According to information provided by music critic Batuk Diwanji when I interviewed him more than a couple of decades ago, the first Swami H...
According to information provided by music critic Batuk Diwanji when I interviewed him more than a couple of decades ago, the first Swami Haridas Sammelan was organised by Sunderji Monji. However, I have not been able to any information about Sunderji Monji. Any discussion about the Swami Haridas Sammelans held in Mumbai under the aegis of the Sur Singar Samsad always assumes that the music festival was initiated by Brij Narayan, a music connoisseur, as it is under his leadership that the Samsad rose to prominence in the musical firmament of the city.
The Samsad organised not just the Swami Haridas Sammelan, but also the Kal-ke-Kalakar festivals, held to encourage young talent. Both drew attention from across the country.
In more recent times, festivals organised by the Samsad have not attracted as much of a public response as in the past – and more so when one compares this response to the attendance at music festivals that began much later. But the significance of the Samsad in Mumbai’s Hindustani music history cannot be ignored.
We conclude our series on music conferences with an episode featuring a few more artistes who were included in the Swami Haridas Sammelan of 1962.
Gwalior gharana maestro Sharadchandra Arolkar sings two compositions in...
