East Meets West Concert with Sarod Maestro Amjad Ali Khan, Bangash brothers and The Refugee Orchestra Project Enthrall
I.S. Saluja
UNITED NATIONS(TIP): UN Day was celebrated at United Nations General Assembly Hall with a Concert, Oct 24. UN Day marks the anniversary of the coming into force in 1945 of the UN Charter.The dayhas been celebrated as United Nations Day since 1948.
Sarod Maestro Amjad Ali Khan, his sons, Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash, and the Refugee Orchestra Project, with Lidiya Yankovskaya, conductor and Artistic Director, enthralled the audience with a memorable musical performance.
The theme of the Concert was “traditions of peace and non-violence”.
The program , meticulously crafted by Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations, hosts to the UN Day Concert, could not have offered a better fare.
Much before the time for the program to begin, the UNGA Hall was packed . Under Secretary-General for Global Communications Ms. Alison Smale welcomed the gathering and made introductory remarks.
Photo / Mohammed Jaffer-SnapsIndia
UNGA Secretary General Mr. Antonio Guterres in his brief remarks wished all a happy UN day and spoke of aspirations and hopes of people across the world. He said there are discriminations , human rights violations, women’s rights issues- and many more issues which need to be dealt with. He called upon the world to continue efforts to resolve the issues and urged people never to give up. “ Don’t give up”.
He recalled his recent visit to India where, he said, “I had the opportunity to pay respects to world’s greatest leader-Mahatma Gandhi”. He referred to Mahatma Gandhi’s message of peace and non-violence which he said, was the theme of UN Day celebrations this year.
Photo / Mohammed Jaffer-SnapsIndia
The Secretary General thanked Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations for supporting the concert.
He extended a word of welcome to performers.
A video message of President of the United Nations General Assembly Ms. Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces was played. In her message, the UNGA President said it was a day of celebration. Recalling the great message of Mahatma Gandhi, she spoke of a need to prefer dialogue over conflict. She spoke of empowerment of people of the whole world. “ Let us celebrate the Day with hope”, she said.
She thanked the Permanent Mission of India ( PMI) for supporting the celebration.
India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin.said, ”Every year on Oct 24 we celebrate in this common hall the coming in to being of the United Nations”. He said the UN Day concert is a celebration of common values of humanity.He spoke of the desire of the people of the world for liberty and equality . He then quoted Rabindra Nath Tagore.
“Where the mind is without fear and the head held high;
Where knowledge is free;
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls;
Where words come out from the depth of truth;
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection;
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit;
Where the mind is led forward by Thee into ever-widening thought and action;
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.”
Photo / Mohammed Jaffer-SnapsIndia
Speaking about the Concert, Mr. Akbaruddin said, “Music uplifts. Music gives courage and hope. Music of India is indicative of our tradition”.
The Ambassador described Ustad Amjad Ali Khan as a charismatic musician with a long musical heritage . He welcomed the performers who included, besides Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, his two sons, Amaan Ali Bangash, Ayaan Ali Bangash, and The Refugee Orchestra Project, conducted by Lidiya Yankovskaya.
In his remarks, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan recalled the concert on October 2, 2018, to mark the 150thbirth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, in New Delhi where he had performed, and said it was a pleasure and honor to be associated with the celebrations. He referred to the presence at the concert of President of India, Ramnath Kovind , and of Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India.
Speaking about music, the maestro said, “music is universal and unifying”.
As part of tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and his sons played the favorite bhajans of Mahatma Gandhi, which included, Vaisnav Jan… and a Ram Dhun which was very dear to Gandhi.
Photo / Mohammed Jaffer-SnapsIndia
Next came Samaagam-a confluence of the East and the West. It was a Sarod concerto. The Refugee Orchestra Project conducted by Lidiya Yankovskaya and the Sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan with his sons and the table player cast a magic spell. Their music sent the audience in to a trance. The 90-minute concert was an experience to be savored and treasured.