Workshops by vocalist and kathak dancer: ‘Music is gateway to jannat, it connects us to Allah’

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“The new generation is enamoured by catchy lyrics and deafening beats. Not many are exposed to the beauty of classical music. There is a dire need to encourage our very own Indian classical music so that the children understand the vast richness of our culture. Classical art forms have a history which is deep-rooted in the heritage of ancient India which must not be forgotten,” said Khan.

Contrary to the belief that Kathak is a feminine dance form, Ali maintains Kathak was started by men and was practised by women much later. “Grace and delicacy are qualities which cannot be described as attributes of men or women; they are universal. A lot of men are still performing Kathak but are lagging behind in terms of formal training as we have more teachers for girls.”

The duo are conducting hour-long workshops in government schools to promote the classical art forms. The programme aims to cover all 113 government schools in the city over a span of one month. “The module of the programme is designed in such a way so that the artiste holds an interactive session with the students. They also teach the basics of their particular art form,” said Dr S Lavasa, coordinator, North Region, SPIC MACAY.