National Centre of the Performing Arts’ (NCPA) digital series, NCPA@home, is showcasing dance, music and presentations across genres. One of its latest offerings is ‘Raag Shayari: A Musical Tribute to Kaifi Azmi’. NCPA organised Raag Shayari on January 13, 2019 to commemorate the birth centenary of the poet and lyricist, and will now be showcasing the event on its YouTube channel (May 8, 6 pm, available for viewing till May 14). It features performances by Zakir Hussain, Javed Akhtar, Shankar Mahadevan and Shabana Azmi.
Zaalima Patriarchy
Sona Mohapatra was offered to sing the last few lines of the romantic duet Zaalima in the film Raees (2017). “But I couldn’t fathom why only the last few lines were reserved for the female voice considering it was a duet,” she says. So, she released a female solo reprise on her YouTube channel with a quirky video features kitschy animation. “Our film music has completely sidelined the strong solo female voice in the last decade and it’s time for all of us to notice. In these times, you realise that it’s mostly musicians who have the craft and talent to deliver without too many resources or people helping them. My DIY video should be taken with a pinch of salt although any good comedy does come from a truthful place,” says Sona.
