Thumri maestro Girija Devi dazzled the stage of the Thumri festival on August 9 to give the musical celebration a blissful end.
The 84-year-old veteran of Thumri took stage after relatively younger classical music exponents Uma Garg and Nabhodeep Chakroborty enthralled the audience with their renditions.
The annual Thumri Festival, presented by Delhi Government's Department of Art, Culture & Languages and Sahitya Kala Parishad brings together the maestros of this art form with some outstanding young talent.
Other vocalists who rubbed shoulders with the veterans included Anjali Pohankar, Devasish Dey and Kakli Mukherjee.
Talking about the classical music, Girija Devi said that it is one of the most loved genres of Indian music which has a wide appeal, it is not only valued by an audience discerning enough to appreciate Hindustani classical music, but also appeals to the audience who might not be as well-versed in pure classical music.
Ustad Ghulam Sadiq Khan said that Thumri is often an expression of the love for Lord Krishna and with time a number of lighter forms have emerged from its folds like Dadra, Chaiti, Hori, Kajari, Saavan and Jhoola.
He added that it is heartening to see young and fresh blood taking up the traditional art form with zest.
