A medley of ghazal, shayari and mausiqi

Six-member band Shadaj Dhaam and singer-teacher Prof Suneela Dhaneshwar mesmerised Lucknowites with their power-packed performance during Khwaabkada, a prelude to Sanatkada Lucknow Festival held at Sangeet Natak Akademi.

Organised at the academy lawns on nippy Sunday, Dhandeshwar performed with her guru Illyas Khan who accompanied her on harmonium along with Nitish on tabla and Zeeshan on sarangi.

“Since festival’s theme is Raqs-o-Mausiqi, I prepared a playlist comprising great shayars who are well known in the field of ghazal. Along with their ghazals we must celebrate them as well,” says Dhandeshwar who is a music professor at a Lucknow-based university and a graded artiste.

She opened the rendition with Sahir Hoshiyarpuri’s Kaun keheta hai, Amir Minayi’s popular ghazal Sarakti jaye hai, Shakil Badayuni’s Aye mohabbat and Ahmad Faraz’s Ranjish hi sahi and Faiyaz Hashmi’s Aaj Jane ki zid na

karo. She also presented a medley of Bollywood ghazals by Jagjit Singh which was appreciated by all.

Shadaj members Kartik Mishra on rhythm guitar and vocals, Harshwardhan Singh Negi on lead guitar and vocals, Aditya Singh on bass guitar, Vikrant Singh on drums, Shivendra Singh as narrator and Tushar Sahai on tabla and percussion performed their newly launched song Wo Jo Tha. “It’s second song from our album Jaun Sankraman, a series of songs based on the poet Jaun Elia’s ghazals,” tells Kartik.

They presented Tarunayi, Charaagan, Humesha deir, Tum kahan jaogey, Faseel-e-jism,

and

The event witnessed the presence of music lovers from all age groups. The festival will be held from February 3 to 7, 2023.

Paak vatan, Pukarta, Tu agar aaiyo Awwara. Nitish , Suneela Dhaneshwar and Illyas Khan

HT PHOTOS Members of Shadaj Dhaam performing at Khwaabkada event at UP Sangeet Natak Akademi