A four-minute video, Desh Ek Raag, has been released by ITC
Ltd and the ITC Sangeet Research Academy on the occasion of the country’s 78th
Independence Day. The video features Gurus and Scholars of the Academy, in
collaboration with other artistes, performing a soul-stirring composition set
in Raga Desh.
The video, a unique mélange of tradition and freshness, was
launched at the ITC SRA auditorium on 13th August, 2024. Members of
the Board of Trustees of the Academy, Gurus Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty, Pandit
Partha Chatterjee, Shri Omkar Dadarkar and Shri Abir Hossain were present on
the occasion.
The programme began with speeches by Mr. Saradindu Dutta,
Executive Director of the Academy and Mr. Nazeeb Arif, member of the Board of
Trustees. Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty, the first Scholar of ITC SRA, spoke about
the changed times and the need for collaborations. The veteran of the Academy
travelled down memory lane to reminisce about his early days in the
institution. Shri Abir Hossain, who has created the music for the video, shared
his experiences of working with a large number of musicians and musical instruments.
The programme ended with a special screening of the video
and spontaneous applause from the audience.
