(A The Resource Centre The Telegraph

Date: 19/02/2016 Page No: 01 Location: 12 Circulation: 400000 Edition: Kolkata

MUSIC SONA MOHAPATRA WAS AN EXPLOSION OF MUSIC AND WORDS AT THE THIRD EDITION OF EMAMI CULTURAL FIESTA, IN ASSOCIATION WITH t2

t is 6.30pm and the house lights are about to dim. The Everyone should Thursday crowd is shuffling steadily into Science City come and be a part auditorium. A few minutes later, strains of Tere ishq of this festival. nachaya fill the packed house. Sona Mohapatra has We hope to arrived and slowly she cranks up the volume to11 and continue with this Ikeeps it there for the next two-and-a-half hours. "I have a long in the coming years process of meditation and riyaaz before a concert. It's a —R.S. Goenka, joint preparation I deeply cherish as I perform and sing non-stop chairman of the Emami Group for close to four hours at times!" she told t2 after the concert. The first show of the third edition of Emami Cultural Fiesta was not an ordinary one because Sona is no ordinary We are happy to get singer. She throws in a story here, a fearless statement there. Sona Mohapatra, The 39-year-old ensures that every gig is different. Tanusree Here are some of the things t2 learnt about supergal Sona Shankar and during and moments after the February11 gig. Papon to perform for the Cultural Good versus Hit Fiesta. We try to When we were growing up, music was about good select artistes from varied music, today it's about hit music, which has more to do with fields. I want the crowd to enjoy marketing than any really musical pedigree or conviction. As and continue supporting us a result of this, it's harder than ever before to get quality . —Aditya V. Agarwal, director of music out for the audiences. Emami Group All choices or decisions are... testosterone-driven - ,1 feel the entire economic scenario is down to negotiation. If Through Emami someone valuesyou, they'll pay you what you think you're • Cultural Fiesta we worth, male or female. Sexism is rampant in the industry but promote art and that's an extension of our society and that is the case across culture. The best the globe, including Hollywood. One can't change without the part is that we get other, but being the front runners in gender equality would different artistes only reflect well on us. every year. I am You might be surprised to know that hardly any solo personally really female artiste with or without a band gets to headline college looking fdrward to hear Papon campus festivals and more so in our esteemed HM and IIT —Manish Goenka, director of campuses. All the choices and decisions are subconsciously Emami Group or otherwise testosterone-driven. Unless we as a society and media take note of such matters, we cannot expect our inherent gender biases to change. I look forward to Emami Cultural Fiesta every year, J^^k We give free j^H passes, which ^^k surprises many ^^k. people. This reflects It's a deconstructed desi look, much like The second look was a dress and the passion of our my music. I like mixing things up! It was dramatic foil cape by my favourite founder—Priti A. Sureka, director, an ode to Ma Saraswati and I also took designer Kallol Datta. His work Emami Limited forward my project of represents the modern artistry and ttCelebratelndianWeaves. The red dhoti aesthetics of Calcutta but is truly was a Dhakai weave by designer Vaishali global in character and at the same Shadangule and so was the hand-crafted time provides a drama to the stage neck-piece and belt. I wore it with a white- that is unparalleled. It's not collared shirt and jewellery by Eina everyone's cup of tea and that is Ahluwalia, conch-shaped earrings and a what I like most about Kallol's hathphool with rings, the traditional creations—individuality and ckandan and red artwork on my forehead. singular voice.

Copyright of the article is with the publication Rewind to Gauhar Jaan I was reading Vikram's (Sampath) book (My Name is Gauhar Jaan!) in between recording the song. She (Gauhar Jaan) was among the only women in society at that point who had her own money and was truly independent. She was also a powerful and individualistic artiste. We've come a long way from those times, but much more needs to be achieved. FAN SPEAK Asked to pursue Tina Turner school of songs But my persistence won! I really like the I love her voice and sound of my singing voice, so I continued the Sufi touch she learning music seriously My mother was gives to her always a supporter and committed to my songs. I became cause of singing. Then I started winning her fan when she music competitions in Hyderabad which started STAR GUEST FRIEND ZONE THE PLAYLIST performing on MTV gave me the confidence that I was on the 3 J Tere ishq nachaya Coke Studio. Piya se naina is my right track. My musical hero as a teenager was Shubha J? Piya re piya re Mudgal as she had a big, strong, classical voice and had made favourite track—Geetika J3 Aajave KhetaWat, a businesswoman a mark in the mainstream. I came to , worked as a 3 marketing manager for five years while I kept playing my J Rangabati demo to music directors, that's how I got here. J3 Shundori komola It was a powerful J3 Piyasenaina performance. We Count on them to ou&hine the boys * J3 O ri chiraiya loved J3 Rupaiya Ambarsariya J3 Jugni from and J3 RD Burman tribute: also when everyone Chaand mera dil, Bolo started dancing to bolo kuch toh bolo, Meri Dama dam mast qalandar soni meri tamanna, Aaja —Pallavi Bajoria (right), 26-year- piya tohe pyar doon, old New Alipore resident, who Puchho na yaar kya came with her sister Sanchita hua, Abjomilehaito Kallol Datta and Eina J3 Jiya lage na Bolo na really Ahluwalia were in the J3 Aaj jaane ki zid na karo touched my heart. audience for their 3 The lyrics of this Rituparna Sengupta arrived J Abhi na jao chhod kar friend. "I am really J3 Abhi nahin aana sajna song are I like all of them. Deepika (Padukone), Anushka (Sharma) soon after the concert excited as this is the J3 Naina amazing... and Kangana (Ranaut) have made some really bold movie started and she stayed put, first time I will listen to relationships are so J3 Bedardi raja * choices. I also have respect for the way Priyanka (Chopra) has clinging on to every note. Sona live," said Eina. important. shaped her career. She's opened the floodgates for Indian "Emami is like family to me. "This is my third gig of J3 Folk medley: Kavakava, —Sandeep Shah, with daughter actresses on the world stage. Richa Chadda is another I never miss any of their hers!" said Kallol. "She Genda phool, Taar bijli sey patley Yukta Shah, a Class IX student of fantastic actress. Sonam (Kapoor) sets the fashion standards. functions. And Sona is a has talent, knowledge, hamare piya, DPS Megacity. Her fave track is Alia Bhatt has a strong teenybopper following.... Yes, I believe wonderful singer. She authenticity, socio­ Resham ka rumal Jiya lage no. that things are changing, and all these women are set to make ~ bowled us over with Dama political standpoint and J3 Ambarsariya 2016 a turning point for the industry They won't be second to dam mast qalandar. She is a powerful voice," was J3 Bolo na kya hua Text: Malancha Dasgupta and their male counterparts for sure, in fact I count on them to brilliant and has great stage Eina's verdict after the J3 Dama dam mast Mathures Paul outshine the boys with their focus and drive. presence," she said. concert. qalandar Pictures: B. Haider