Delhi’s ice-cold weather warmed up on Thursday night by spirited performances by classical and folksinger Maithili Thakur and instrumentalist Lydian Nadhaswaram. While 20-years old Maithili started with Marathi folk songs before returning to her mother tongue Maithili (spoken in parts of Bihar) and Hindi, 16-years old Lydian started by playing piano before reverberating the hall with an electrifying performance on drums.
Evening’s highlight was a sufi presentation ‘Chhap tilak sab chheeni’ by Maithili and her two brothers Rishav and Ayachi. Lydian, touted as next AR Rehman, also stunned the audience by playing two pianos simultaneously – with national anthem on one and ‘Mile sur mera tumhara’ on the other.
The occasion was Eighth Sur Jyotsna National Music Awards organized by by Lokmat Media Group. Both artists were presented with a trophy and Rs 1 lakh cash by Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Singh Thakur at a glittering function in Kamani Auditorium. The award is instituted By Lokmat group chairman and former Rajya Sabha member Vijay Darda in memory his wife Jyotsna Darda to encourage budding music artists.
The evening ended with another captivating performance by noted sarod artists Aman Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash. Among the prominent personalities attending the function included sarod maestro Padma Vibhushan Ustad Amzad Ali Khan, classical vocalist Padma Bhushan Pandit Sajan Mishra, Pandit Laxman Krishnarao Pandit, creator Padma Bhushan Rajiv Sethi, Union Minister of State for Finance Dr Bhagwat Karad, Union MoS Social Justice Ramdas Athavale, ghazal singer Roop Kumar Rathod, Sunali Rathod, Acharya Lokesh Muni ji, former Union Minister and MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Former Union Minister and MP Praful Patel, Former Chief Minister and MP, Dr Farooq Abdullah, Members of Parliament Bhuvneshwar Kalita, Kripal Tumane, Devendra Singh Bhole, Vivek Tankha, former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijay Singh, former Governor, VK Duggal, Former Union Minister Suresh Prabhu and his wife Uma Prabha.
