As part of the ongoing initiatives for winning the elusive classical tag for Odishi music, city-based Sanskruttim cultural organisation headed by well-known Odishi dance exponent Kasturi Pattanaik would host a two-day event commencing on February 1 at the Rabindra Mandap here that includes an important seminar and a festival.

The seminar and festival are named after legendary poet, artist and arts promoter Kabichandra Kalicharan Patnaik, who is known to have named the dance form that emerged from Odisha as Odishi.

“It is an irony that while Odishi dance won classical status decades ago, Odishi music, an integral part of Odishi dance, is still struggling for the ‘classical’ tag despite Odishi being a distinct music tradition of India like the Hindustani and the Carnatic,” said Kasturi Pattanaik at a Press meet.

“The Department of Culture of Odisha and some other cultural institutions have been hosting seminars and performances from time to time to highlight Odishi music’s claim to classical fame. Kabichandra Kalicharan Patnaik Odishi music seminar and festival are one such effort,” stated Pattanaik who is an Odishi dance exponent also having grip over Odishi music.

“What Tagore means to Bengal, Kabichandra means that to Odisha. He has immensely influenced Odisha’s dance, music, theatre and cinema. Hence, we felt it befitting to name the festival and seminar after him as a tribute to the stalwart,” she explained.

The seminar on February 1 titled “Classical components of Odishi music” and scheduled to start at 10 am, would feature Sanskrit scholars Prof Prafulla Kumar Mishra and Prof Raghunath Panda as chairpersons for the two sessions. While musicologist Kirtan Narayan Padhi would deliver the keynote address, Odishi music researcher Tirthananda Mohanty would be the co-chairperson for the second session.

The speakers for the seminar include Odisha’s former Chief Secretary Subas Pani, who is known as a noted scholar on Jayadev’s Gita Gobinda; Odissi music Gurus Gopal Chandra Panda and Keshab Chandra Rout; well-known Odishi vocalists Bijay Kumar Jena, Sudha Mishra, Mitali Chinara, Sangita Gosain and Sangita Panda; mardal exponents Sachidananda Das and Jagannath Kuanr and flute exponent Mohini Mohan Patnaik.

“We have specially invited six eminent personalities for the seminar as guests and observers who matter most to Odishi music and dance. They are Prafulla Kar, Shantanu Mohapatra, Priyambada Mohanty-Hejmadi, Haramohan Khuntia, Shyamamani Debi and Kumkum Mohanty,” informed the hosts.

The festival on February 2 will feature, among others, solo recital by Guru Ramahari Das, Bijay Kumar Jena, duet by Mitali Chinara-Sangita Panda, trio by bandita Ray-Nazia Alam-Chandi Bhusan Mishra, group mardal recital led by Sachidananda Das and instrumental symphony by the Odishi Research Centre.