Three of India’s celebrated classical musicians, Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia and Vikku Vinayakram, will give their first-ever joint performance in the UAE at a concert to be held at Jumeirah Beach Hotel on September 13, according to Khaleej Times.
Titled Sur Sangam, the unique show is being organized by Stellar Event, a division of ANC Group, and presented by Petrochem Carless, the largest distributors of Chemicals in the Middle East, in association with the 106.2 Hum FM. Entry to the show will be through tickets of Dh300, Dh150 and Dh75. Tickets will on sale from September 5 at selected places in addition to online booking at. Tickets can also be door delivered by the organizers.
A spokesman for Stellar Events told the daily that the three artists will also be going live on air on September 12 and 13 on 106.2 Hum FM.
Known for his efforts for popularizing Indian music instrument, Santoor, Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma is also well known for composing music for hit Indian movies like Silsila, Chandini, Faasle, Vijay, Lamhe, Sahiba and Darr.
Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia is an internationally acclaimed flautist and has distinguished himself as the greatest living master of the Bansuri. He was the first flautist in Indian history to be awarded the Padma Bhushan, India's most prestigious civilian award. He also collaborated with Western artists like John Mclaughlin and Jan Garbarek, adding to his international appeal and widespread popularity.
Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma and Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia have several things in common. Both were born in the same year, took up their career in the instrumental music at the age of 15, specialized in the form of music which was unfamiliar and traditionally not followed by their families.
The similarity in professions and also in thinking brought them together at a period as early as 1968 when they produced a thematic album, The Call of the Valley. It is one of the best selling albums of HMV even after 30 years of production. They came together for The Valley Recalls. They first played together outside India in October 1997 at the Royal Festival Hall. They composed music for the Indian film, Silsila, who had won the platinum status.
Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma has been honoured by the Sahitya Natak Akademi Award and the Padma Shree. He has the honorary citizenship of the city of Baltimore, has received the Indian Classical music’s first platinum disc for The Call of the Valley and has given special performances before the House of Lords in Britain and in front of the Queen of Holland, according to IndiaToday.com
Thetakudi Harihara Vinayakram, affectionately known as Vikku, has attained international celebrity status with his imaginative and beautiful drumming on the Ghatam. A doyen of South Indian percussion, Vikku first became known in the West in the mid 70s as a member of the group, Shakti, which consisted of the jazz guitarist John McLaughlin, violinist L Shankar, tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain and Vikku. He is noted for his accompaniments in the first Carnatic concert given at the UN in New York in 1966.
Finally, there will be a jugalbandi session by Pandit Chaurasia, Vikku, Anindo Chatterjee (well-known tabla player), Jeet Shanker (Pakhwaj) and Rupak (flute) along with Pushpanjali, Tauneet and Bindu on Tanpura – Albawaba.com
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