MSLF 2023 Blog

Vimal Pant, a well known folk singer of Lucknow and also a B high artist of AIR is one of the only artists in the city, fluent in 10 languages. She appeared for and qualified the B high exam in 1972 and has been learning to sing since she was five years old. She always had a fondness for the city Lucknow as her maternal grandparents lived in the city and Vimal Pant along with her eight sisters flocked to this house every year to spend their summer holidays. While telling her about the first instances where she developed a fondness for music, she mentions how her father Shri Bhgawat Prasad Joshi, a government employee who barely had any time to have hobbies, loved to sing and play the violin.

On the 100th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore, a decision was taken to build seven ravindralaya across India to commemorate the legendary poet, writer, playwright, and composer. The Ravindralaya of Lucknow, constructed in 1964, is the only one in Uttar Pradesh. It was made with the aim of achieving the long felt social and cultural needs of this city. The campus is not just aesthetically beautiful, but also provides a comfortable, centrally situated, and properly equipped hall. Ravindralaya is basically a theatre devoted to dance, music, drama, and poetry. It ranks among some of the best auditoriums in the city.

Ustad Gulshan Bharti is a seventh generation qawwal from his family. Born to Ustad Askiq Ali sahab as Shamshuddin his name was changed later as the name was said to have been unlucky for him as he used to fall sick often as a child. Therefore, upon advice from a sufi named Shafaq Shah Chisti he was named Gulshan Bharti, taking inspiration from ‘awazon ka gulshan, Vivid Bharti’ the AIR (All India Radio) broadcast and Bharti being synonymous with is home country.

The name of Lucknow and ghazals is synonymous with the prodigious Mithlesh Lakhnavi, with a career spanning over almost 4 decades he shares the warmth of the city with his exceptional talent. Growing up he had a musical atmosphere at home with his father being a singer for the Ramleela and his mother and siblings being natural singers forming their own mandalis for singing at family functions and weddings in the family.

Outside of Kanpur, through Kannauj, is the little quaint town of Terua, where Rakesh Veda Ji is from. We begin with this small, rather humorous anecdote that Rakesh Ji recites. 15 kilometers away from his home was a qasbah, or, fortress, where Rakesh Ji would wind down after a long day at school. He vividly remembers eating paan and other delights at the local stalls, however one day, a stranger approached him. The man had a friendly conversation with young Rakesh Ji, like father and son, asking where he went to school and things as such.

Deepak Kabir Ji’s story is one of the most unique you’ll ever hear, an enlightening crossover between social justice movements and music. In the late 1900’s, Deepak Ji attended La Martinière College. He recalls seeing multitudes of performances by local musicians; he enjoyed the rhythm and beat, however he always had trouble understanding the true meaning of the lyrics. Since many of the songs contained lyrics from ancient Indian dialects, it was very difficult for anyone to understand them. Deepak Ji simply knew that if songs, or even poems for that matter, had comprehensible meanings, they would make an even larger impact.

Nestled in the heart of Lucknow, Makhan Da Ji recites his story. Now 75 years old, Makhan Da Ji still recalls his love for theater music just as it was yesterday. With such pure passion in his voice, Makhan Da Ji always has considered himself a “single-actor”; as in his passion for theater music is one along with his work for theater music. One could say that Makhan Da Ji prefers to be more of a recluse due to his small and tight-knit family, with one son and a couple of grandchildren, it’s easily said that Makhan Da Ji likes to lead a simpler and more solitary life.

Coming from the beautiful region of Punjab, Atamjit Singh recites his empowering and musically inclined story. In 1957, at the age of 9, Atamjit Ji moved from the luscious fields of Punjab to the confined and populous streets of Lucknow. To the average person this may seem like a massive change, however for Atamjit Ji, he had felt as though he had never moved. Since his father worked in the railway sector, Atamjit Ji resided in a railway colony known as Barha Colony, in which everyone spoke Punjabi and shared their Punjabi culture.

A Lucknow native, Nihal Saheb, recites the anecdote of his beloved sitar workshop. Although he was born in Aminabad, a famous neighborhood of Lucknow, Nihal Saheb traveled a lot throughout his younger years to places like Dehradhun, Almoda, and Delhi. After working in Delhi for 18 years, Nihal Saheb, now with a wife and children, decided that it was time to return to Lucknow, because after all it was his home, and there is no place like home. Nihal Saheb always had a special place for music in his heart, especially for sitars. He was taught how to craft and play sitars by his elder brother, to whom he respectfully refers to as his ustaad, or, teacher.

National House was established in 1913 by Azizudin. The shop was located near Sri Ram Road but was later shifted to a locality near Latouche Road. Azizudin opened the shop with the idea that music was in high demand at the time. He began his shop with the manufacturing and repair of tablas, harmoniums, and […]