SAJDA FESTIVAL UK recently organised a COVID RELIEF concert is now geared up to enter its Season 3 activities. To introduce the season the organisers have organised a special Mohan Veena recital music concert next Sunday July 4. ‘’Music Heals’’ will be an evening of specially chosen raga-based compositions and popular numbers by revered London based Mohan Veena (slide guitar) player, AnanDa (aka Anand Sundaram).
ALSO READ – Asian Lite, SAJDA, IAHV join hands to save lives in India
AnanDa is the protégé of Padma Bhushan, Grammy awardee, and Sangeet Natak Akademi award winner Pt. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt who elevated the Mohan Veena to new heights with his unique style. “Music is the language of God created for the benefit of Mankind. To me music is the medium to talk to God,’’ says Pt. Vishwamohan Bhatt. Ananda follows this tradition and on 4 July he assures to bring a unique experience to the discerning audience and others. Patnam Subramania Iyer, one of the doyens of Carnatic music is AnanDa’s great-great grandfather. His father and uncles were all Carnatic musicians.
A Chartered Accountant and IT professional, AnanDa has created a unique concept ‘Bollywood to Bhairavi’ (B2B) – to teach classical music through the medium of mainstream film music.
To those uninitiated Mohan Veena is a hybrid slide guitar and has been added to the list of Indian classical instrument. It has 19 strings: three melody strings and four three drone strings coming out of the peg heads, and 12 sympathetic strong to tuners mounted to a piece of wood added to the side of the neck. The melody strings are on what we would consider the treble side of the neck, and the drone strings are on the bass side. The drone strings are lower in height than the melody strings to allow for unrestricted playing of the melody strings. The sympathetic strings run underneath the melody and drone strings to yet another level in the bridge. The instrument has a carved spruced top, mahogany back and sides, a mahogany neck, and a flat, fretless, rosewood fingerboard. This is a loud instrument made to cut through with low amplification.
On next Sunday 4 July event, renowned and respected Consultant Psychiatrist Dr J. S. Bamrah CBE, GMMH and Hon Reader, University of Manchester will share insights into the connection of music and mind. Bamrah is the   Inventor of Chartmyhealth App for smartphones for the NHS.
Jazzy J – Singer, Artist, Host, and Radio Presenter will host the evening with his youthful, energetic and vibrant voice.
Organisers say registration is not required and access is free of cost to the event. They say, just click on the link https://www.facebook.com/sajdafestival/ to join the event that is to be held on Sunday, 4 July, 2021
Time: 3.00 – 4.00 pm BST (7.30 pm IST)
‘’It will be a special evening of healing with music that is relevant to the current times,’’ says Rahul Laud, Curator and Producer of the Sajda Festival UK.
The Season 3 presented by State Bank of India, UK and with cultural partner, Nehru Centre London (cultural wing of Indian High Commission, UK) will showcase different performing arts. This festival offers its tribute to artists, musicians and music lovers. Sajda is determined to continue bringing top notch curated content, whilst staying editorially independent, multicultural, and inclusive.
Those interested to know more about the festival can visit www.sajdafestival.com
ALSO READ – Music band Indian Breves brings fresh lease of air