Kalagram reverberates with folk tunes of Himachal
Undeterred by the traffic restrictions imposed by the Chandigarh Administration ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the city, thousands of mela enthusiasts on Tuesday thronged the crafts mela and enjoyed the mesmerising folk tunes of various regions.
The evening session stars were Himachali singers Kaku Ram Thakur and Geeta Bhardwaj, who stole the show with their Pahari folk songs. Earlier, in the morning, the stage performances included Rajasthani folk singing by Murli Rajasthani, which was followed by folk dances loke ‘jhoomarj (Punjab), ‘Sirmauri naati’ (HP), ‘badhai’ (MP), ‘rakhi pada’ (Arunachal), ‘jaabro and ‘balti’ (Ladakh), ‘kalbeliak (Rajasthan) and ‘dhamaali’ (J&K).
The star performers of the day were Sukhi Brar and Naqqal Goni Khan, who took the stage by storm. The on-the-spot photography competition on the theme “Glimpses from Crafts Mela” organised by the Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademy also elicited an overwhelming responses from the participants.
The star singers of the evening were well-known singers of Himachal Pradesh Kaku Ram Thakur and the reigning queen of ‘pahadi’ folk singing Geeta Bhardwaj, who brought live the divine folk music of the hills. Some of the folk songs Thakur sang included ‘chitta tera chola, kala dora’, ‘Inhan vadiyan yo tudka lana, ‘O thekedarniye’, ‘Chamba uaar ke nadiya paar’ to which the music lovers resonated enthusiastically.
Bhardwaj added more colour to the musical evening by doling out her popular numbers, including ‘maye ni meriye, jammuan de rahe’, ‘udiya kaleya kaga’, ‘dhoban paniye jo chali ei’ and many more, evoking thunderous applause from the audience.
