Zakir Hussain at the Shurtinandan programme. Picture by Bishwarup Dutta

From 9 am to 9 pm their enthusiasm remained undiminished. Dressed in orange, with red sashes, the young students of Shrutinandan (some only 4 years old) were determined to contribute their best to the music school’s 10th anniversary celebrations.

The programme featuring the likes of Ustad Zakir Hussain, vocalist M. Balamurali Krishna and Ustad Rashid Khan was organised by the school’s founder Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty at Netaji Indoor Stadium on Saturday and Sunday.

More than the quality and the range of music presented what was encouraging was the indication that talent and dedication are not lacking in the city’s young.

“It is very important for musical training to begin from as young an age as possible, even five years or less. This is something I have learnt from experience and my primary aim in starting Shrutinandan was to provide children with a comprehensive teaching programme with scientific basis,” said Chakraborty.

Shrutinandan students from the UK and the US also performed at the event. “I sometimes go abroad to teach the students there. The students, too, fly down each winter for training,” added Chakraborty.

Among the students from abroad, Sarwar Alam from the UK sang Hey Govinda Hey Gopala and Kaviraj Singh gave vocal and santoor presentations of raga Pahadi.

After demonstration of the use of ragas in films by Zaved Khan and Mahalaxmi Iyer and renditions of Punjabi, Marathi, Bengali and Odissi songs, bhajans and thumris, Zakir Hussain took the stage amid raucous cheer. “He has flown in from the US for this programme,” said Chakraborty.

On Day Two, Goutam Ghose, Joy Goswami, P.K. Banerjee and others were felicitated, followed by a performance by Kaushiki Chakraborty Desikan. Balamurali Krishna presented a Carnatic vocal, accompanied by Bickram Ghosh.