Lucknow: Traditional Bhojpuri folk music resonated through the auditorium of the International Buddhist Research Institute in Gomti Nagar as the Image and Creation Welfare Society concluded its Bhojpuri folk singing workshop on Monday. Organised with the support of the Uttar Pradesh Culture Department, the workshop ran from October 3 under the guidance of veteran Bhojpuri folk singer Awadhesh Kumar Tripathi.
Uttar Pradesh Transport Minister Dayashankar Singh was invited as the chief guest, while Member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council Pawan Singh Chauhan was the special guest.
The cultural programme opened with the devotional song “Apne Bachpan Ke…” and featured a diverse range of traditional Bhojpuri musical forms. Participants presented a sohar, folk songs, a Purbi bhajan titled “Nahi Jani Kaune Batiya Par Khafa Rasiya,” kajri-style singing, Chhath songs, pachra, birha, dadra and nirgun compositions.
The performances showcased the participants’ training while highlighting the richness and diversity of Bhojpuri folk traditions.
The workshop brought together Anuradha Yadav, Shalini Sahu, Neelima Singh, Dr Rashmi Upadhyay, Abha Dixit, Bharti Verma, Shambhavi Mishra, Beena Tripathi, Manu Roy, Soni Srivastava, Aarti Shukla, Ritu Karamchandani, Sunita Jaiswal, Ajay Paswan, Alka Chaturvedi, Kiran Soni, Rajni Singh, Seema Agarwal, Shruti Malviya and Sunita Chaurasia.
The musical performances were accompanied by Pandit Anil Maharaj on tabla, Pandit Chandresh Pandey on harmonium, Harshit Mishra on octopad and Deen Mohammad on nagara. Participants and accompanying musicians were presented with certificates and mementoes in recognition of their involvement.
Organised under the leadership of Image and Creation Welfare Society organiser Kamlesh Kumar Pathak and coordinator Kavita Pathak, the workshop aimed to preserve traditional forms of Bhojpuri folk music, pass the region’s cultural heritage on to younger generations and provide emerging artists with training and a platform to showcase their talent.
