Gujarat is a state of music lovers and has produced
some of the best musicians of India. It is said that the legendary
musicians Baiju Bawra and Tana Riri belong to the state itself. Narsinh
Mehta, of the 'Vaishnav Janto' acclaim, also hails from Gujarat. He was
a Vaishnavite poet of Junagadh and wrote songs in the praise of the
Lord. His Gujarati compositions had a profound influence on the
devotees. It is believed that he came in communion with Lord Krishna
when he sung 'Raag Kedar'. 'Vaishnav Janto' was very dear to Gandhiji
also and remains a musical marvel till date.
Besides, Gujar Tod, Bilaval and Khambhavati are the names associated
with Gujarat. Veraval and Cambay are also state's contributions to
classical music. Musicians like Ustad Faiyazkhan, Maulabux, the 'Been'
player Rahim Khan and many others have shone the name of the state in
the field of music. Apart from this, Pandit Omkarnath Thakur, one of the
greatest exponents of Indian classical music, is also from Gujarat.
Dahyalal Shivram's Sangeet Kaladhar and Adityaram Vyas's Sangeetaditya
have also made significant contributions to Gujarati music.
Ahmedabad is also significantly touched by the musical wave. A number
of concerts are organized in the city to promote folk music of Gujarat,
among the masses. One of the major musical events is organized here by a
local financial institution. It is a three day festival, devoted truly
to classical music. The festival is attended by an astounding number of
people, who listen to the Hindustani classical ragas, amidst congenial
ambience. A traditional setting is created in an open theatre where
listeners sit in a 'baithak' style and enjoy classical ragas.
The concert is known as "Sur Sandhaya Samaroh" and is one of
its kinds in Ahmedabad. It is held on a regular basis, providing a
platform for the people to interact with the maestros like Bhimsen
Joshi, Pandit Shivkumar Sharma and the charismatic Zakir Hussain. The
concert continues till midnight and is conducted on a massive scale,
wherein all the modern facilities are provided for ensuring the closest
rendezvous of the artists with the audience. Such events have broken the
myth that the people of Gujarat are more concerned with wealth making
and do not have an ear for music.
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