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SPIC MACAY National Convention



SPICMACAY 25th National Convention 2010Time when the youth of this country is drifting away from the rich Indian cultural heritage and Indian classical music is getting lost into oblivions SPIC MACAY society is playing a vital role in preserving and promoting the Indian classical music and culture amongst youth. It has 200 chapters across the world and organizes over 1500 events annually. Every year this society holds a national convention in the month of May/June during which a whole gamut of programs are held including organizational discussions, talks, films, crafts, yoga, classical and folk performances by the maestros. The convention serves as a common platform bringing together members from all over the country. This year’s convention coincided with the Golden Jubilee celebrations of IIT Kanpur and as always IIT Kanpur played a perfect host to the 25th National Convention of SPIC MACAY society from 1 - 6th June 2010. The entire show was spectacular graced by the presence of vast array of eminent personalities of music, dance and other art domains. People cutting across age and profession descended upon the campus to witness and participate in the mega-events. The 25th National convention 2010 was dedicated to the memories of seven stalwarts of Indian classical music who died last year leaving behind their rich and unique legacy - Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Smt. D. K. Pattamal, Smt. Gangubai Hangal, Sh. Habib Tanvir, Shri Vishnu Prabhakar, Shri Tyeb Mehta and Shri Palghat Raghu. The inaugural ceremony began on 1st of June with a vocal recital of renowned classical vocalist Padmabhushan Vidhushi Smt. Girija Devi followed by Carnatic violin recital of Prof. T. N. Krishnan and Hindustani vocal recital of Pt. Rajan and Pt. Sajan Mishra. The following days saw some spectacular performances by other legendary artistes including Warsi Brothers (Qawwali), Shri. Ram Kailash Yadav (Biraha), Padamshri Guru Gangadhar Pradhan, Guru Ghankanta Bora (Sattriya Dance), Ustad Fariduddin Dagar (Dhrupad), Padmabhushan Ustad Asad Ali Khan (Rudra Veena), Padmashri Pandit Ulhas Kashalkar (Hindustani Vocal), Smt. Priyadarshini Govind (Bharatnatyam) and Sh. Margi Madhu (Kutiyattam). The audience was exposed to the rich variety of Indian classical music and dance styles ranging from qawwali to biraha to sattriya dance to rudra veena etc. Musical rhythms echoed in every nook and corner of the campus. What a treat for the classical music aficionados!! They couldn’t have asked for more. Although it takes years to perfect an art form, 5-day sessions are surely enough to ignite interests some of which might translate into a lifelong passion. With this intention every year NATCON hosts several workshops and intensives for the participants providing them hands-on experience in variety of art forms. Staying true to its tradition this year also NATCON organized several workshops from 2nd to 5th June within the campus premises. Each day began with the early morning yoga sessions drawing huge crowds from all over the country. Hatha Yoga and Prana Yoga were followed by a long session of Nada Yoga, the yoga of sound. The Hatha Yoga sessions were handled by Shri Dhirendracharya and the Naad Yoga sessions by Ustad Fariduddin Dagar. NATCON also hosted a Crafts workshop and Crafts Mela from the 2nd to 5th June. The event was sponsored by the Development Commissioner, Handicrafts, Ministry of Textiles, Government of India. Several artists from all over the country shared their distinct art forms with the enthusiastic learners. One could see the overzealous learners switching places from one workshop to the other trying to hone their skills in more than one art form. Some of the artists who participated are Jamini Peyeng (Artistic Weaving) Jorhat, Assam; Kala Raksha Kendra (Kutch Embroidery) Bhuj, Gujarat; Rehana Begum (Chikan Embroidery) Lucknow, UP; Sardar Hussain (Wood Carving) Pilkhuwa, UP; Jaiprakash (Miniature Painting) Delhi; Ram Kishore Chippa (Bagru Block Printing) Jaipur; Amit Dhawan (Wood Inlay) Delhi and many more. Participants were also provided with the rare opportunity of learning the various art forms through intensives. Intensives have been the most enjoyed aspect of the previous national conventions. Legendary artists spend 3 - 4 hours every day with a small group of participants giving them hands-on experience. The Gurus for this year’s intensives included Ustad Fariduddin Dagar (Dhrupad), Sh. J. Gurappa Chetty (Kalamkari), Smt. Karuna Chitrakar (Patua painting), Guru Mayadhar Raut (Odissi) and Sh.Margi Madhu (Koodiyattam). Other activities held during the convention included a talk by Shri. K.G. Subramanium (Painter), a movie retrospective on Throne of blood film by Akira Kurusawa and a panel discussion on "The Role of Heritage in Nation Building" that witnessed the presence of speakers like Prof. Kamlesh Dutt Tripathi (BHU), Prof. Sanjay Govind Dhande (IIT Kanpur), Smt. Anjolie Ela Menon and Smt. Jaya Jaitley. The discussion will be moderated by Shri Yatindra Mishra. On the closing night of 5th of June a classical music extravaganza was organized where stalwarts like Padmavibhushan Pt. Shiv Kumar Sharma (Santoor), Padmabhushan Dr. N. Rajam (Violin), Ustad Shahid Parvez (Sitar), Padmabhushan Shri. T. N. Seshagopalan (Carnatic Vocal), Padmashri Pandit. Vishwamohan Bhatt (Mohan Veena) and Ustad Abdul Rashid Khan (Hindustani Vocal) rendered soulful music. Their alluring and brilliant renderings of Indian classical music created a divine ambience and captivated audience hearts. It was a unique and a rare event of its own kind that saw a wide spectrum of artists perform for the widest possible variety of audience. For six days music flowed through the corridors and leafy alleys of campus enwrapping it in youthful enthusiasm and cultural awakening.

 



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