Padma Shri Malini Awasthi leaves audience spellbound

S D Sharma

Chandigarh, January 29

The magnificence and grandeur of regional folk music was brought alive by the noted folk singer and Padma Shri awardee Malini Awasthi at an event organised by Chandigarh Sangeet Natak Akademi at Tagore Theatre as a part of the Basant Panchami celebrations.

The versatile vocalist presented a full range of songs, including the romantic folk melodies, rare ritual songs, sufiana kalaams, thumri compositions and her hit Hindi numbers from films.

Having established a rapport with the audience, she opened the concert with an invocatory, “Tumhari sharan hum aaye..” interspersed with Sanskrit shlokas. She welcomed the spring season in her folk melody “Aayo Vasant” in classical mould. She doled out some “Rama Bhajans” before folk numbers such as “Peeli pagariya wala banna”, “Piya bane dulhan”, “Nikla hai piya ke anganwa” and more. However, she was at her best with Sufi numbers such as Amir Khusro’s , “Aaj rang hai..” and songs composed in Raag Bhairavi, including “Dil mera muft kaa” and many more to win standing ovation.

Visits PU

The Department of History and the Centre of Swami Vivekananda Studies in collaboration with Bhartiya Shikshan Mandal organised a special lecture of Padma Shri Malini Awasthi, renowned folk singer to commemorate the arrival of spring season.

She cautioned the young generation about danger of excessive ‘westernisation’ of Indian culture through various forms of media.