NEW DELHI: SaMaPa (Sopori Academy of Music And Performing Arts), the well-known music academy of Music Legend and Padmashri Awardee Pandit Bhajan Sopori and music maestro Abhay Rustum Sopori, has announced the names of the recipients of this year’s prestigious SaMaPa awards, the exclusive national level honours pertaining to J&K.
SaMaPa is a cultural movement translating from a deep-rooted vision of Pandit Bhajan Sopori in creating a unique, unbiased and empowering national level platform for presentation, propagation, and teaching of traditional music and performing arts. SaMaPa is acclaimed as the Cultural Bridge of Jammu & Kashmir with the rest of the country and to have created a new generation of musicians & music connoisseurs.
Maestro Abhay Rustum Sopori announced this year awards and congratulated all the awardees. The awards ceremony will be held as part of the 15th edition of SaMaPa Sangeet Sammelan, the topmost classical music festivals of Delhi from 19th to 24th November 2019 at Kamani Auditorium, New Delhi being presented in collaboration with Incredible India, Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India and IFFCO. The festival will also feature the Annual Painting Exhibition by the artists of J&K presented by SaMaPa and J&K Academy of Art, Culture & Languages.
SaMaPa Vitasta Samman is being conferred upon the veteran Vocalist Pandit Ajay Pohankar (Mumbai) for his lifetime contribution to Hindustani Classical Music (Vocal). The awards as named after the historical river Vitasta of Kashmir also known as Jehlum, represents the cultural ethos and rich heritage of Jammu and Kashmir. It has been a symbol of love, harmony, art and culture and Sufi-Saint tradition of Kashmir. The award is given to prominent personalities who have been an asset to our country in the field of art and culture for their unparalleled contribution to Hindustani Classical music.
SaMaPa Kala Vardhan Samman is being conferred upon Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra (Delhi), one of the oldest and prominent classical music & dance institutes of the country. The Award is being presented to Smt. Shobha Deepak Singh, Director & Vice-Chairperson of the Kendra, who is being felicitated for her contribution to Indian music.
SaMaPa Nund Rishi Samman is being conferred upon the renowned Vocalist Vidushi Malini Awasthi (Uttar Pradesh) for her remarkable contribution to Indian music. The award has been named after Sheikh-Ul-Alam, the great Shaivite-Sufi Saint of Kashmir.
SaMaPa Acharya Abhinavgupt Samman is being conferred upon Smt. Shashi Prabha Tiwari (Delhi) for her contribution to the field of music as a music journalist. The award has been instituted in the name of Acharya Abhinavgupt of 10th century from Kashmir who has been an unmatched thinker, aesthetician, philosopher and an unparallel commentator of Bharatmuni’s ‘Natyashastra’.
SaMaPa Sangeet Tejasvi Samman, an award given to those individuals who have contributed significantly at national and international level and are promising legends in making of Indian music, is being conferred upon renowned Tabla maestro Ustad Akram Khan (Delhi) for his contribution to Hindustani Classical Music (Tabla).
SaMaPa Yuva Ratan Samman is being conferred upon the young musician Hafiz Bale Khan (Bengaluru) in recognition of his conspicuous talent and achievements in the field of Hindustani Classical Music (Sitar). The Award has been instituted to recognize, encourage and felicitate the young generation artists of the country who are doing exceptionally well in their respective fields.
SaMaPa Award of Excellence is a new award instituted by SaMaPa to honour those personalities who have done exceptional work in the field of audio and video production and direction of documentaries and films, sound engineering, script writing and also instrument making. The Award is being conferred upon Shri Yesudas Bernabas Christudas for his immense contribution to the field of music as a Sound Engineer.