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Home , Guru Gopinath, Imrat Khan, Shambhu Maharaj, Sudha Malhotra

CULTURAL' DIARY

JANUARY

The ten-day eighth National Conference and Festival of the Indian People's Theatre Associa­ tion concluded in New I.P.T.A. on January I. About Festival 1,000 artistes from 14 States participated in the Con­ Shri Mogliai Ozha, the famous drummer from ference and the festival which was inaugurated Assam, as he appeared at the 1.1'.T.A. festival. on December 23 by the Vice-President, Dr. S. Radhakrishnan. Delegates from the and also attended. On the concluding evening of the I.P.T.A.'s festival of music, dance and drama, a number of the most successful items presented earlier were repeated. Among these were the Harvest Dance of West Bengal, the Fishermen's Dance of Andhra and the Chhau Dance of Bihar. One of the most outstanding features of the festival was a dance recital by Gopinath, well­ known exponent of .

A scene from Bengali Jatra presented at the A scene from a dance number presented I.P.T.A. festival, at the I.P.T.A,festiral. The Conference elected Shri Sachin Sen Kesarbai Kerkar, , Nazkat Gupta as the new president of the Indian Ali and Salamat Ali and and People's Theatre Association, while Shri Imrat Khan featured the programme of the Niranjan Sen was re-elected as General concluding night. The duet Violin and Shahnai Secretary. Shrimati Kamala Devi Chatto­ by V. G. Jog and and party padhyaya, Vice-Chairman of the Sangeet Natak provided an titting finale to an eight-day music Akademi, was among the 13 Fellows elected to programme. the I.P.T.A. *** On behalf of the Bharat Sewak Samaj, cups The Annual Convention of the Bharatiya Natya were presented to various groups for the best Sangh was held in on January 19. items. The Conference passed a number of • Nearly 70 delegates from resolutions. Bharatiya all over the country *** Natya Sangh attended the Convention Vidwan T. Chowdiah, President of the 31st which was presided over Conference of the Music Academy, was presen­ by Shrimati Kamala Devi Chattopadhyaya. ted with birudu and Shri Chowdiah insignia of Sangita The Convention decided that the Sangh Honoured Kalanidhi on January 1 should give high priority to the construction when the Sadas marking of a chain of theatres with rehearsal halls to the conclusion of the conference was held in hasten the progress of the theatre movement in Madras. Sangita Kalanidhi K. Vasudevachar the country. It emphasised the need for train­ presided over the Sadas. ing in theatre crafts, particularly modern stage techniques, and urged the International Theatre A large and distinguished gathering of Institute to increase the number of Fellowships musicians and music-lovers was present and for advanced studies in dramatic arts for cheered Shri Chowdiah and five other Vidwans countries where the theatre was in a depressed as they were honoured and presented with state. awards. Prizes and Diplomas were also - awarded to successful competitors in the The Convention, in this connection, wel­ various music competitions and also to the comed the establishment of the Asian Theatre students of the Teachers' College of Music run Institute in New Delhi. by the Music Academy, Madras. ** * Addressing the Convention, Shrimati Kamala The 16th All- Music Conference, organised Devi Chattopadhyaya said the greatest by the Prayag Sangit Samiti, concluded in tragedy of the Indian theatre was its complete •• Allahabad on January 6. divorce from the traditional classical drama. Ali-India MUSIC The Conference, which After briefly analyzing the causes of the Conference was preced~~ by a four- decline of the Indian theatre, she said what day compeution, attracted was needed today was a standard for the theatre several top-ranking musicians of India. and "evolving our own style without employing For three days the organisers gave of Western standards". an almost round the clock programme of Hindustani classical music, both * * vocal and instrumental, and dances. William Warfield, well-known American singer, gave a song recital in Delhi on January 19. The championship trophy was annexed by .• Warfield, one of the Vani Vidya Vithi of Calcutta. Kesar Sansit Wilham greatest baritone voices Vidyalaya of Allahabad got the runners-up Warfield the has pro- shield. . ... duced in recent history, ** * arnved 10 India on January 16 during his ten­ The 13th session of the All-India Music Con- week concert tour of Asia and the Far-East. ference came to a successful conclusion in Touring under President Eisenhower's special •• Calcutta on January 9 international programme for cultural presenta­ Ali-India MUSIC when the programme for tion, the. celebr.ated Negro singer gave 28 Conference the tenth and last sitting concerts m India, Iran, Pakistan, Burma, was gone through. Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Demonstrations of Indian classical music by Hong Kong. 80 The President, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, inaugu­ "If the country is to achieve its cherished goal rated the Asian Theatre Institute in New Delhi such institutions should be encouraged." on January 20. The Asian Theatre Institute, founded by the The 16-day Festival opened with a concert . Bharatiya Natya Sangh, by Semmangudi Srinivasa Aiyar and party. Instrtute with the help of UNESCO, Ustad Vilayat Khan gave a recital of Hindus­ the Government of India and the Sangeet tani instrumental music during the Festival. Natak Akademi, will help train artistes and The Sabha has 2,700 members on its roll. experiment with theatre craft. The first of its kind in India, the Institute will run courses in rural and children's theatre. * * * The Sangh has offered 20 scholarships to Among Republic Day honours, the following students from all over the country. Besides, artistes were included: the States of Madras, Madhya Pradesh, Mysore, Andhra and West Bengal have Padma Bhushan: Ustad Allauddin Khan (musi­ sent two students each to study at the cian) and Shri Ariyakudi Rarnanuja Iyengar Ins.iiute. (musician). The services of two experts in children's and rural theatre, Mr. A. Elimore and Mr. M. Lee, Padma Shri: (film artist), Shrirnati have been lent by the UNESCO. (rilrn artist), Republic Day Shri Debaki Kumar Bose In his inaugural speech, Dr. Rajendra Honours (film producer), Shri Prasad spoke of the importance of drama and Satyajit Roy (film direc­ theatre in life "as a handy and popular tor) and Shri (dancer). medium of emotional expression". Every