Ghazals By Anup Jalota: Events in Hyderabad

REVIEW FOR GHAZALS BY ANUP JALOTA

He broke in 5 years a record that took Elvis Presley 27 years to set. Fortunately, he's not finished just yet.

The Chowmohalla Palace, together with the Department of Culture, is organising a summer festival of arts and crafts, from 21st April to 1st May. The festival will have several cultural programs in the evenings, with Kathak by Mangala Bhatt, ghazals by Devi Ramana Murthy and Javeed, Hindustani vocal by Ajay Chakravarthy, qawwali by Shahid Ahmed Khan Warsi, shehnai by Shailesh Bhagwat & Prem Shankar, ghazals by Vittal Rao & Indira Naik, Dholak-E-Geet, ghazals by Anup Jalota, and Hindustani vocal duets by Rajan and Sajan Mishra.

In addition to the above cultural programs in the evening, a crafts bazaar representing the countries of Pakistan, Bangladesh, China and Thailand is being set up from 10:00am till 10:00pm daily, except on 22nd, 24th and 28th April. On these 3 days, the palace will be open from 10:00am to 5:00pm only.

Today, the 10th day, Ghazal maestro Anup Jalota will recite some ghazals, dedicated to the great saints of the country. Jalota is a household name for bhajans. His father, Bhajan exponent Purshottam Das Jalota, is also his guru. Born in Nainital and educated in Lucknow, Jalota started his musical career as a chorus singer in the All-India Radio. He hails from the Shamiana Gharana of Phagwara, Punjab.

Although a Punjabi, Jalota sings and speaks in 6 different languages. He has toured extensively, covering USA, Canada, Europe, West Indies, African, Mauritius and many Far-East countries. Known for his versatility, the smiling and ever-obliging singer renders bhajans and ghazals with equal grace and finesse. No wonder then that wherever he goes, his easy charm and mellifluous voice hold his audience spellbound in admiration.

A brilliant singer, Jalota has accomplished in 5 years what took Elvis Presley 27 years to achieve, when in 1998 he surpassed Presley's record of 45 gold and platinum discs, with 58 of his own - a Guinness world record, too.

The entry to the crafts bazaar and the cultural programs is by tickets of Rs. 25 per head. For further details, please contact the venue at 2452-2032.