World Music Series: Sitar Recital by Anil Singh – A Meditative Evening of Indian Classical Raga

EVENT DESCRIPTION

The Leisure and Cultural Services Department has invited sitar performer Anil Singh to perform an Indian classical music recital in early June, when several compositions of Hindustani music from northern India will be performed to lead audiences into a meditative evening of music and spirituality. The recital also marks the opening of this year’s World Music Series.

In the first half of the recital, Singh will improvise two music pieces “Rag Mishra Shivranjani” and “Rag Jog”, which derive from Indian classical music ragas, based on his feelings, mood and the vibes at the very moment. Through the celestial and ethereal sounds, audiences will be able to experience a soul-purging journey in Singh’s spell-binding performance.

In the second half of the recital, Singh will showcase a number of Hindustani classical music of dhuns, a semi-classical form of Indian short musical pieces using a large variety of pitches and rhythms. For the finale of the recital, Singh will play an old river song mostly sung by boatmen from West Bengal, offering audiences a taste of the style and characteristics of Indian folk culture.

Singh devoted his childhood and teenage years to intensive music training. Performing and teaching in India for over 25 years, he is revered by his followers and students for his life-long devotion to music and spirituality. Singh has lived in Hong Kong since 2011. Apart from lecturing in different universities, he has also collaborated with musicians from various traditions and genres to bring the beauty of the sitar and Hindustani classical music to local audiences. Singh was conferred a Banaras Shri Award by the Indian government in 2015 for his outstanding achievements.