New Delhi: Rashtrapati Bhavan will witness a musical fusion on Wednesday when bands from Pakistan, Bangladesh and India will perform before President Pranab Mukherjee ahead of the eighth edition of SAARC of South Asian Band festival beginning this weekend.
Zebunissa Bangash from Pakistan, Sharmin Sultana of Bangladesh and Sukriti Sen will perform with their bands before the President and will also jam together on popular songs from these three countries.
This concert is a curtain-raiser for the eight edition of South Asian Bands Festival being held at Purana Qila from November 7 to November 9, 2014.
With an objective to spread the message of harmony and unity amongst people of the SAARC region, the festival, organized by Seher in collaboration with the External Affairs Ministry and ICCR, brings together all the SAARC countries and one guest country on one platform.
The concert at Rashtrapati Bhavan Auditorium will feature the three bands playing separately and at the end coming together in a unique collaborative concert as a symbolic gesture of unity, harmony and friendship among SAARC countries, Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesperson Venu Rajamony said.
Zebunnisa Humayun Bangash, popularly known as ‘Zeb’, is one of the most loved vocalists in Pakistan and has been singing since she was eight-year old.
Zeb, who has sung in Bollywood movies like ‘Madras Cafe’ and ‘Highway’, has a talent to learn and draw from music from all over the world particularly from Central Asia and ‘Indus Valley’ regions.
From Bangladesh, Sultana will perform with her band ‘Chirkutt’ which has gained popularity in the last three years with their energetic live performances and powerful lyrics.
The band is credited with bringing radical changes to the modern music industry of Bangladesh.
Sen, along with her band ‘Mrigya’, will also be performing before the President.
Formed in 1999, the band has blossomed into a fascinating contemporary world music band venturing to stretch the boundaries of Indian classical music becoming the harbinger of a unique fusion band offering a rich blend of Blues, Funk, Folk, Latin, Indian Classical and Jazz.