‘Old is Gold’ Seventh Edition in production
Five years ago (to date), writing in our April 1, 2010 issue, we had challenged Singer, Composer, Teacher and Master Presenter Amit Sengupta that he would not be able to carry out his ‘threat’ of retiring from music concerts.
The man, who has been our friend for more than 12 years, had announced at his show held on February 20, 2010 that he wanted to concentrate on the creative aspect of his God-given talent, teach music to enthusiasts and hence bring the curtain down on his stage performances.
“There is increasing pressure on Amit Sengupta to present at least one more Old is Gold programme to satisfy singers, instrumentalists and most important of all, his fans in the Auckland region,” we had said.
No Swansong
‘Old is Gold IV’ that he presented with more than 20 performers at the Bruce Mason Centre in North Shore City on February 20, 2010 lacked the numbers that his shows deserve, in terms of both the audience and box-office collections.
Mr Sengupta himself was not at his best because of his poor health, although none of the music lovers present felt betrayed.
We believed that he would heed to popular demand and put together a show that would surpass all others held thus far.
“Old is Gold IV therefore cannot be deemed his swansong,” we had said.
Creative maverick
There was good reason for our prediction. Amit is a maverick and his ability to bring to the fore people of talent has been proved for more than a decade.
His, ‘Centenary of Sachin Dev Burman and Tribute to Naushad Ali’ held on September 23, 2006 (and reviewed in our October 1, 2006 issue) had at that time surpassed all other shows, including those featuring some singers from the Hindi film industry.
Seventh Edition
Thereafter, New Zealanders have had the pleasure and privilege of enjoying two more programmes and now he and his team of loyal friends, dedicated singers and musicians are getting ready to present ‘Old is Gold VII’ next month.
The Programme, presented by Mohammed Rafi Academy of Music (of which Amit is the Director and Principal) will be held on Saturday, May 2, 2015 at 7 pm at Dorothy Winstone Centre, Auckland Girls Grammar School.
A number of commercial establishments are sponsoring the Programme, demonstrating their love, respect and admiration for Amit.
The ‘Old is Gold’ series have always been known for the quality of their production and presentation, providing simultaneously opportunities for local talent to find an expression and continue to grow.
Raising talent
The musical evenings have proved that while entertainment programmes featuring celebrity film stars always attract huge crowds but events that feature local talent are no less popular. They too attract a cross-section of our communities, despite their modest budget and less expensive venues.
Amit has been an industrious participant in the music of yesteryears in India and hence he conceptualises ‘Old is Gold’, to recreate a bygone era in which melody played a central role.
Dance numbers
Amit said that ‘Old is Gold VII’ will have three dancers rendering as many song sequences.
“The dance numbers have been choreographed and directed by Ratna Venkat, who has been appearing in a number of shows since her Bharata Natyam Arangetram and Kuchipudi Ranga Pravesham on March 10, 2007. She will perform solo ‘Mose Chaal Kiye Jaye Hai’ (Guide) and ‘Pyar Kiya to Darna Kya’ (Mughal E Azam) with Divya Krishnamurthy. Another dance item by Nirmita Ghosh will be to the tunes of ‘Tune O Rangeele Kaise Jadu Kiya’ (Kudrat),” he said.
The musicians
Among the singers are Akhila Puthigae, Amit Sengupta, Dr Hubert D’Cruze, Guncha Singh, Rachit Bhatia, Rita Krishnamurthy, Srisha Iyer and Vidya Teke.
The Orchestra includes Amit Sengupta (Harmonium), Antony Yempee (Lead Guitar), Basant Madhur (Tabla), Diya Antony (Rhythm Guitar), Hemant Thaker (Keyboard), Joseph Alexander (Electronic Drums), Kamla Prasad (Dholak), Madan Kalyan (Keyboard), Shivam Padayachi (Bass Guitar) and Vishnu Mangalkari (Acoustic Percussion).
More details of the Programme will appear in our next issue.
| What: Old is Gold VII
Who: Mohammed Rafi Academy of Music Where: Dorothy Winstone Centre Auckland Girls Grammar School Howe Street, Newton When: Saturday, May 2 at 7 pm Tickets: $20 at selected outlets |
Contact: Amit Sengupta on (09) 6295278 or 022-4249269
