Classical Indian vocalist relives life of the queen of the Thumri

A free festival aims to reveal the beauty of the spiritual relationship between a guru and his or her disciples in traditional Indian culture.

The session features the teaching of Kirana Gharana and a performance of Hindustani classical music at Merton Arts Space on Saturday 28 July 2018 from 6.30pm. 

This will be a theatrical presentation of the tumultuous life and golden bandishes of Badi Moti Bai, the forgotten queen of Thumri music, Benaras Gharana – composed, directed and performed by the finest India classical vocalist in UK Chandra Chakraborty. 

This hypnotic  musical theatre offers renditions of rare Thumri performances originally sung and collected by Badi Moti Bai from her Guru Ustad Moizuddin and depicts a haunting story of struggle, loyalty, sacrifices and patriarchal aggression.

The event features serene poetry recitation from Rabindranath Tagore – the First Nobel Laureate from the East in poetry –  and dazzling dance performance by Sayoni Batabyal and Pallavi Basak.

Founder of Asian Music circuit Viram Jasani will talk on theme of devotion that Indian classical music and other art forms conveys in its inner construction.

Director of the production BODI MOTI BAI,  Srimati Chandra Chakraborty said “The musical on the queen of Thumri Bodi Moti Bai is as part of  my journey to popularise classical music to ordinary audiences. Those who find Indian classical music is quite challenging for them to appreciate, this musical will certainly help them in explaining the mood of different ragas along with a theatrical depiction of the stormy life of a maestro of Indian classical music,”