance and music.

“In addition to the concert series, we have started hosting another cultural evening at the same venue on the first Sunday of the month that would showcase the dying arts practices of Orissa. We started with ‘Ghoda Nacha’ last month and would present ‘Pala’ and ‘Prahlad Natak’ during the next two months”, he added.

In view of severe lack of patronage for such rich but dying folk arts traditions of Orissa, BMC thought it wise to expand its mission with a concern for these marginalised arts, he explained.

BMC has further taken up the cause of the semi-classical music and light music including ghazals, said the secretary. “For the first time, we are inviting devotional singers from the Gurudwara to present the typical Shabd Keertan on October 19.

A troupe led by music composer Laxmikant Palit would present bhajans during the same evening, Patnaik mentioned. Similarly, noted music composer Shantanu Mohapatra has been invited to stage an exclusive evening titled ‘Down the memory lane – songs of Shantanu Mohapatra’ in December, it was learnt.

BMC has mooted to launch an annual festival of Indian classical dances in the city, commencing in April next year.

In association with corporate giant Vedanta, BMC would also host a three-day national festival of Indian classical music in the capital, commencing on November 14 this year.

It will feature prominent artistes like Mohan Veena exponent Pandit Biswa Mohan Bhatt, Hindustani vocalist Ustad Rashid Khan and ghazal maestro Rajendra Mehta.

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