special feature: From India to Europe… FestivalReport 2006 (part 1 and 2)

From India to Europe … FestivalReport 2006.
– Sangita Sammelana-s … Indian Music Festivals

End of September IMC OnAir presents it’s second and new special feature “From India to Europe … FestivalReport” in a two hours show broadcasted via radio + podcasting.

The FestivalReport2006 has it’s focus on the history and development of the biggest music festivals in India, so called “Sangita Sammelana-s“. Moving from the 20th to the 21st century the festival culture nowadyas presents itself to the live audience far over the borders of India.

d a t e   o f   b r o a d c a s t i n g
part 1 and 2 :  Saturday, 30th September 2006 – 02:00-03:58 p.m. (MESTZ)

History & India’s democracy …

The origin of the Indian music festivals can be dated back to the 18th century. One of the eldest Festivals for Dance and Music is the Chennai Dance & Music Festival, which has it’s roots in the first Margazhi Festival in 1927 … It is astonishing from most of these fantastic festivals there exist only some few live recordings being published.

At the end of the 19th century Raja S.M. Tagore had proclaimed as a rich landowner from Bengale a campaign in favor of the Indian Classical Music. He published or let publish different art works and gifted collections of instruments to museums in Europe. Rabindranath Tagore has been descended from this family as India’s most famous and genius universal scholar and nobel prize winner for literature (1922).

During that time period first time music weeks were organized, so called “sagita sammelana-s” (music festivals). Herefore to all great virtuosos an invitation was extended.

Short behind the setting up of the Federal Republic of India on 26th January 1950 the importance of the Indian music culture far over the frontier have been recognized. At the inauguration of the Sangeet Natak Academy in 1953 in New Dehli it is approved as following (quotation):

“India’s precious heritage of music, drama and dance is one which we must cherish and develop. We must do so not only for our own sake but also as our contribution to the cultural heritage of mankind. Nowhere is it truer than in the field of art that to sustain means to create. Traditions cannot be preserved but can only be created afresh. It will be the aim of this Akademi to preserve our traditions by offering them an institutional form …“

– Maulana Azad
28th of January 1953 (New Dehli)

Tradition …

The Indian music festivals are a specific form of care of tradition on the sub continent as it is expressed by the names of many of the festivals to express the recognition and to honour the diligence in art work of India’s famous music maestros.

All metropoles in India dispose of an annual and profiled festival programme for Indian Classical Music. From the south west head in Tirvandrum, in Chennai (former Madras on the East coast), in Mumbai on the west cost to both capitals of India, New-Deli as the main capital and head office for politics and administration and Kolkatta (former Calcutta) as the cultural capital many considerable events extist: Tansen Music Festival (Tansen Sangeet Sammelan), Thyagaraja Music Festival, Savai Gandharva Music Festival Pune, Saptak Music Festival, Soorya Festival, Swati Tirunal Festival, ShriKrishna Gana Sabha, Madras Music Academy Festival, Vasanta Habba, SRA Music Festival, Swami Vivekanand Birthday Music Festival, ITC Sangeet Sammelan or Dover Lane Music Festival & Music Conference.

The audience enjoys the the visits of numerous great musicians, the “who’s who” of Indian Classical Music. Even the younger generation of artists get the chance to perform with the best of their owns.

Far over India the sangita sammelana-s pleasure a growing popularity and derivation worldwide.

Since centuries between India and Europe exist economic and diplomatic relationships. However late in 1985 the cultural spectacle “Cultural Festival of India”, an event of 33 days duration took place in London, which was unique in the Western world till that time. Indian Music and it’s melodies, the sciences and spirituality of India, the arts and architecture were being presented. All decorations had been manufactured in India and being transported by ship to England.

In the last decades, during the immigration wave from the British Commonwealth in the fivtees and sixtees existed several endeavours to keep alive the cultural heritage of India on different continents.

This kind of cultural consciousness following the tradition of India’s music festivals is being reflected in the music events from Australia, North America (New York, Washington, Baltimore and Detroit) to Asia (Hongkong, Singapore and Japane) and Europe (England, Switzerland, Belgium, Italy, Norway and France):

Lakshminarayana Global Music Festival, Charindaa – The Festival of Indian Music in Australia, Festival of Universal Sacred Music (New York / U.S.A.), Southampton Mela Festival, Raga Festival 2006, a concert edition in the West Midlands Englands, darban – South Asian Music Festival, world new music festival and others more.