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A musical tribute to Nelson Mandela on his birth centenary year By the sitar exponent PANDIT SHUBHENDRA RAO
12 March,2018,Kolkata: The two of the most prolific freedom fighters from the 20 th century have been Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela. Those iconic figures have become the symbol of freedom itself. They even sacrificed so many things from their lives for the freedom of millions of people. As for Pandit Rao,” “ It is a personal tribute to the iconic freedom fighter Nelson Mandela in his birth centenary year. I believe that Indian classical music speaks the universal language of peace and harmony besides it connects people globally. People can change the world and music can change people. Music is one of the best ways to promote peace and harmony in any community. In this cd , I want to bring back the focus on truth, reconciliation, equality and unity….qualities that this “ Gandhi of South Africa” stood for.””
The album features Raaga Adi Basant,Simhendramadhyamam while rhythm has been designed by GIMA Award winning musician Pandit Prodyut Mukherjee. The cd was released in presence of Pt Ajoy Chakraborty, Pt Tarun Bhattacharya, singer Chandrabali Rudra, actress Parijat Chakraborty besides artistes of the album Pt Shubhendra Rao , Pt Prodyut Mukherjee and Prem Gupta of Raga Music at Press Club Kolkata, today.
Pt Shubhendra Rao is a composer and sitar player who is ranked amongst the top soloists of India. The press describes him as “a musical bridge to many cultures” and “a thinking musician, constantly endeavouring to carry his instrument beyond conventional boundaries”. A disciple of Ravi Shankar, he is acknowledged by critics and connoisseurs alike as a worthy successor to his teacher’s tradition.He is a classical musician, as well as a collaborator, working with musicians from different genres across the world. He has performed at prestigious venues and festivals like the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, Broadway, the Sydney Opera House, the National Arts Festival, the Theatre de la Ville, Dover Lane Music Conference and so on.
