Agra has for long been projected as a city of visual delight with the majestic Taj Mahal offering breathtaking view and picturesque background for millions of photos to be clicked. But, Agra is not just about that. What is forgotten is its musical heritage, culture, and life. That is what was highlighted recently at the 1st edition of Agra Music Festival at the Ramada Plaza. Highlighting this aspect, the festival curator D.K. Singh talked about the long lost musical heritage of Agra reminiscing the legendary figures like Tansen and Nauhar Bani.
The festival organised by Round Table India Foundation and Architect Association of Agra aimed to highlight the rich musical traditions of the city with its Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb and adaab brought together musicians of different genre and regions, all on one stage. While there was a performance by Delhi-based Indie-rock band Bandish to kickstart the festival with some peppy numbers like “Rock On” and “Bhaag Bhaag DK Bose” to enthral the audience, there was Kutle Khan Project performing the Rajasthani folk to follow it up.
With audience settling down, the Kutle Khan Project went on with their famous rendition “Kesaria Balam” and then continued for around an hour with several songs and performances based on harmonium, tabla, saxophone, bhapang, dholak and khartal. Hailing from Rajasthan the group rendered a mix of Rajasthani folk music with Sufi music establishing an instant rapport with the audience who were seen foot tapping and dancing along with the rhythm. Kutle Khan brought to close his performance with the famous Sufi song “Dama Dam Mast Kalandar”. The crowds enjoyed the soulful performance just as much they did later the elaborate menu with an assortment of dishes.
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The festival’s theme of highlighting the musical heritage of the city however got diluted with the mix of Bollywood, Indie rock, Sufi, Rajasthani folk etc. Later Aditi Sharma, the Bollywood playback singer performed a few numbers before DJ Aqeel came in. Overall a fun-filled event, it begins a new chapter to make Agra a musical destination taking the city beyond the Taj.