Musical revival on the old town steps

The Indian Heritage Society-Mumbai in association with the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation is organising a two-day festival with none other than tabla exponent Zakir Hussain at the helm. The two-day concert will take place on January 14 and 15.

The idea of the function is to pay homage to the heritage of the city and as such, the concert will take place on the steps of the Asiatic Library under the open sky, and will be completely free for all attendees. The first evening will see Sabir Khan, who often coaxes mellifluous tunes from his sarangi at Zakir’s side. The second day will find eminent classical music vocalist Smt. Devaki Pandit performing with Rohit Majumdar on tabla and Niranjan Lele on the harmonium.

For Zakir, the challenge of playing an outdoor function is a welcome challenge. He says, “It’s always a pleasure to perform in Mumbai that too at such a beautiful heritage precinct of the Town Hall, where Mumbai Sanskriti is held being held. An open air venue is always a challenge and I’ll be happy to play here.”

Smt. Pandit also feels honoured to be a part of the event.  “It is exciting to be invited at such a Heritage precinct as this iconic place in Mumbai has a different ambience. Such monuments have a story to tell and it is this perspective that exhilarates me as a singer,” she says.

The two-day festival will take place on January 14 and 15, 7 pm onwards, at Asiatic Library, near Horniman, Circle, Fort