Time : 20th and 21st December 2008, 7PM-10PM

Venue : Sahayog Mandir, Ghantali, Thane (W)

Note : Entree to this program will be free

Video clips of the festival :

Ramakant Gaikwad is a 19 year old upcoming Hindu Classical Vocalist who hails from Pune. His guru is none other than his own father who is a 'Sangeet Alankar' and also his mother who is a 'Sangeet Visharad'. He is a performer of the 'Patiyala Gharana'. He is from the Hari Om Sangeet Kala Manch (Authorised by Akhil Bhartiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya Mandal, Mumbai). He has won many competitions in India as well as in the US.

Hindol Deb's musical journey started when he was all of five when his father Sri. Panchanan Sardar made him hold his instrument and taught him the initial lessons of the most beautiful language. Since then, he constantly tries to express through his music his experience and realization. After blossoming under his father’s tutelage in the Rampur-Maihar school of music, known for its elaborate Dhrupad Alap of the Beenkars, Hindol came under the guidance of Sri Gaurav Mazumdar. He came to realize the importance of plurality in Indian Classical music. He started developing his own style distinct from others. Currently he is being trained under the guidance of Pt. Deepak Choudhury. His style has gradually evolved to a personal approach of the tradition, with very precise feeling of Shruti, and a deep spiritual touch. His esthetical understanding gives him a very personal sound, and his pallet of colors is balanced with technicality as well as sobriety. Hindol has been pursuing his dream intensely and has established himself as one of the talented upcoming artists of the younger generation of performing musicians through Radio, Television and several stage performances. Apart from being a performer, he is also a dedicated teacher and conducts workshops of Hindustani music and music therapy. He has worked closely with the musicians of contemporary genres bringing out a fine synthesis of Indian Classical music with the electronic, Jazz, Celtic music, etc. He has composed and played his music for various plays and ballets. Hindol is also associated with several western bands together creating a unique blend of fusion music, giving performances at several venues across India. Even after all the experimentations, he feels that it is only because of his firm base in the spiritual philosophy that inspires him to keep his music pure and uninfluenced. Hindol has graduated from the Prayag Sangeet Samiti under Allahabad University with a gold medal and is a recipient of the Sahitya Kala Parishad's scholarship and the National scholarship for Hindustani Classical Music in Sitar. Hindol gives private tuitions and conducts workshops. He is always very keen in giving a good understanding of the spiritual and emotional nuances that can blossom in the contact to Indian classical music.

Anuradha Kuber is a promising vocalist of the young generation. She is one of the very few performers of the "Bhendi Bazar Gharana" gayaki. Anuradha started learning music since a very young age. She was trained in the gharana gayaki for 15 years by the veteran musician and guru Late PT. T. D. Janorikar. During the training period she learnt all the facets of the gayaki from her guru. A two years stay at the Aangeet Research Academy, Kolkata with her guruji was the highlight of her training phase. It added a different perspective to her musical thought process. Currently she is receiving training from the veteran harmonium maestro and musicologist Dr. Arawind Thatte. She is endowed with a rich and mellifluous voice which makes her adept at singing both light and classical music with equal ease. Her sweet, seasoned and pliable voice with easy reach in all the three saptaks makes her disciplined exposition of the Raags full of aesthetic and emotive content. Anuradha is a very competent light music singer. She is an 'A' Grade artist of All India Radio. She has performed in many prestigious Marathi light music (sugam sangeet) concerts. She has been associated with veterans like Shree. Gajananrao Vatve, Smt. Anuradha Marathe and Shree. Rahul Ghorpade. She has also worked with upcoming music composers like Shree. Chaitanya Kunte. She recently performed in two television programmes on E TV Marathi 'Suvarna Prabhat' and 'Garaje Krishna Teer'

Milind Tulankar's Grand father and Guru late Pt. Shankarrao Kanhere was an accomplished jalatarang player from satara,a small town in Maharashtra, India. A graded artist of all India Radio, he played in numerous concerts all over India and popularised the instrument. He was trained in music by late Pt. Dattopant Mangalwedhekar from Pandharpur. Aesthetic development of a raga structure and command of rhythm were the highlights of his style. He has written a book on this instrument, published by Sanget-karyalay, Hatharas. Born and brought up in a family with "Musical Background" Milind started learning music from a very tender age. His grand father Late Pandit Shankar Kanhere who was a famous Jaltarang player influenced Milind in taking up this unusual dying instrument, the JALTARANG. Along with that Milind is proficient in playing Santoor, Tabla and Harmonium. His mother who is a vocalist has seen to it that along with a good instrumentalist he is a good singer too. Presently he is a disciple of SITAR maestro Ustad Shahid Parwez.