Nazo: An Ode to The Courtesan - Darbari Kathak by Manjari Chaturvedi July 2, 2009

Nazo: An Ode to The Courtesan - Darbari Kathak by Manjari Chaturvedi. Coneptualised, created and performed by Manjari Chaturvedi, reliving the dance and music of Awadh with the last living legend court singer Zarina Begam from Awadh, Ghazal singer Radhika Chopra from Delhi and Qawwals from Awadh . Lucknow Kathak, Darbari Kathak, dance of fairies. Lucknow, that throbbed with musical sounds, percussion rhythms and the tinkling of hundreds of ghungroos. Lucknow - a city where everything was done in great finesse and detail, evident in each and every historical aspect of the city. 'Firdaus e-husn o ishq hai daaman e lucknow Aakhon mein bas rahi hai ghazal khwar lucknow'. Kathak is a living tradition, which conveys the rich heritage of poetry, literature, mythology, philosophy and emotions. The Kathak dance reflects a story telling form and owes its evolution from the ancient temples of North India to the royal courts of Awadh. With the advent of Muslim cultural ethos during the Mughal period, Kathak was transformed into a form, which pervaded the court of Muslim rulers where it further evolved as form of entertainment from its original form of a medium of devotion. Lucknow where Kathak reached its pinnacle in the reign of Wajid Ali Shah, where Krishna was dominant in the theme for dance, the Nawab himself dressed as Krishna, 'Unki aankhon ko dekh kar akhtar nasha beikhtiyar aa jaaye'. It would be true to say that Kathak dance is the magnificent heritage of Awadh Culture. The Darbari Kathak also known as Kathak of Lucknow Gharana, is characterised by lovely costumes and Persian influence, famous for its delicate nuances of expressiveness, alluring grace in movements, eloquent gat bhav and its unique abhinaya to the accompaniment of lilting thumri's, ghazals and holis, which was patronised in the opulent darbars of cultured Nawab Wazirs of Avadh. In the Moghul court romantic themes and Persian names such as aamad, salaami peshkaar and nikaas that were introduced. In the last decade the sudden globalization has impacted Lucknow Kathak. With more and more students moving towards modern dance Kathak is also finding its dancers shifting towards choreography in modern dance concepts. This concert by me is an effort to relive the traditional dance and present the rich heritage of Awadh.

Official Website: http://www.buzzintown.com/?110704&ref=yupg&refcity=1