Date:18/08/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/08/18/stories/2006081804600200.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

`Malhar Sangeet Utsav' on Sunday

Govind D. Belgaumkar

Artistes Jayashree Patnekar and Rafique Khan will participate

BANGALORE: It is time to celebrate monsoon again. Of course, through monsoon melodies. The Gururao Deshpande Sangeet Sabha will organise this year's "Malhar Sangeet Utsav" on Sunday with performance by artistes such as Jayashree Patnekar (vocalist) and Rafique Khan (sitar).

The highlight of the event will be a harmonium jugalbandi (performance by two artistes).

The event at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan will have two sessions at 9.30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Ms. Patnekar's show will begin at 9.30 a.m. followed by Ravindra Katoti and Vyasamurthi Katti presenting a harmonium jugalbandi. In the evening, Ustad Khan will play sitar with Vinayak Torvi, who runs the sabha. Tabla players Rajendra Nakod and Gurumurthy Vaidya will accompany them. The entry is free.

This is the third time that the sabha is organising the utsav to compliment the beauty of "Varsha Rutu" (monsoon) through music. The artistes will render Malhar raagas. The previous events were a big draw. Last year, Amruta Deshpande and Venkatesh Kumar, Kalapini Komkali and Sudhindra Bhaumik performed at Canara Union, Malleswaram. The sabha, which has been promoting Hindustani music, has been organising Hindustani music festivals apart from other events for the past 24 years.