In the era of pop culture, fast-paced and short form content, the unhurried notes of the sitar and an evening steeped in classical ragas echoed through New Delhi as the 13th edition of Bhilwara Sur Sangam concluded at Kamani Auditorium on Sunday. Bhilwara Sur Sangam is a flagship Indian classical music festival presented by the LNJ Bhilwara Group.
The event that took place on April 4th and 5th, brought together music lovers, connoisseurs, and cultural patrons for a two-day celebration of classical music that came to a memorable close. Day 2 featured a Sitar recital by Samanway Sarkar, whose performance reflected both technical finesse and emotive depth. This was followed by a deeply evocative Hindustani classical vocal (Khayal) performance by the legendary Pt. Mukul Shivputra.
The musical evening posed itself as a much-needed break from endless scrolling, gently drawing in audiences to reflect and revere Indian classical music. Building on this atmosphere, Samanway Sarkar spoke about its relevance in an age of fast content and short attention spans.
Question:. In an era of fast content and short attention spans, what keeps classical music relevant and emotionally powerful for younger audiences?
Answer: See, if you think that way when there were no, I mean, other ways to record more than three minutes. Classical musicians have produced phenomenal things in three minutes only. So when the classical arts are concerned and classical music is concerned, it doesn’t matter if it’s three minutes or three hours.
Q: Do you think a thirty second to three minute reel can do justice to the artform?
A: No, not justice to that, but at least you can get the glimpse. 30 seconds cannot make… justice. But three minutes, I think three minutes is fair enough time. So if you have learned well and if you have groomed yourself well, then I think three minutes is enough to portray your artistry.
Q: How are you as an artist trying to keep classical music relevant to Gen Z? How are you taking it forward?
A: See, when classical music is, you know, a concern, you don’t really need to think about generation. Classical arts are universal, right. For all generations. So still, if you go in any field still Lata ji and Kishori Tai and all your music is. And everybody, I think five to 50 and beyond, everybody listens to that. So I don’t need to make it relevant. Yeah, I just need to do my job properly. Honesty and integrity is, I think, more needed.
The conversation reaffirmed how Indian classical music is far from fading and continues to evolve while retaining its emotional depth across generations.