Cultural Programme on 13 October, 2007
      7:00 pm, Institute Auditorium




Mardala


Dhol

             
Dugi
Tala Vadya--the rhythm of Orissa


Situated on the eastern part of Indian Subcontinent, Orissa, otherwise known as the land of excellence in art, boasts of a rich and varied tradition of percussional instruments scattered over the state. One such indigenous percussion is Odissi Mardala. Mardala has a distinctive character of its own in its size, shape and the mode of playing. With a view of preserving and promoting this instrument along with other musical instruments, "Mardala Academy" was established in Orissa. Headed by the great maestro and exponent Guru Banamali Maharana, Mardala Academy is perhaps the only institution of its kind imparting training on percussion as a solo and accompanying instrument in Odissi dance and music.

The performance will feature Mardala, along with Tabla, Dhol, Changu, Khol and other instruments led by Guru Banamali Maharana.


Tabla


Dotara


Ektara


Baul--the folk songs from Bengal


The bauls are the wandering ministrels who convey the message of universal truth in their singing lips to the door of the common people with their mystic approach and joyful dance. They are, perhaps, best described by Rabindranath Tagore in his Hibbert lectures at Oxford in 1930 where he said "I have often heard from wandering village singers belonging to the popular sect of Bengal called Bauls, who have no images, temples, scriptures or ceremonials, who declare in their songs the divinity of man and express for him an intense feeling of love. Coming from men who are unsophisticated, living a simple life in obscurity, it gives us a clue to the inner meaning of all religions. For it suggets that these religions are never about God of cosmic force, but rather about the God of human personality"

The programme consists of song and dance by Satyananda Das, one of the best contemporary baul singers. He will be accompanied by Haridasi. She is from Japan and spending last couple of years in India with Satyananda. Tarak Das will play the "Dotara", a singlemost important folk instrument used in various genres of folk music throughout the land of Bengal and finally, Sukumar Marik will play "Tabla", an Indian percussion instrument.



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