Baajaa Gaajaa Music Festival Kicks off in Pune

The fourth edition of Baajaa Gaajaa Music Festival kicks off in Pune on Feb. 10, 2012. The three-day festival brings together regional folk, classical and western artistes on a common platform.

“We are not an elitist space. The idea is to give a panoramic view of the diversity in Indian music. In fact, sometimes I feel that three days are not enough to present the exceptional variety,” says Shubha Mudgal, who along with tabla exponent Aneesh Pradhan, curates the annual cultural extravaganza.

One of the highlights of the fest will be a performance by Australian percussion Ben Walsh, who will perform on his Wheel of Drums — a set-up that features eight drums arrange in a fashion similar to a ferris wheel.

The festival will also host discussions among filmmakers and musician-composers such as Amol Palekar, Imtiaz Ali and Debojyoti Mishra, Shantanu Moitra.

Besides performances by regional artistes, the festival will also host a tribute to the late icon, Amit Saigal, who was widely recognized for his contribution to independent music in India. The tribute concert, Songs for Papa Rock, will feature bands such as Adil & Vasundhara, Pinknoise and Soulmate. Dhamaal will feature 50 drummers from Manipuri in a unique performance at the festival.

Entry for the festival is free and passes are available at www.baajaagaajaa.com.