Bangla Music Festival weekend special: Keats and Tagore and House of Common’s ‘show’

September 23 2016

Innovative group continue fest with two shows at iconic venues….

IT IS described as the largest festival of its kind that mixes traditional classical music and poetry together – outside of India.

The Bangla Music Festival began earlier this month but this weekend there are two particular highlights.

Tomorrow the group behind this festival, Saudha, Society of Poetry and Indian Music, take residence in Keats House, Hampstead.

This is a return for the group which hosted a similar Bangla Music Festival event at the famous English Romantic Poet’s house last year.

In addition, the group also hosts another event at Rix Mix in Shoreditch, featuring the evolution of Bangla Music from as far back as 730 BCE through till Rabindranath Tagore and more modern times.

Both shows come close on the heels of a special event held by Saudha at Westminster and supported by several MPs.

Fabian Hamilton, Leeds North East, was among them and praised Saudha, saying Parliament was unlikely to have seen anything like it ever before.

As well as several short musical pieces, there was poetry and traditional dance at the event on September 15 in Portcullis House. Some schoolchildren were also presented with prizes.

For them, Tagore is a reverential figure – he wrote both poetry and music and the society celebrates the polymath’s work in verse and song. Not only did Tagore receive the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913 but also was responsible for composing the national anthems of both India and Bangladesh.

Among the MPs attending and saluting the organisation were Virendra Sharma, Tulip Siddiq, and Rupa Huq.

Sailesh Ram, editor of www.asianculturevulture.com also spoke at the event and said Saudha was unique and innovative and has come a long way since it began in 2012. As well as hosting shows at London’s Southbank, Saudha now hopes to take its particular brand of Bangla Music and world poetry to Europe.

Picture: Ahmed Kaysher (far left), Co-founder and director Saudha with members of the group and prize winners outside the Wilson Room where the event was held. Photography inside is prohibited.

For weekend listings, please see below

Saturday – 7pm, Keats House – London, NW3
Ticket: £10
For booking and more information:
http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/bangla-music-festival-keats-house-tickets-26262466745
Sunday

Sunday 6pm, Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, London, E1 6LA
Entry Free
For booking and more information:
http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/bangla-music-festival-rich-mix-tickets-26262520907

The Bangla Music Festival continues until November 20, see here more details: http://www.saudha.org/news-events.php?view=event27

Previously:

Saudha – ‘Melody of Love & Shadows’ comes to London as music and poetry group look ahead to Europe and Javanese Gamelan