Vidushi Malti Gilani, veteran vocalist of the Patiala Kasur gharana, is gearing up to present the two-day festival in memory of her late guru, Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, this weekend. The 41st edition of the festival, named the Sabrang Utsav after the ustad’s pen name Sabrang, opens with a vocal recital by Malti Gilani this Saturday evening at the India International Centre from 6 p.m. The doyenne will be followed by Ustad Rahim Fahimuddin Dagar in a Dhrupad recital.
Sunday’s proceedings begin at 6 p.m. with a vocal recital by Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan, followed by Rudra veena by Ustad Asad Ali Khan.
The festival is dedicated to a different eminent personality every year. This year it is dedicated to the late Ustad Munnawar Ali Khan, the son of Bade Ghulam Ali Khan.
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The Sabha is unique in its continuing endeavour to provide medical expenses to needy musicians. Ever since its founding in 1968, says Vidushi Malti, founder trustee, the Sabha has concentrated on this aspect, since musicians depend on their good health to maintain their profession, and often cannot afford proper treatment. Additionally, when illness or injury puts them out of commission, they lose their only means of earning.
Over the years the Sabha has given financial assistance for medicines and hospitalisation to a number of musicians, though their names are not made public to protect their privacy. The funds are collected through donations, says the doyenne. Despite four decades of work, the organisation finds itself giving aid on an ad hoc basis, as and when someone calls up for help. There is no corpus fund so far. “We have a doctors’ panel. They don’t charge us, but the hospitalisation and medicines cost a lot.”
On the panel are Drs. Ravi Bhatia, H.S. Rissam, K.D. Gupta, Kitty Law, V. Duggal, Alok Mathur, Manocha, Anupam Bhargava and Anita Yadav.
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