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Mahindra Percussion Festival 2025: Artists Display An Innovative Mix Of Traditional And Contemporary Percussion, Paying Homage To Late Ustad Zakir Hussain

Newsmantra — Thu, 06 Mar 2025 08:35:04 +0000

The Prestige Centre for Performing Arts in Bengaluru echoed the musical spirit of the late Ustad Zakir Hussain’s great legacy as the third edition of the Mahindra Percussion Festival paid homage to the legendary artist. The festival saw musical connoisseurs congregating to celebrate the transcendental musical traditions through the power of percussion on March 1st and 2nd, 2025. From world-renowned virtuosos like Trilok Gurtu to the future of percussion music, SNAX, the artists took the audience on a musical trail, an unforgettable experience at the intersection of ancient and contemporary music.

To pay tribute to the maestro of Indian Hindustani music, Mahindra Percussion Festival built a photo gallery curated with pictures by Dayanita Singh. Through pictorial marvel, it narrated the story of how a young, passionate musician led global domination, putting the ancient art of Indian classical music on the world map.

The two-day celebration of the Grammy-winning artist’s legacy saw some incredible artists taking forward the fusion music movement that he pioneered. And what better way to begin the third edition with none other than Aruna Sairam’s meditative performance with the Thrillana Project! She curated a spellbinding musical ensemble with Shalini Mohan, Arun Kumar, Sangeet Haldipur, Jyotsna Srikanth, Giridhar Udupa, and B.C. Manjunath, who delivered a soulful rendition of thillanas accompanied by modern and traditional sonic instruments like violin, ghatam, tabla, and bass guitar.

Ravi Chary, a sitar virtuoso with an international repertoire, infused the string instrument’s magic into the Indo-Jazz fusion album ‘Crossing’. Along with his quartet, he struck a synergistic chord on the first day of the festival with an interweaving of jazz, funk, and rock, sending ripples of pulsating energy into the audience. He was accompanied by other percussionists like Sangeet Haldipur, Satyajit Talwalkar, Gino Banks, and Sheldon D’Silva.

The final act of the day very well encapsulated the spirit of this year’s edition, as Trilok Gurtu, a master percussionist, took over the stage for a magnificent performance, along with accompanying percussionists. With the Trilok Gurtu Project, a one-man percussionist, Gurtu, collaborated with other artists like Chandanabala Gullapalli, Vaibhav Wavikar, Rahul Wadhwani, Rohit Khavale, Dhruv Ghanekar, Prashant Paradkar, and Umesh Warbhuvan. Trilok proved his distinctiveness by experimenting with various percussion through improvisation, redefining musical boundaries by infusing a rhythmic life into inanimate objects.

The second day saw the musical duo, SNAX, comprising Ramkumar Kanakarajan and Sumesh Narayanan, take stage with their electrifying performance. The duo brought their signature styles, incorporating Tamil kuthu beats, metal, and dubstep, while performing their debut album, Thrillex. Ramkumar’s synthesis of rock, metal, and electronic drumming, accompanied by Sumesh’s energetic mridangam, was a palatable fusion for the fans of both modern and classical schools of percussion.

The final act of the night and the festival was one for the history books. Bringing tropical and arid percussion traditions of Kerala and Rajasthan, BeatRoute, helmed by veteran artist Ranjit Barot and theatre director Roysten Abel, gave a fitting conclusion to the two-day extravaganza. From the powerful mizhavu and chenda to the dynamic dhol, nagara, and khartal, BeatRoute took us on a journey through India’s diverse soundscape—where desert beats meet temple echoes, and tradition meets innovation. The audio-visual storytelling of two diverse folk traditions through folk instruments added a great heartland flavour to the strong Indo-Western fusion theme this year.

This year’s edition saw curation of a great line-up of artists for the commemoration of the eminent artist in the ancient tradition of Indian percussion, Ustad Zakir Hussain. The third edition was in association with The Hindu, and co-sponsored by Mahindra Finance, Roulette Packaged Drinking Water, and Carlsberg Smooth Packaged Drinking Water. The audience also enjoyed some thirst-quenching refreshments and lip-smacking food provided by the F&B partners—Smoke House Deli, Araku, Social and Spice By Club Mahindra.

Check out the photo gallery for the third edition of the Mahindra Percussion Festival, a two-day celebration of the rich legacy of Ustad Zakir Hussain with stirring performances of multi-faceted artists.

