After its inception in 1982, World Music Day has been adopted worldwide with different music communities celebrating in their own way. From grand shows to intimate gatherings and online shows, artistes marked the day in many ways on June 21. My Kolkata lists a few celebrations…
But first a little history…
The first World Music Day was held in France on June 21, 1982. It was organised by the French Ministry of Culture and musician Joel Cohen to bring together amateur and professional musicians to perform on the streets and in open spaces of Paris. Led by then-Minister of Culture Jack Lang, the idea was to create a day dedicated to the celebration of music and to promote its accessibility to all. Joel Cohen was a popular figure in the French music scene at the time. He, along with his team, worked tirelessly to coordinate the logistics and encourage musicians to participate in the event. Anyone who wanted to play music was encouraged to take to the streets and perform. The event aimed to break down barriers between amateur and professional musicians, as well as bridge the gap between performers and listeners. From seasoned professionals to amateurs, solo artists to bands, orchestras to choirs — the streets, parks, squares, and other public spaces of Paris became stages, resonating with the sounds of diverse musical performances.
Here’s a glimpse of a few celebrations closer to home…
An online session: Story of a Song by MMI x IPRS
The Indian Performing Right Society (IPRS) presented a captivating event titled The Story of a Song. Esteemed lyricists, composers, and singers, including Raju Singh, Merlin D'Souza, and Raj Shekhar, guided the audience through the enchanting journey of music creation. The best part is that the event was streamed live on the IPRS Facebook page and YouTube channel. Other musicians who joined in were Sameer Anjaan, Sneha Khanwalkar, Leslie Lewis and Rakesh Anand Bakshi. They discussed their compositions, hours of hard work and their processes along with putting up live performances.
A new Music Day release: Sur mein rangeen hui
From Mug to Mike, a forum for amateur singers, released a Music Day anthem on their YouTube channel. The title of the anthem is Sur mein rangeen hui and was directed by Sunil Koshy (founder of From Mug to Mike). The video features singers like Dr Jai Ganesh D, Nidhi Srivastava, B K Srinivas, Prabhudev Balappa Metri, Jayati Roy, Neeraj Sethi and Ashwin Patil. The children’s chorus included young voices like Aneesh Prabhudev Metri, Renukaa J and Aditi Ganguly.
Koshy’s team will also perform at a free event at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan on Golf Course Road, Gurgaon, from 10am to 2pm, on Saturday, June 24.
A tete-a-tete with Lopamudra Mitra
Singer Lopamudra Mitra was at the Kolkata Centre For Creativity for an intimate evening of music and conversation along with poet Tanmay Chakraborty to mark World Music Day. The musical harmony and captivating discussions had the audience engaged throughout and the event was a celebration showcasing the power of the universal language that unites all. Lopamudra graced the stage with her soulful voice and mesmerising performances, and also had a session with the audience, who gained a unique perspective on her creative process.
Celebrating traditionally
At the Aikatan Auditorium at Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre in Salt Lake, it was an evening of Indian classical music. EZCC, along with Kolkata Ministry of Culture, celebrated the day by organising an event on traditional music with a sursingar recital by Joydeep Mukherjee and a vocal recital by Surajit Chattopadhyay.