Living Legacy of Music Padma Bhushan Parveen Sultana engrosses connoisseurs with grace

 

 

“When we go to other countries, our culture is highly praised, so we must understand its value. How we present our culture and tradition in front of the world is important,” said Padma Bhushan Begum Parveen Sultana, the revered classical vocalist, as she prepared to mesmerise the audience. Her words set the tone for an evening on Saturday at VNIT Auditorium Nagpur, where SPIC MACAY, in collaboration with VNIT Nagpur, inaugurated its Heritage Club with a Hindustani classical musical concert. The event marked the beginning of a new chapter in promoting traditional art forms at the institute. The inauguration of the SPIC MACAY-VNIT Nagpur Heritage Club was graced by dignitaries including Prof Premlal Patel, Director of VNIT, Prof Sarika Bahadure, Prof Arghya Mitra, Sabyasachi Dey, All India Coordinator of SPIC MACAY and a VNIT alumnus, and SPIC MACAY Nagpur coordinators Dr Nisha Kulkarni, Ravi Satfale, Maya Mukherjee, and Abha Parashar. As the evening unfolded, Parveen Sultana, a classical vocalist from the Patiala Gharana, took the stage, supported by an ensemble of talented artists. Her daughter, Shadab Sultana Khan, accompanied her on tanpura, Pt Mukundraj Deo on tabla, Pt Shrinivas Acharya on harmonium, and Seema Damle also on tanpura.

 

Before beginning her performance, Sultana reflected on her earlier concerts in Nagpur. She then started a rendition of Raag Megh Malhar. The tabla, in perfect synchrony with her voice, each beat presenting the harmony between singer and musician. What truly made the performance special was a moment when Shadab, Sultana’s daughter, joined her mother during aalap. Watching the mother-daughter duo perform was a treat as it displayed a beautiful transmission of artistry and knowledge from one generation to another.

 

A living legacy, as Shadab followed in her mother’s footsteps, embodying both art form and legacy of her Guru. In between her performances, Sultana shared her thoughts on the classical arts, and expressed that ‘classical music’ is a mother of all kinds of music. She went on to explain how, in modern times, many young people might not fully understand classical music because it is often not part of their daily lives. The performance continued with a Kabir Bhajan ‘Naa Kacchu Re’, followed by a ‘tarana’ in Raag Hansdhvani. As soon as she announced she would perform the much-anticipated ‘Hamein Tumse Pyaar Kitna’, the crowd erupted into applause, eager to hear the iconic song from the Hindi film Kudrat. Parveen Sultana, with her characteristic grace and command over her art, delivered a rendition that left the audience spellbound. The concert concluded with Bhavani Dayani in Raag Bhairavi. The event brought together people from various age groups and highlighted the vision of SPIC MACAY-VNIT Nagpur Heritage Club to make traditional arts accessible and engaging for young minds.