SPIC MACAY’s Music in the Park concert brings together iconic classical musicians for soulful event

Music In The Park, a two-day classical music extravaganza organised in Delhi by SPIC MACAY and the SRF Foundation, reminded music fans of the good old days of live music concerts. The event saw performances by some of the most renowned classical musicians in the country, something that fans had been waiting for for a long time. Also read: SPIC MACAY brings live classical music back to Delhi with two-day Music In The Park concert

The musical fest was held at Delhi’s Nehru Park on March 26 and 27, 2022. Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri was the chief guest at the event. Sanjeev and Ashwani Shankar kicked of the fest with a shehnai recital, followed by Carnatic vocalist Sanjay Subrahmanyan and Hindustani vocalist Ulhas Kashalkar performing Raag Bhairavi. Vikku Vinayakram’s kanjira floored the audience before vocalist Begum Parveen Sultana mesmerised them with her singing.

Talking about performing in front of young audiences, renowned vocalist Parveen Sultana said, “I saw the enthusiasm of the youngsters here, which felt quite good. I am very happy to perform after such a long time and thankful to SPIC MACAY for that.” Vocalist Sanjay Subrahmanyan said he welcomed the return of live events after the pandemic. “What an artiste really wants is that people see his art. I was so happy to see the audience’s enthusiasm,” he said.

The second day was kickstarted by Ustaad Bahauddin Dagar’s rudra veena performance, followed by a sarod recital by Tejendra Majumdar. Then, Hindustani vocalist Ashwini Bhide Deshpande gave a masterful vocal performance. The grand event of the evening was a performance by noted vocalist Sajan Mishra, which won applause from the audience.

Shehnai players Sanjeev and Ashwani Shankar said, “Performing in our own country is a different experience. Here, you get the listeners’ appreciation as you play. Overseas, the audience waits for the program to get over and then they applaud.”

SPIC MACAY, or The Society for Promotion of Indian Classical Music and Culture amongst Youth, is a voluntary youth movement that promotes the tangible and intangible aspects of Indian and world heritage. The core purpose of SPIC MACAY is to have every child experience the inspiration and mysticism embodied in Indian and world heritage.

(By Prachi Rajput)