Salil V. Bhatt

Jan. 16: Music lovers are set for a rare treat of classical and rock performances tomorrow evening.

While mohan veena player Salil V. Bhatt will perform under the Virasat series organised by the Northeast chapter of the Society for Promotion of Indian Classical Music and Culture Amongst Youth (SpicMacay), Parikrama will do the rocking bit at a do organised by Music Confluence, an NGO which aims at promoting the talent of the region.

According to the organisers, the artistes have arrived and preparations are complete. Members of Parikrama, a premier rock group of the country touring the city for the second time, fuelled expectations during an interaction with the hosts by promising an unforgettable Saturday evening.

SpicMacay, on the other hand, has arranged an interaction with Bhatt, son of the legendary Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, tomorrow morning.

Subir Malik, Parikrama’s keyboard artiste, whom the band members refer to as the Boss, said it was a pleasure to be back in Guwahati. Dilip Ramachandran, the drummer of the band, says: “Though the crowd of the Northeast is very receptive, yet it is a very critical one. The people here know their music and hence it is a pleasure performing here.”

Parikrama, a familiar figure at concerts supporting causes as varied as AIDS, cancer, earthquake relief and UNDCP, will be doing a show for nature for the first time. The theme of the concert is in Support of the Nameri National Park.

The band members were enthralled with the scenic beauty of the city and especially by the beauty of the Brahmaputra. They unanimously agreed that there was no place like Guwahati for holding a rock show for the conservation of nature. While belting out hit rock numbers such as But It Rained and Gonna Get It, they will also perform Don't Cut Me Down, a track especially suited for the purpose.

However, Parikrama’s performance will be preceded by that of Excrutiators, a local band from Assam, and The Ashes, another band from the region based in Guwahati and Shillong.

Som Kamei, one of the organisers, said: “Music knows no language and hence it is through rock that we want to spread awareness and inform the youngsters of the need to conserve nature.”

He said since Nameri has very recently been made a national park, there is an even greater need to spread knowledge about this park which houses some of the rarest avifauna of the region. The entire profits of the concert will go for the conservation of Nameri National Park.

Music Confluence has also garnered the support of forest department for this cause.

Salil Bhatt, who represents the 10th generation of the famous Bhatt lineage, plays the mohan veena with as much finesse as his father, the creator of the instrument. A star in his own right, Bhatt is a promising exponent of the Maihar gharana.

His soulful and vibrant music has a great fan following in and outside the country. He is also a regular performer with the AIR and on television. One of his most talked about performances was his jugalbandi with Mexican guitarist David Heidalgo.

He has also experimented with Australian guitarist Lawrie Minson, blending the intricacies of Indian music with those of Australian country music.