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Dastan-e-Akhtari
A Musical-Dastangoi Performance on the Life and Works of Begum Akhtar
Performers
Language: Hindustani (Hindi-Urdu Mix)
Akhtari Bai Faizabadi, also known as Begum Akhtar was a unique singer of her time. In her unique voice and andaz, she produced such hauntingly sweet notes, coupled with her spontaneity, that the audience were immediately captivated. Beginning at the age of Seven, Begum Akhtar kept her audience spellbound for almost six decades.
This was Begum Akhtar, the Singer; but her personal journey is equally captivating and inspiring. She was a brave, fiercely independent-minded person, who drew her life path herself amidst the struggles that life threw at her. At a time when the social and political landscape of the country was gradually changing, she set her own standards of life and arts, not withstanding the constraints of times and emerged as a stronger person and better singer by living upto those standards.
With all its highs and lows and awws and wows, Dastan-e-Akhtari is the story of the life of the legend of her time and beyond, Begum Akhtar. In this performance, the story of her life will be told by Kafeel Jafri – a Dastango (‘storyteller’ in Urdu), interspersed with rendition of her songs – Ghazals & Thumris by Yusra Naqvi, a trained Hindustani Classical Singer.
Supported by:
Performers
Yusra Naqvi
Yusra Naqvi is a vocalist and instrumentalist, pursuing Alankaar (Masters) in Hindustani classical music from Gandharva under Khushal Sharma and Pt. Madhup Mudgal. She belongs to Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, where she did her schooling and simultaneously learnt classical music from Dr. Rupam Bajpai for six years.
Currently a student of History at the Jamia Milia Islamia University, Delhi, she is also a performing artist of khayal, dhamaar, thumri and dadra in the classical genre, and of ghazals and bhajans in light classical music. She learnt Soz and Salaam from elders in her extended family and has been reciting these forms from a young age. Yusra is an enthusiast of Urdu resistance poetry.
Kafeel Jafri
Kafeel Jafri is a Bangalore-based theatre artist and poet. Trained in theatre acting and techniques by eminent gurus, Kafeel has acted in over 20 theatre productions, one feature film, several short films and ads. He has also translated two plays from English to Hindi.
