THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The seven-day Nishagandhi Festival will begin with the classical concert of sitar player and composer Anoushka Shankar at Kanakakkunnu Palace on Wednesday. Ms Shankar is expected to play a couple of her father's compositions that have been included in her latest album 'Home'.
Besides Ms Shankar, an array of legends and emerging stars will come alive on stage, the performances capped by a jugalbandhi led by tabla maestro Zakir Hussain on January 27. On January 22, one of India's most celebrated carnatic vocalists, T V Sankaranarayanan, will take the stage.
The vocalist, who received Padma Bhushan in 2003, is widely known for his effortless 'swara' singing.
On January 23, L N Sisters Dr M Lalitha and M Nandini, who had also earned the sobriquet 'Queens of Violin', will take the stage.
They are the sisters of L Vaidyanathan, L Subramoniam, and L Shanker. On January 24, Guru Ramakrishna Talukdar and his disciple Krishnakshi Kashyap will stage their Sattriya dance, which had its origin in the 15th century and was originally performed within the four walls of the 'sattras' or institutional centres by male monks as part of religious rituals.
Kathak recital of Assamese danseuse Marami Medhi and her daughter Meghranjani Medhi will be on January 24.
Mandolin maestro Pandit Sugato Bhaduri, one of the most sought-after mandolin players in the country, will demonstrate his skills on January 25. Italian-born Odissi and Chhau dancer, Ileana Citaristi, will perform on January 24. Ileana, who was given Padma Shri in 2006, is the founder of Art Vision Academy.
On January 26 Bollywood icon, Hema Malini, will perform 'Mahalakshmi', a specially choreographed performance on Goddess Lakshmi. On the last day, January 27, Ustad Zakir Hussain will reprise his popular jugalbandhi with flautists Rakesh Chourasia, the nephew of Hariprasad Chourasia, and Shashank Subramanyam, a Grammy-nominated flute artist.