society bad progressed from one stage of intel­ • • lectual development to another "through * social institutions like tbe community drama", Teams from various States presented a rich the President said. variety of Indian dances in New Delhi on January 27, the first day Earlier, Shrimati Kamla Devi Chattopadh­ Folk Dance ofthe two-day Folk Dance yaya said a long-felt need had been fulfilled Festival Festival held in the by the establishment of the Institute. She Capital in connection boped that the Asian Institute would shortly with the Republic Day celebrations. become the centre of study and experimenta­ tion of various forms of Asian theatre where The participating troupes were from Assam, students from all parts of the wor ld would Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Madras, Manipur, gather. Dr. Nihar Ranjan Ray, Director. of the Andamans and Nicobar Islands, Uttar the Institute who also spoke on the occasion, Pradesh, Mysore, Bombay, Punjab, Pond,icherry, referred to the important role the institute was Orissa, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, HImachal going to play in co-relating various experiments Pradesh and , etc. made in new lines in the country by amateur as well as professional theatrical groups. Bihar won the Sangeet Natak Akademi Tbe Institute is shortly going to be taken trophy for the best performance, a~ the fes~ival over by the Akademi as part of its National and received it from the Prime Minister, BIhar Institute of Drama. bagged this coveted trophy in 1956 also. Silver cups were presented by Shri N~hru to the * * * Punjab Madhya Pradesh, Pondicherry and Uttar Pradesh troupes for outstanding perfor­ The eightb Music and Dance Festival of Sri mances, while the N.E.F.A. group was a\~ar­ Shanmukhananda Fine Arts and Sangeetha ded a special cup and Bombay and Orissa Sabha was inaugurated special recognition medals. Music & Dance in Bombay on January Festival 20. In his inaugural p~ogramme open~ng bega~ address, Mr. G.D. Somani, The on the day with the Kashmir team performing the Gaddi M.P., praised the work of the Sabha and said: 81 The Bihar troupe photographed with Shri Nehru from whom they received the Sangeet Natak Akademi trophy (seen in the photograph) for the best performance at the Folk Dance Festival. dance in which only men took part. The musi­ Dressed in colourful costumes, the men and cal instruments used were drums and flutes. women dancers from the Punjab presented the Next came Madras with their dance item called Nati dance displaying grace and rhythm. The Karagam in which brightly dressed men and tempo of the dance mounted to a climax when women balanced pots decorated with flowers the artistes danced vigorously to the accompani­ on their heads. The Manipuri dancers presented ment of drums. The team from Pondicherry a piece called Jounei in which both men and performed a tribal dance dealing with the women took part and sang and danced to the trapping of animals. They were followed by accompaniment of instrumental music. the martial dancers from Orissa who performed the Paik dance. With swords and shields in The contingent from the Andamans and their hands, these dancers, belonging to different Nicobar Islands, which was represented at the age groups, presented an impressive miniature Festival for the first time, performed a dance bat tIe scene. The Rajasthan team provided a of Nicobari aboriginals. Both men and women tribal dance with both men and women. The took part but there were no musical instru­ last item of the day was a Dhuriya dance by ments. the troupe from Madhya Pradesh. This was a typical folk dance-gay and vigorous-with men Blushing women, bedecked with jewels, and and women dancing to the tune of instrumental boistrous men, from Jaunsar-Bawar in Dehra music. Dun district of U.P., performed an impressive dance, called Baradi Nati, a common feature at !eligious festivals. The Mysore team, dressed On the second day, dancers from N.E.F.A., 10 black overcoats and white turbans performed Kerala, Bombay, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Orissa, the Balakat dance to the accompaniment of West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Pondicherry, songs and instrumental music. This was follow­ Punjab, Manipur, Rajasthan and Bihar parti­ ed by the Gaje dance by the all-male troupe cipated in the programme. from Bombay. These sturdy men from Satara waving their coloured handkerchiefs danced * * * thi~ with great vigour and virility, being a Dr. B. V. Keskar, Union Minister for Infor­ devotional piece dedicated to Lord Shiva. mation and Broadcasting, inaugurated the Rajasthan Sangeet Natak The Assam troupe presented the Bihar Rajasthan Akademi in Jodhpur on dance generally performed during harvest time. Akademi January 29. In his In this, both men and women participated and inaugural speech, Dr. a number of musical instruments were used. Keskar said sangeet was the best medium of expression and understanding Marius Goring, the well-known stage and even where language difficulties came in screen star, and his company of English actors, the way. The Union Minister conw~tulated Governme~t th~ Marius who were on a two­ the Rajasthan .on revivmg month tour of India cultural heritage by establishing the Akaderni. Goring sponsored by the British Mr. M. L. Sukhadia, the State Chief Minister, Council gave a number thanked Dr. Keskar. of performances in New Delhi beginning on February 21. The company presented two * * different programmes-the first wholly Shakes­ pearean and the second, a panorama of British Agnete Obling, the celebrated Opera singer drama from the earliest times to the present of the Royal Theatre, Copenhagen, Denmark: day-the Mirror of Time. gave a concert in Delhi Agnete on January 30. This The company gave performances in Bombay, Obling was arranged by the Madras, Bangalore, Aligarh, Agra, Allahabad Delhi Music Society. In and many other towns in India. the second part of her programme that -.yas devoted to Danish songs, Agnete Obling * * * appeared to be at her best and introduced her listeners to the music of her country. She The three-day celebrations of Shree Shanmu­ acknowledged the long ovation she received khanarida Sangeetha Sabha to commemorate at the end of the programme with a graceful Saint Thyagaraja con­ 'namaste' Thyagaraja cluded in New Delhi Day on February 23. About 40 students of the Sabha * * * gave a good account of themselves and their training during the celebrations. FEBRUARY * * *

