HCL Concerts Launches ‘Baithak’ - A Series of Live Virtual Indian Classical Music and Dance Performances to Help with COVID-19 Lockdown Blues

(Eds: Disclaimer: The following press release comes to you under an arrangement with Business Wire India. PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.)
25 upcoming and accomplished artists will recreate the charm of traditional gatherings in Baithak-style performances over 60 Days

New Delhi, Delhi, India – Business Wire India

HCL, a leading global conglomerate, today announced the launch of a new program, ‘HCL Concerts - Baithak’, to help people access live virtual performances by both young and accomplished Indian classical music and dance artists. ‘HCL Concerts-Baithak’ will be a platform for artists to create music that translates into an experience of calm, positivity and optimism for listeners amidst the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown. This initiative is part of HCL Concerts, a platform dedicated to encouraging and promoting Indian classical performing arts.

‘HCL Concerts-Baithak’ series will be free to view online and performances will be live-streamed on the Facebook page of HCL Concerts (www.facebook.com/HCLConcerts) on every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 7:00 pm. It will feature performances by a repertoire of maestros including Ustad Shujaat Khan (renowned sitarist), Purbayan Chatterjee (sitar maestro) and Rakesh Chaurasia (renowned flautist), and aspiring young artists like Ghulam Hasan Khan and Ramprapanna Bhattacharya, among others. The artists will try to recreate the charm of traditional musical gatherings by interacting with the audience about their art forms, experiences and journey. The program will feature 25 artists who will also take select questions from the audience and respond to the same after their respective performances.

Announcing the new initiative, Sundar Mahalingam, Chief Strategy Officer, HCL Corporation and Shiv Nadar Foundation said, “In this unprecedented time when everyone is stuck at home due to the lockdown, a unique platform like ‘HCL Concerts- Baithak’ will help to keep them engaged. It will familiarize and virtually connect all music aficionados with some of the best of Indian Classical performing artists and the music will provide solace, comfort and hope to all viewers in these difficult times.”

The first episode of Baithak Season 1, featured sitarist Shakir Khan, an exponent of the Etawah Gharana. Rohit Mujumdar accompanied him on tabla for a soothing rendition of raga Jhinjhoti. The performance continues to be available @HCLConcerts Facebook page.

The schedule of the performances for the month of April, 2020 is as follows:

Date
    

Artist
    

Segment

10-Apr
    

Purbayan Chatterjee
    

Sitar maestro

13-Apr
    

Swarndeep Chatterjee
    

Vocalist

15-Apr
    

Anubrata Chatterjee
    

Tabla maestro

17-Apr
    

Ustad Shujaat Khan
    

Sitar legend

20-Apr
    

Archita Bhattacharya
    

Vocalist

22-Apr
    

Rajat Prasanna
    

Flutist

24-Apr
    

Yamini Reddy
    

Kuchipudi

27-Apr
    

Ronkini Gupta
    

Vocalist

29-Apr
    

Ramprapanna Bhattacharya
    

Sitar

Notes to the Editor

About HCL Concerts

The conservation and promotion of India’s art and cultural heritage is very close to HCL’s heart. To this end, HCL has been organizing HCL Concerts for 22 years, dedicated to nurturing and promoting talent rooted in the glorious heritage of Indian classical performing arts. Concerts under the umbrella of HCL Concerts are organized at Delhi NCR, Lucknow, Nagpur, Madurai, and Chennai in India and at New York and San Francisco in the US regularly throughout the year. Over 600 artists have graced this platform and have contributed towards reinvigorating the Indian classical performing arts.

Over the years, more platforms have been developed to contribute to the growth of the Indian performing arts ecosystem. Most notable of these is the HCL Music App, allowing music lovers across the world a chance to enjoy the most comprehensive collection of classical music from the comforts of their home for free, and HCL Digital Concerts, a talent identification and nurturing program aimed at showcasing the talented and upcoming classical performing artists to a global audience through a digital medium. For more information, visit – http://www.hclconcerts.com
PWR
PWR

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)