The post Mahindra Percussion Festival 2025: Artists Display An Innovative Mix Of Traditional And Contemporary Percussion, Paying Homage To Late Ustad Zakir Hussain appeared first on newsmantra.in l Latest news on Politics, World, Bollywood, Sports, Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir, Trending news | News Mantra.

Mahindra Percussion Festival Brings A Wide Array Of Artists To Pay Homage To The Rich Legacy Of Ustad Zakir Hussain

Newsmantra — Mon, 10 Feb 2025 13:03:19 +0000

Indiawide Release, 10th February 2025: Mahindra Group has been at the forefront of the movement to preserve ancient traditions of Indian musical heritage through their cultural initiative, the Mahindra Percussion Festival. After the resounding success of its first two editions, the festival is back for its third edition. This year, the festival will be a homage to the enduring legacy of Padma Vibhushan, the late Ustad Zakir Hussain, through a myriad group of celebrated homegrown talents on March 1st and 2nd, 2025, at the Prestige Centre of Performing Arts, Bengaluru.

Ustad Zakir Hussain was the tour de force behind evoking the transcendental nature of music, which is not merely limited to geographical boundaries and gharanas. Through his innovative and mesmerising musical endeavours, he helped Indian classical music gain global status, and the third edition will celebrate this novel outlook of his towards music as a universal entity.

The Mahindra Percussion Festival, for the last two editions, witnessed some of the most celebrated artists from the country, as well as the globe, perform a musical symphony, uniting diverse sounds and rhythms in an amphitheatre. The latest edition will combine the spirit of traditional as well as modern sensibilities of percussion through renowned ensembles and soloists.

On the first day, the audience will revel in the magic of globally renowned virtuoso percussionist Trilok Gurtu. Known as a ‘serial collaborator’ in the world of music, Trilok Gurtu is a disciple of the nontraditional principle of classical music tradition: freedom just within a discipline. Having collaborated with legends like L. Shankar, John McLaughlin, Ustad Zakir Hussain, and others, the artist will bring a world-class set of different rhythms from around the world.

Another remarkable set of the evening will be Aruna Sairam’s Thrillana Project. Aruna Sairam is an important name in the Carnatic world, and during the third edition, she, along with a bunch of diverse talents, will weave an aural tapestry. The project includes artists like Sangeet Haldipur, BC Manjunath, Jyotsana Srikanth, Arun Kumar, Giridhar Udupa, and Shalini Mohan. The artists will bring a chapter from mythology to life through sonic storytelling.

Son of noted tabla player late Pt. Prabhakar Chary and tutelage of maestro Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan, Ravi Chary will also enthral the attendees with his solo project ‘Crossing.’ The album was launched by Zakir Hussain himself and featured some of the previous performers at the festival, like Ranjit Barot, Taufiq Qureshi, and others.

The second day will present the new sound of Indian percussion, with composer Ranjit Barot and theatre director Roysten Abel staging their musical production, BeatRoute. This musical ode bridges the past and present, the masculine and feminine, and the everyday with the divine, amalgamating folk rhythms with modern electronic music and Barot’s drumming.

SNAX, a musical duo from Chennai, will fuse the energy of rock, metal, and jazz by Ramkumar Kanakarajan to the soothing aura of mridangam by Sumesh Narayanan, at the culmination of ancient and contemporary music.

Jay Shah, Vice President -Cultural Outreach at Mahindra Group, said, “The Mahindra Percussion Festival aims to put Percussion on centre-stage. It explores the multitude of percussive instruments and styles – some are known but many of which remain relatively unknown. In line with all of our Cultural Outreach programs, this festival, too, discovers, inspires and celebrates artists and artforms”

VG Jairam, Founder of Hyperlink Brand Solutions, said, “Mahindra Percussion is more than a festival; it’s a journey into the soul of rhythm. Through masterful curation with stalwarts such as Trilok Gurtu, Aruna Sairam, Ranjit Barrot, Ravi Chary, Sumesh Narayan, and Roystel Abel, we bridge tradition and innovation, inviting fans to discover the universal language of beats, where every pulse tells a story and every rhythm sparks a connection.”

Mahindra Percussion Festival strives to curate a set of artists who bring a unique energy, rooted in the diverse culture of music and percussion. Through collaborations, bringing together the new and old, the festival contributes uniquely to the world of music, creating new harmonies. The coming together of varied sensibilities is the perfect tribute to the legacy of Ustad Zakir Hussain who envisioned a world that creates a dialogue through music, transcending the geographical boundaries. The two-day musical gala will unite the symphonies from the heartland and the West, giving an immersive aural experience to fans and aficionados alike.

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