There was good fun for children in the capital Dramas staged in Manipur will be exempted when the Children's from the entertainment tax. This was agreed C.L.T. Annual Little Theatre, Delhi, upon by the Advisory No Entertain­ Committee for Manipur Festival celebrated its three-~ay Fourth Annual Festival ment Tax which held its meeting which concluded in New Delhi on February 2. in New Delhi on Febru­ ary 25 under the Chairmanship of the Union Among the special invitees who attended was Home Minister, Pandit Pant. the Prime Minister, Shri Nehru.

There were group dances, playlets and * * * ballets, etc., in which children of a number of schools in Delhi danced, sang and acted to MARCH the delight of hundreds of boys and girls who watched them with rapt attention. The Mongolian Cultural Delegation, which arrived in New Delhi on Mongolian March I at the invitation of * * * the Government of India, Cultural Dele- gave performances of music, The fifth session of the All-Assam Inter­ gation dance and acrobatics in the College Music Conference was held in Shillong capital on March 2 and 3. from February lIto 15.ln Altogether: 17 items were p:esented in both the Inter-College the competition on about shows WhICh were organised by the Sangeet Music 35 varied items of dance, Natak Akademi and were in aid of the Prime drama and music (includ­ Minister's Relief Fund. ing special tribal items) 14 ~opeges from all over Assam and Manipur participated. The delegation, which consisted of 19 The members of the Mongolian Cultural Delegation photographed at a reception given by the Sangeet Natak Akademl members, included eminent dan zers and sisted mostly of folk dances and music. The musicians of Mongolia in whose honour the dances reflected various aspects of Mongolian Sangeet Natak Akademi gave a reception on life. The "Dance of Horseman" was a pleas­ March 2. ing number while the two folk songs, "Four Seasons of the Year" and "Fly on the Window" The items presented on the first day con- were thoroughly enjoyed by a packed house.

