Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, March 12: Sufi music can go a long way to bring peace in a restless soul. It can heighten the level of concentration among young men and women, who seem to have taken a liking for this devotional genre of music. “Today’s young generation and others can concentrate in their works properly if they have peace in their mind. Sufi music, the mystical music, can surely bring peace in the mind of the listeners. Young people are coming here to listen since two days,” said Kirad Patnaik, General Secretary of Bhubaneswar Music Circle (BMC).
BMC, in association with Orissa Tourism, has organised the third Sufiana music festival, which presents a cross section of devotional music drawn from the Sufi tradition as well as other genres of music with similar philosophy. The festival titled ‘Samarpan-2015’ has been going on since last two days at the Rabindra Mandap.
Sufi music is one of the best known mystical forms of devotional music that brings peace in the hearts of the listeners. This devotional music is inspired by the works of Sufi poets, such as Amir Khusrow, Hafiz, Rumi, Bulleh Shah, and Khwaja Ghulam Farid. Qawwali is the most well known form of Sufi music that is common in parts of Pakistan, Bangladesh and India.
Dr Pushpa Prasad, a national awardee, was invited to perform in the music fest. She came all the way from Bihar to present Sufiana music here at the Mandap. She has devoted all her energies in the preservation and promotion of our traditional culture for over 25 years. Dr Pushpa said that Sufism transcends national and religious boundaries with its all embracing philosophy of ‘universal brotherhood and love’.
A group of five young vocalists from Bhubaneswar that set out to explore the world of Sufiana music also performed in the fest. Singer Deborshee Bhattacharjee, who was introduced to music at the age of five by his mother, performed Kabir Bhajans in the evening, Thursday. “Indian philosophy deals with the Indian religions. Sufi music brings oneness among people. I believing Sufi or other devotional songs are drawing attention of the young people across the nation, but media and eminent musicians have to come forward to popularise Sufi and other classical music in our country,” he said.
The annual festival will continue till March 13. On the final day, Nitin Sharma for New Delhi and Janab Qaisar Nazmi from Kashmir are scheduled to perform.