Venkat Raman
A point of discerning difference between organisers of entertaining programmes and a handful of others is that they are performing artistes themselves and therefore understand the cultural impact of events.
Among them are Swar Sadhana Academy of Indian Music Principal and Director Sandhya Badakere and Ravi Shetty of Ravi Shetty of ‘Ravi Shetty Concepts.’
While Ms Badakere is a teacher, singer and stage artiste, Mr Shetty is a Radio Programme Presenter, Singer and stage artiste. Both therefore understand the vicissitudes of audiences and accordingly organise programmes. One such forthcoming event is a tribute to the great maestro of Bengali and Hindi music, Sachin Dev Burman.
Suneheri Yaadein for Hohepa
Called ‘Suneheri Yaadein,’ the event will be held on Saturday, May 26, 2018 from 630 pm at Dorothy Winston Centre, Auckland Girls Grammar School located at Howe Street in Auckland Central. Tickets, priced at $20 per person are now on sale.
Third in the annual ‘Suneheri Yaadein’ annual series, the Programme this year is being held in aid of ‘Hohepa Auckland,’ a charitable organisation that provides people with intellectual disabilities to live, learn and work with others of all abilities.
About Swar Sadhana
Established in 2008 and based in Mt Roskill with three branches (two in New Lynn and one in Papatoetoe), Swar Sadhana Music Academy of India Music has an impressive record of students, some of who have become performers and teachers over the years.
Affiliated to a renowned Musical institute in Mumbai, Swar Sadhana enables qualifications up to Diploma Level recognised by the Maharashtra Government.
Ms Badakere said that the Academy’s focus has been to promote Indian music in Auckland, develop local talents and provide special grooming programme for exceptional talents.
“Our Academy endeavours to offer a wide range of training support, appropriate to the needs of students. As well conducting courses on Vocal Music including Hindustani Vocal (Classical), Thumris, Ghazals, Bhajan and Hindi film songs, we teach Harmonium, Keyboard, Voice Culture and Voice production techniques,” she said.
For further information, please contact Sandhya Badakere on (09) 627009 or 022-1060913.
Email: sandhya_badakere@yahoo.com
About the Annual Series
Ms Badakere said that Swar Sadhana has been organising musical events for the past eight years, the first of which was a tribute the late Raj Kapoor, celebrated as ‘The Greatest Showman of the Millennium.’
“This was followed by tributes to various music directors of Bollywood. The brand name ‘Suneheri Yaadein’ started a few years ago in partnership with ‘Ravi Shetty Concepts.’ We have conducted shows in homage to Shankar Jaikishan (2015), OP Nayyar and Madan Mohan (2016) and Laxmikant Pyarelal (2017). We are now rehearsing for our tribute to S D Burman. All these events have been fundraisers for various charities,” she said.
About Ravi Shetty Concepts
Ravi Shetty is a well-known radio broadcaster with an increasing number of listeners from India, Fiji, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and the Indian Sub-Continent Diaspora.
His Company has been instrumental in conducting many musical shows and other events in New Zealand and India.
“The primary purpose of ‘Ravi Shetty Concepts’ is to contribute and showcase good music. The recent association of RSC with Swar Sadhana Academy of Indian Music has brought forward Suneheri Yaadein musicals in a new light,” he said.
About S D Burman
India has produced many celebrated music directors, but Sachin Dev Burman was rare.
He composed music for more than 100 movies in Hindi and Bengali and each of them was a tribute to the ears and soul.
He was the only music composer who worked with both Kishore Kumar and Mohammed Rafi, two of the greatest singers of India, in almost an equal number of songs. Some of his classics include ‘Kora Kagaz Tha Yeh Man Mera’, ‘Chanda Hain Tu Mera Suraj Hain Tu’ and ‘Badi Sooni Sooni.’
Royal Family
Burman has a Royal ancestry. His father, Nabadwipchandra Dev Burman was from the Royal family of Tripura while his mother was from the Royal family of Manipur.
Bengal’s revolutionary poet Kazi Nazrul Islam was a close acquaintance of his family. He would stay with the Burmans in their Comilla residence. Burman has also sung four songs composed by Nazrul.
In the late 1920s, Burman worked as a radio singer at Calcutta Radio Station.
His first record (that was the pre-album era) came out for Hindustan Records in 1932.
Prior to becoming a composer, ‘Karta’ (his nickname in the music industry) had sung 14 Hindi and 13 Bengali film songs.
