Amidst Sahitya Akademi row, President Mukherjee gives away Sangeet Natak Akademi awards

Eminent folk singer from Jammu and Kashmir Abdul Rashid Hafiz who is known for his renditions of traditional singing Chakri was among eight artists facilitated for their contribution in traditional arts.

Doyen of Indian theatre M S Sathyu, eminent vocalists SR Jankiraman, Vijay Kumar Kichlu and Harmonium player Tulsidas Borkar were on Friday awarded the coveted Sangeet Natak Akademi  fellowship by President  Pranab Mukherjee.

Along with them, 35 other noted personalities from various disciplines of dance, drama and music were conferred Akademi awards for 2014 by the President at a glittering ceremony in the imposing Darbaar Hall of the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.

Eminent folk singer from Jammu and Kashmir Abdul Rashid Hafiz who is known for his renditions of traditional singing Chakri was among eight artists facilitated for their contribution in traditional arts.

Noted Kashmiri folk singer Abdul Rashid Hafiz receiving the Akademi Award from President Pranab Mukherjee at Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards 2014 function at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Friday. PTI
Noted Kashmiri folk singer Abdul Rashid Hafiz receiving the Akademi Award from President Pranab Mukherjee at Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards 2014 function at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Friday. PTI

61-year old Hafiz, who trained under Sarangi Nawaz Gulam Muhammad Dar, is known for giving Chakri his own touch. Chakri is one of the most popular types of traditional music played in Jammu and Kashmir. The responsorial singing uses harmonium, and traditional instruments like the rubab, the nout, the geger and the chimta. The Akademi Awards carries purse money of Rs 1 lakh in cash, a Tamrapatra and an Angavastram.

Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships (Akademi Ratna Sadasyata) and Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards (Akademi Puraskar) are recognised as the most coveted national honours bestowed on performing artists as well as teachers and scholars in the field of performing arts.

Among the eminent artists awarded fellowship of the Akademi, 85-year-old Sathyu is doyen of Indian theatre known for his classic movie ‘Garam Hawa’ on partition which introduced actors like Farooq Sheikh to Indian cinema.

Besides, he has designed and directed productions for many theatre groups including Hindustani Theatre, Alyque Padamsee’s Theatre, Herbert Marshall’s civic theatre, Balraj Sahni’s Juhu Art Theatre among others. His play Mudra Rakshas will be performed on October 27.

source: http://www.dnaindia.com / DNA Analysis / Home> News> India / Place:New Delhi, Agency:PTI / Friday – October 23rd, 2015