Hariprasad Chaurasia

Bhubaneswar, Feb. 18: Eminent artistes will perform at the 28th Konark Dance and Music Festival that starts tomorrow.

Classical as well as folk dance and music will resonate at the Konark Natya Mandap founded by the legendary Guru Gangadhar Pradhan.

It was Ustad Zakir Hussain last year and Ustad Amjad Ali Khan the year before who were the main attractions of the festival. They received the Guru Gangadhar Pradhan Award that was instated in 2011 in honour of the late Odissi dance and mardala exponent and the founder of the festival.

This year the Guru Gangadhar Pradhan award will be presented to famous flautist Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia. Bharatnatyam dancer Ananda Shankar Jayant and her troupe from Hyderabad will open the show followed by Veena rendition by Pandit Rajesh Vaidhya on the inaugural day. Odissi by the artistes of the host institute and Ghumra folk dance by a troupe from Bhawanipatna will be the highlights in the dance segment, while sitar performance by Ustad Shahid Parvez will be a much-awaited event on the second day.

Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, who proudly calls himself an Odia, will regale the audience with his unique repertoire and Malti Shyam and her troupe’s Kathak will be another feature on the third day. On the next day, well-known contemporary troupe Samudra Arts of Kerala will present their martial dance -based production and artistes from Konark trained by Birabara Sahoo will stage Gotipua dance while acclaimed Odissi vocalist Shyamamani Devi will render classical songs.

The concluding day will also stage some well-known names, especially the legendary Grammy Award winner ghatam exponent Pandit Vikku Vinayakram from Chennai. Other performances will be Deepa Tarangini, a dance holding candle lights by Sri Rama Nataka Niketan, Hyderabad and Kathakali and Mohiniattam by Kathakali School, Kerala.

“Last time we had an amazing turnout and we hope this year also we will have a diverse crowd of tourists as well as local residents, especially youngsters,” said Shibashis Pradhan, organiser.