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Mehfil-e-Tarannum
A Musical Bouquet of Lucknow and Awadh
For Ages 13+
Performer
Hindi, Urdu, English
Mehfil-e-Tarannum is a diverse repertoire of songs strung together with anecdotes, stories and in a narrative from Lucknow and Awadh. The performance weaves in ghazals, nazamz, thumris, dadras, and semi-classical bandishes composed in ragas & written in hindustani languages. It has poems penned by the Sufi-saints from Awadh, glimpses of music by Begum Akhtar and a repertoire of the miryasin (courtesan) Assemun who performed at the ancestral home of the artist and at various other homes in Awadh.
The performance has compositions from well known Urdu poets like Mir Taqi Mir, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Yaas Yagana Changezi & Mohsin Kakorvi. The performance also showcases a few bandishes of an Ustad from Raebareli called Abdul Rasheed Khan.
The Mehfil is a vibrant assembly of diverse elements, symbolizing a musical and cultural exploration of Lucknow and Awadh presented in the style of ‘Tarannum’ where words are expressed in a musical tune, with modulation and sweet recitation.
In collaboration with:
Supported by:
Performer
Askari Naqvi
Askari Naqvi is a Lucknow based performing artist & entrepreneur.
He is a trained vocalist under the tutelage of Pandit Amit Mukerjee. Apart from his repertoire of light classical compositions which is Mehfil-e-Tarannum, Askari is perhaps the only artist of his kind to introduce art forms of Muharram, specifically Soz-Khwani from its strictly religious settings to a secular & wider audience. He is also an accomplished Dastango and has performed at various national and international festivals and spaces.
Askari also founded ‘Sanatkada Heritage’, a travel initiative, where he curates immersive travel experiences in Awadh, Bundelkhand and Uttarakhand with ‘Deep Dive India’, a Lucknow based travel company. He co-runs Sanatkada weaves & crafts & Mahindra Sanatkada Lucknow festival in Lucknow with Madhavi Kuckreja.
When not training, travelling or performing, he can be found at the lakhnavi home-cooked food restaurant he started in Lucknow, called Naimat Khana.
