That one realm where all forms of music converge must certainly be the realm of devotion.
To celebrate the universal sentiment of "Devotion to the Ultimate Being" through the medium of music, a three-day Bhakti Sangeet festival has been organised here from April 24.
Organised by Sahitya Kala Parishad and Department of Art and Culture, by the Delhi government the festival exhibits the diversity and variety of multiple traditions of devotional music of India.
"We are a country known globally for its spirituality and have multifarious ways of professing our love to God. The Bhakti Sangeet festival is a unique platform that brings together people from different genres of music and unites them by their love for the devotional music," says Anup Jalota, a popular bhajan singer.
Nine individual and group performances of Bhakti and Sufiana renditions that will be showcased over the next three days seek to encompass a variety of devotional music including Kabir bhajans and distinct bhakti music, to Sufiana kalams from Punjab, under a single roof.
"Every individual soul finds its own way to connect with the eternal reality. Some perceive the creator as a formless transcendent reality; others conceptualise him in a human form. Music is a form that resonates with people across the world by aligning the mystic frequencies of a mind to verbal expression of love," says Shubha Mudgal, who is lined up to perform "Nirgun" at the event.
The Nooran sisters of "Patakha Guddi" fame will present the Kalam Bulleshah and Dhruv Sangari, along with several other Sufiana kalams, besides soulful performances by Meeta Pandit and Iqbal Ahmad Khan.
The last day of the festival will see four performances including one by Kabir Cafe, a band dedicated to Kabir bhajans.
Others performances will include Arshad Ali Khan (Krishna bhakti); Sumitra Guha (Ram Bhakti) and Master Saleem (Punjabi Sufiana Kalaam).
Hosted annually, the Bhakti Sangeet Festival will be held at Nehru Park.
