normalnormalnormalThe 4-day long ‘Ragini’ Utsav- 26, organized by the North Zone Cultural Centre (Patiala) under the aegis of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, concluded at Kalagram, here today.On the concluding day, a massive crowd of ‘Ragini’ enthusiasts from across the Tricity, flocked to Kalagram in droves to be a part of the spectacular show of ‘Ragini’ singing, steeped in the vibrant hues of folk culture.The prominent ‘Ragini’ singers on the concluding day, today, were Surender Sharma, Sandhya Sharma and Rakesh Bharaniya, who performed (with their teams) and won the hearts of the audience with their magnificent performances.Through the powerful medium of Ragini, they presented references from the epic Mahabharata and also capturing vignettes from the typical Haryanavi folk life in an immaculate manner, leaving the audience spellbound and applauding their art of storytelling.The evening programme started with the soulful singing by Sandhya Sharma, a gifted Ragini singer (and Party), who took the rendition to next level, offering a glimpse into the rich Haryanvi culture through her well-modulated voice. Raginis imbued with the true spirit of popular folk singing tradition of the region. Sandhya belted out some of her hit numbers. She started with Ganga Ji, a Ragini composed by eminent poet Mangeram, followed by “Chaugarde ne bagh hara…, “Bham bham lehari…”, and so on, which garnered a thunderous applause from the audience.Up next was the acclaimed Ragini singer Surender Sharma (and Party) who wowed the audience with his scintillating singing.He doled out a popular Ragini number, retelling a story of Mahabharata“Dhanush ger diya Arjuna ne kare paagal alla besh, Shri Krishan ji lagge sunane Gita ka updesh…”When Rukmani asks Lord Krishna to tell her about the outcome of the battle of Mahabharta, he replied:“Teri bidd ki jaat re Rukman yeh amarta ki kahani se, jaman maran karam ka fal yeh Krishan ki baani se…”It was then the turn of Rakesh Bharaniya, an accomplished Ragini singer, and troupe to hop on to the centrestage. He infused a whiff fresh energy to music-charged evening through their engaging rendition.His soul-stirring Ragini elevating social conscious was well received. “Ye duniya do din ki sarah tu kar le rain basera, subah tera kooch hai dera…” among others.Rakesh went on to mesmerize the audience, doling out songs ranging from romantic (Shringar Ras) Raginis to historic tales of chivalry suffused with social message for the entire humanity.Speaking on the success of the festival, NZCC Director Furqan Khan extended a vote of thanks to the avid tricity music lovers for making the initiative a big ticket event and the media for giving ample space for the event. He announced that, starting from March 19, a four-day ‘Saang’ (folk theatre) will start at Kalagram, with an eye on furthering the region’s rich tradition of folk theatre.normalnormalThe post Four-day Ragini Utsav-26 concludes at Kalagram appeared first on Chandigarh City News.