Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu:

In memory of late Atul Gautam, the tabla maestro, Sukarma, the band he belonged to and other Nepali musicians performed Ritu Shrawan Part III on April 17 at Ashoka Hall, Patan.

Gautam had dreamt of giving a facelift to classical music and musician in the country and his band members, colleagues and all those who understand and value classical music have been making their endeavour to materialise the tabla maestro’s dream. And as a part of another fundraising event, the third series of Ritu Shrawan was organised. The event was organised by Mantra International Pvt Ltd and Annapurna Post was the official media for the event.

The proceeds of the show will go to Atul Memorial Fund. Karma, a music album by Atul Gautam, which includes one of Gautam’s exquisite pieces, was also released during the programme. Music Nepal also has lent its supportive hand to help the foundation and it was announced that Music Nepal would donate Rs 200 from each album sold. The album sells for Rs 450. Tabla player Sarita Mishra, who played with Atul for almost 15 year, said, “I am glad to perform here today but Atul’s absence makes me feel alone even in the crowd.” Mishra’s father was Atul’s first tabla teacher. A graduate in management, Gautam was Master’s in tabla and had earned lots of accolades for his expertise home and abroad.

Gautam had performed in various countries across the globe such as Austria, USA, France and Belgium to name a few. In his lifetime, Atul had brought out nine classical albums. More than 800 music lovers listened to one of the best classical performances in town, which was a poignant tribute to late Atul Gautam who died a very young age recently. Before the programme started, a minute of silence was observed in memory of the great tabla player of the country.