Padma Bhushan awardee Girija Devi will kick-off the annual Thumri festival to be held here during August 27-29.
Organised by the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR), the festival will feature eminent Hindustani classical vocalists such as Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty of the Patiala gharana and daughter Kaushiki, Mazhar Ali Khan and Jawaad Ali Khan, grandsons of Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, also of the Patiala gharana, Purnima Chaudhuri and Savita Devi (daughter of the legendary Siddheshwari Devi) of the Benaras gharana among others.
The festival will conclude with dance performances by Kathak exponents, Pandit Birju Maharj and Uma Sharma, showcasing the Awadh/Lucknow gharana.
ICCR Director-General Suresh K. Goel said “We have decided to take the initiative of highlighting the importance of gharanas in Thumri also. The tradition which started in Delhi has travelled to Lucknow and from there to Benaras, Gaya and Kolkata, developing into three major gharanas which ICCR will place on the stage during the festival.”
Landlord support
Thumri is said to have developed under the patronage of landlords of Lucknow, Benaras and Gaya. The language usually is “braj bhasha” – spoken in Uttar Pradesh and associated with legends of Lord Krishna, Goel said in a release.
However, Thumri singing gained popularity in the court of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah in the 19th Century Lucknow, who himself was a poet and composed many thumris.
Thereafter, the magical rendition of Thumri by singers such as Begum Akhtar introduced it to the larger community of music lovers in the country as well as the world over.