**In person only**
Fri 12 May - Fri 16 June, every Friday
6.30 pm - 8 pm | £100
The Bhavan and Kalakar Arts UK presents 'Colours of Thumri', a six week in depth workshops taught by Smt. Chandra Chakraborty on Thumri, Dadra and other most popular Semi Classical Music followed by a concert by the participants. All students of Vocal, Instruments and Dance are welcome to join and learn the performing style and techniques along with traditional "Bhao" (a dance style to portray the emotions of Thumri and Dadra.
(Complete workshop breakdown below)
ABOUT THUMRI - Thumri is North India's most popular light-classical song form, developed during the 19th century at the court of Lucknow's ruler Wajid Ali Shah. It has very strong associations with Kathak, North India's main classical dance style, of which the Shah was also a leading exponent. Thumri singers pay considerable attention to the lyrics.
Thumri is usually sung in slow tempo and Dadra is faster. Thumri has a more elaborate, lengthy structure of improvisation than crisp, compact Dadra. The lyric of Thumari generally possesses only two parts - Sthayi and Antara. On the contrary, Dadra is decorated by and large with more than one Ataras. Dadra is lighter than Thumri as far as the performing style is concerned.
WORKSHOP BREAKDOWN
Week 1- Students will learn the theory of Thumri. (How, when and by whom this style has started and how it has developed).
This will be followed by learning of a composition.
Week 2- We will talk about different styles of Thumri performed by different gharanas.
Followed by the practice of the Thumri learnt on the first day - Chalan, bol banao, taal.
Week 3- Introduction to Bhao- how and why this style has started, how to express Bhao with a Thumri.
followed by the practice of Bhao with the Thumri started on week 1.
Week 4- Introduction to Dadra, the singing style, and learning a Dadra composition.
Week 5- The differences between Thumri, Dadra and other Semi Classical genres. Followed by the practice of the Dadra learnt on week 4.
Week 6- Practicing both the Thumri and Dadra with Bhao learnt over the previous five weeks.
ABOUT CHANDRA CHAKRABORTY
Chandra Chakraborty is a Gold Medalist and National Scholer in Thumri and Dadra. She is also a trained Kathak dancer (Sangeet Visharad in Kathak with distinction in Theory and Practical). Having trained in two types of Thumris - Banaras Gharana Bol Banao Thumri, and Classical Thumri, she has been performing this special genre for the last 28 years. She has also conducted extensive research on Thumri and Dadra as part of her project "Tale of Tawaifs". She is also currently authoring a book on Tawaifs, their lives and music, and will be recording 40 unheard Thumris and Dadras from original records from 1902.Chandra has learnt Banaras Gharana Thumri, Dadra and other semi classical music from Padmabibhushan Smt Girija Devi, and other Thumri styles from Gurus Pt. A Kanan and Smt. Malabika Kanan.