•

The leader ofthe

delegation presenting 1 Mongolian musical instrument to the Akademi. •

84 Some of the items appeared to have an conducted by Ustad Allauddin Khan. This astonishing similarity with the Indian folk was the first appearance of the Maihar dances and tunes. Some of the Mongolian orchestra in Delhi. instruments resembled our sarangi and jal­ tarang. Another interesting item in the programme was Tal Vadya Kacheri by the famous The delegation presented a Mongolian percussionists, like Sharnta Prasad of Banaras, musical instrument to the Sangeet Natak Purshottamdas of Nathdwara and Bafati Khan Akademi as a token gift. Members of the of . delegation took part in Holi celebrations in the capital on March 6. At their request, they were taken to Chandni Chowk, where they got There were only two dance performances out of their cars and joined the colour-splashing by and Miss , a pupil holi crowds. of Shambhu Maharaj. In the dance number, Birju Maharaj displayed his rich knowledge and * * * mastery of the Kathak style. The first American amateur dramatic troupe to visit India presented some selected plays in * * New Delhi on March 4 Wayne 'Varsity and 5. The troupe con­ Under the auspices of the Triveni Kala Sangam, Group sisting of 13 students and Shanker, the well-known player, pre­ three staff members of sented "Melody and Wayne State University, visited India to pro­ "Melody and Rhythm", a two-hour mote cultural understanding between this Rhythm" programme of light and country and the U.S.A., and acquainted classical music, in New amateur groups here with the techniques of Delhi on March 14. The programme sought to the U.S. theatre. cover different facets ofIndian Music-from the ancient dhrupad style to folk melodies and The troupe, which had already given modern songs. The five-day programme performancesin Bombay, Baroda and Ahmeda­ concluded on March 18. bad, presented Sophocles' "Oedipus Rex" in the capital on March 5 and two one-act plays the following day. * * *

* * Shri Vaidyanath Bhagwatar, who won * the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Karnatic The seventh annual Festival of Music and Vocal music this year, Dance:ofganised by the Bharatiya Kala Kendra, Shri Chembai was felicitated in Delhi New Delhi, was held Honoured on March 15. Mr. Justice B.K.K. Annual from March 8 to I L T. L. Venkataram Aiyar, Fesfivar-- Among the 'pr?n:inent who presided over the function, praised the artistes who participated artiste's service to the cause of Karnatic music. in the Festival were Amir Khan, Bade Ghulam A gold chain was presented to Shri Chembai Ali Khan, Kesar Bai Kerkar, Gangu Bai as a token of appreciation. Hangal, Bismillah Khan and 'party, Dagar Brothers , Vilayat Khan, , Shamta Prasad, Gh~l~m Sab~r * * * Khan Shiv Kumar Shukla and GIrJa Devi, Amo~g the younger musicians who took paFt One of the attractions on the opening day of were Uma Shankar Misra, Bahadur Hussam the sixth Swami Haridas Sangeet Sammelan Khan, Imrat Khan, Sharan Rani Mathur and organised by the Sur Mujaddid Niazi. Sur-Singar Singar Samsad in Bombay Samsad was in A new feature of the Festival this year was a Bharata Natyam recital. a brilliant orchestral performance by the Maihar , Pandit Onkarnath Thakur, team who presented five pieces composed and Virendra Kumar Mathur and Kamal Sin&h were among the other artistes who took part "Kuchela Vritta", the well-known episode in the Sammelan. of the meeting between Lord Krishna and Kuchela was enacted through KathakaJi by the * * * father-and-son team on the occasion. The Government of Bombay has sanctioned grants totalling Rs. 1,00,000 to 91 drama institutions in the State * * * Grants and Rs. 32,500 to li- teratures, stage artistes and drama directors in recognition of their The Madhya Pradesh Government organised merits. This was announced by the State in Gwalior on March 22, a three-day mUSIC Minister for Social Welfare, Shri N. K. Tirpnde, festival in honour of the in Bombay on March 17. Tansen great singer and com­ Day poser, Tansen. The festival was held in the * * * picturesque setting of the mausoleum of Tansen Guru Gopala Panicker, 80-year-old Kathakali and many noted musicians from all over the artiste, and his son, Ananda Shivaram, a well- country participated in the celebrations, The known dancer, were artistes did not charge any fees and presented Guru Panicker felicitated in Bombay on their programmes as a token of their homage Honoured March 22. Shri S. K. Patil, to one of the greatest figures in Indian music. Union Minister for Transport and Communications, who presided over the function, said that the exponents of The Festival Committee arranged learned India's art and culture played a unique role in discourses on various aspects of Indian music the revival of her ancient traditions and glory. and its development.

SHRI SACHIN DEB BURMAN

(Continued from page 78)

Chandra Deb Burman of Tripura. He is a from Shri K. C. Dey and such maestros as Ustad graduate of the Calcutta University. His A11auddin Khan and Ustad Badal Khan. His parents were desirous of sending him abroad, close association with Rabindra Nath Tagore but Sachin Deb Burman was destined to explore gave a fillip to the progressive urge in him for new avenues in the field of art. An irresistible unorthodox experimentation in the field of urge for music drew him out of the exclusive music. His contribution to the development of atmosphere of the palace and brought him film music is significant, inasmuch as he has nearer to the people. Though an eminent brought to it all the richness and variety of folk authority on folk music, Shri Burman had a as well as classical tradition, giving it a distinc­ thorough grounding in the classical tradition tive form.

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