An evening of soulful melodies

Tabla maestro Ojas Adhiya. PHOTO | ALLAUDIN QURESHI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Gayatri, charming and talented melody princess sung  their evergreen romantic compositions.
  • Gayatri’s other musicians; Deepak, Rohan, Ralphin and Deven made Hazaron Khwahishen a memorable evening.
  • Our very own emcee Naila Butt was no less as she excelled in her own remarkably loveable fashion and style.

Ghazal blossomed as songs and renditions blended with traditional ragas created an aura of musical fragrance at the Oshwal Centre Auditorium in Westlands. The last Saturday evening  occasion, a musical celebration aptly titled Hazaron Khwahishen by Navrang Fine Arts Foundation and featuring Indian song bird Gayatri Asokan lived up to its title and fulfilled a thousand cherished musical wishes of the audience.

Gayatri, charming and talented melody princess,  started by paying tribute to ghazal maestros Mehdi Hassan and Jagjit Singh. She sung  their evergreen romantic compositions. She mesmerised the happy audience with a repertoire of thumris and heartwarming melodies. Asokan surprised the audience by introducing Ghazal Gaze, her maiden ghazal album released last year by maestro Pankaj Udhas and featuring traditional ghazals presented in contemporary style.

FELL IN LOVE

The audience fell in love with the singer’s diction and pronunciation of Urdu words. For me her soulful rendering of Amir Khusro’s Sufi masterpiece Mohe apne hi rang mein rang de was the highlight of the evening. Celebrated Tabla maestro Ojas Adhiya portrayed an amazing virtuosity on his little drums.

Melody princess Gayatri Asokan. PHOTO | ALLAUDIN QURESHI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

Gayatri’s other musicians; Deepak, Rohan, Ralphin and Deven made Hazaron Khwahishen a memorable evening.

Our very own emcee Naila Butt was no less as she excelled in her own remarkably loveable fashion and style. With this heavenly cultural boon, Navrang Fine Arts Foundation has once again proved that it cares for the cultural nourishment of our show goers.

SUFIANA MUSIC

The promotion of Gayatri’s ghazal, traditional and sufiana music fare is yet another golden feather in its heavily laden cap. Congratulations NFAF you have not only done yourself proud by bringing our way an award winning vocalist and musicians whose passion and zeal excels in a variety of art forms.  And this afternoon, readers if you care about culinary arts and Koroga — and that too for free — drive to Azilia Carebea in Hurlingham. The finals of  East FM’s prestigious annual Koroga Premier League is being staged there. Five Kenyan East FM presenter teams will compete.

 For pictures, visit the arts and culture section on www.nation.co.ke    Email: qureshi@simbatech