BHUBANESWAR: Legendary tabla maestro Zakir Hussain was the star attraction of the 27th annual Konark Dance and Music Festival this year. He was conferred the Guru Gangadhar Pradhan Lifetime Achievement Award at the valedictory function of the festival on Thursday evening. The award, instituted in memory of the founder of the festival, carries a memento, a shawl and ` 1 lakh in cash. The last day of the festival saw tabla recital by the maestro himself and a special Diya dance by the artistes of Rama Natya Niketan, Andhra Pradesh. This apart, there was a Odissi recital by the artistes of Chitralekha Dance Creations, Canada.During the festival, prominent musicians like Varanasi-based veteran violinist N Rajam, mridangam maestro Yella Venkateswar Rao from Chennai, New Delhi-based Hindustani vocalist Sumitra Guha and veteran Odissi vocalist Damodar Hota performed. Yet another special attraction of the festival this time was the folk segment where folk dances of Sri Lanka, Bhangra by Mumbai-based Maujpunjabi troupe and Gotipua dance by Konark Natya Mandap were performed. Likewise, the festival featured Kuchipudi dancer Shobha Naidu from Hyderabad, eminent Bharatanatyam dancer Alarmel Valli and Kathak exponent Rajendra Gangani, both from New Delhi. Showcasing several stars of Indian classical dance and music, the festival was kicked off at the specially designed open air theatre of Konark Natya Mandap at Konark on February 19.
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