Baaja Gaaja 2011

In Pune between 4th – 6th feb? Highly Recommended – Baaja Gaaja 2011! Visit www.baajaagaajaa.com for more details.

A lovely winter weekend saw Pune witness the second edition of this musical extravaganza.

Pt. Shivakumar Sharma , Dr. Aneesh Pradhan, Shubha Mudgal and others at the inauguration

It was that time of the year for Ishanya Mall, Pune when it welcomed the return of this mega event called Baajaa Gaajaa on 5^th of Februrary ’10. Initiated by Indian vocalist Shubha Mudgal and Eminent percussionist Dr. Aneesh Pradhan, Directors of Underscore Records Pvt. Ltd, Baajaa Gaajaa is an effort to bring together and provide interactive space to musicians, music lovers, scholars, instrument makers, publishers and a host of organizations and individuals connected with music making in the 21^st century India.

Not often do you see such a wide range of artists, both popular and newbies, belonging to different genres and generations, all performing under one roof. The three day event kicked off on 5^th of Februrary ’10 after a formal inauguration at the hands of Santoor Maestro Pt. Shivakumar Sharma. What followed was 3 full days of pure bliss for the numerous music lovers from Pune and those pouring in from across the country.

Space was never a constraint at the grand Ishanya Mall. This allowed for multiple events to take place simultaneously at various locations inside the venue. The seminar hall would host seminars and film screenings while various musical performances would take place at other locations. The amphitheatre would host the final event of the day which saw Shastrokta (a concert of Hindustani and Carnatic classical music by various artists) on the 1^st day, Neha Boliyaan (a concert of love songs from India by various artists) on the 2^nd and a grand finale on the 3^rd day that had Motherjane and Indian Ocean providing a fitting end to the event.

What makes Baajaa Gaajaa stand out from other musical events is the fact that, not only does it provide a platform for musicians to showcase their talent, but it also addresses the underlying issues relevant to the music scene in India. The completeness of this event is proven by the fact that Baajaa Gaaja ’10 consisted of performances, workshops, exhibitions, tradeshows, seminars and film screenings on different aspects of Indian Music.

Pulling off an event of such magnitude with so much of efficiency is indeed a job well done. It would only be fair to say that initiatives like these will help secure a great future for Indian music. Shubha Mudgal, Dr. Aneesh Pradhan and their entire team deserve all the applause for making Baajaa Gaajaa what it is.

We can’t wait to see Baajaa Gaajaa return in 2011 and it wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect the 3^rd edition of this musical extravaganza to be way bigger and way grander!

• Inauguration on 5th February 2010 by Santoor Maestro, Pt. Shivkumar Sharma.
• Exhibition and sale of CDs, DVDs, books and merchandise pertaining to music
• Documentaries Screened: Forever Young, Soul Voice Sole Voice, Remembered Rhythms: Live in India
• Live performances by artists like Rashid Khan – Hindustani Vocal, TM Krishna – Carnatic Vocal
• Live performances by bands like Something Relevant, Motherjane, Indian Ocean