Bhubaneswar, September 9: The 30th Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra (GKCM) Award Festival 2024 at Rabindra Mandap organised by Srjan Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Odissi Nrityabasa along with the able institutional support of Sri Sri University (SSU), Cuttack, began the new week on a glorious note with celebrated flautist Shri Rakesh Chaurasia and brilliant Tabla player Ojas Adhiya regaling audiences with a superlative Hindustani music Jugalbandi. Just one day after Ambi and Bindu Subramaniam, and SubraMania’s engaging musical fusion concert, audiences were once again treated to a captivating auditory delight.
Organisers Srjan commenced the proceedings at 7 pm, with the auspicious lighting of the lamp, in the presence of esteemed guests and dignitaries, Dr. Bijay Ketan Upadhyaya, Director, Odia Language Literature & Culture Department, Govt. of Odisha; Shri Sudhi Ranjan Mishra, Head, Corporate Affairs, Paradeep Phosphates Limited; and Guru Ratikant Mohapatra, Director, Srjan, and Dean, Faculty of Arts, Communication and Indic Studies, SSU.
Pt. Rakesh Chaurasia, who won two Grammys this year one for the track ‘Pashto’ (Best Global Music Performance) and As We Speak (Contemporary Instrumental Album) rendered his melodic best in perfect tandem with the brilliant percussion play of Shri Ojas Adhiya, an Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar and Sangeet Virasat Yuva Puraskar awardee.
As the two seasoned musicians explored harmonic nuances and rhythmic intricacies on their wind and percussion instruments respectively, they ventured into the depths of classical Hindustani music. This Jugalbandi was conducted in perfect synergy, with each musician imbuing the aura of the other through their seamless musical repartee. For the applauding audience, the spirit of repartee between the two artistes set the pitch for the concert as they weaved in their unique playing styles into the rich classicism of their gharanas exploring a multitude of ragas, talas, and musical intricacies, leaving the audiences delighted.
While Pt. Rakesh Chaurasia is a leading disciple of Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia, and renowned for his blend of strength and serenity in both classical and experimental works as he constantly seeks to outshine himself in the realm of the Indian classical Bansuri, Ojas Adhiya is a prodigious Tabla player and disciple of Shri Mridangrajji of the Ajrada Gharana and known for his extraordinary technical aptitude coupled with a vast knowledge base, playing with a fluency and elan that belies his years. Both artists are celebrated for their excellence and commitment in their fields.
It was yet another evening of musical celebration, after Ghazals, Carnatic vocal, and musical fusion on earlier days of the festival. The week long Award Festival approaches closure with a Kathak performance by exponent Guru Ashimbandhu Bhattacharjee and the Upasana Centre for Dance on the penultimate day, and Guru Ratikant Mohapatra’s very own Srjan ensemble, in addition to the prestigious award ceremony on the final day. The seven day cultural extravaganza featured an exceptionally well curated line up of artistes including celebrated musicians Shri Chandan Dass, Kalaimamani Dr. OS Arun, Shri Ambi and Smt. Bindu Subramaniam, and renowned dancers Guru Vaibhav Arekar and Guru Ashimbandhu Bhattacharjee with their troupes, thus far. The award ceremony on the final day will see stalwart
artistes Guru Smt. Kumkum Lal, Guru Lakshmikanta Palit, Guru Dhaneswar Swain, and Shri Uttam Mohanty receive the Shalimar’s Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award 2024, while Dr. Pompi Paul, Smt. Rajnita Mehra, Shri Avijit Das, and Shri Rohita Pradhan receive the Shalimar’s Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Yuva Prativa Samman 2024.
Srjan, with the institutional support of Sri Sri University, Cuttack aims to foster the crucial inter–connectedness of academia and performing arts in classical realm. The entire festival is meticulously curated and designed by Guru Ratikant Mohapatra, with seamless programme execution by Shri Debiprasad Mishra. The exquisite light arrangement by Shri Debiprasad Mishra and Shri Dilip Kumar, with the thorough and professional sound engineering of Shri C Anand Krishna and Shri Bharath Krishna, provided exquisite audio–visual support to the artistes, delighting the audiences, while Shri Mrutyunjaya Rath ably conducted the proceedings for the evening.
The 30th GKCM Award Festival has received patronage from MGM Minerals Ltd. and Shalimar Chemical Works Pvt. Ltd. Supported by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, and the Department of Odia Literature Language and Culture, Government of Odisha, the gold sponsor of the festival is Odisha Mining Corporation Ltd., and its festival sponsors include Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd., Shalimar’s Coconut Oil, NALCO, SBI, IMFA, Priyadarshini Handloom, and Paradeep Phosphates Limited. The Royale Midtown Hotel is its hospitality partner. Dharitri and OrissaPOST, and Narthaki.com are the media partners and web partner respectively.
***
