It won’t be wrong to say that music is a phenomenon that does not discriminate–there’s a note, song or tune for every shade of emotion there is. From spelling out sheer ecstasy to being the ‘something concrete’ of all things miserable–music is all pervasive. And marking this very universality of this phenomenon B.S.O. celebrated World Music Day on June 21.
B.S.O. being a monthly event brings together thousands across the city to celebrate the power of art to bring people together and focus on appreciating each artist rather than the differences that set us apart.
It was initiated by three individuals- Sukriti Bhardwaj, Kumar Shantnu and Jai Singh, who themselves are artists into the field of writing, music and singing.
The fifth edition of B.S.O. celebrated ‘World Music Day’ with some famous musicians coming across who have made their name not just in the city but over the state as well. Paddy, who has a band Shivoham, said, “It is really wonderful that some initiative was taken of this sort to encourage and provide a platform for people to perform.”
Dr. Amarjit Singh, Professor in GADVASU, said, “It was a lovely time that I spent with family. I wish such days are celebrated more and more in the city.” Congratulating Jai Singh, Swikar Sethi said, “I have come with my daughter Aakriti Sethi who is a poet and a writer. Jai has taken a wonderful step for the city.”
Apart from musicians, there were many poets and story tellers who performed on 21st June. Kumar Shantnu, one of the initiators of this community, narrated a poem and a story on trees and along with him, a girl aged 9, Jas Inayat drew a sketch a forest emphasizing on the need to plant more and more trees.
The celebrations started with a sufi singer and a social activist, Jasmeet Kaur, taking the audience to a different soulful world and ended up with a new talent, Jashan Panesar, singing Punjabi song. The very aim of B.S.O. is to provide platform for the people who always wanted to perform and to have an audience to listen to them. Sukriti Sharma said, “It has just been a few months but the city has recognized and accepted B.S.O.”
The platform is not for the written art only, but for the visual arts as well. Any painter or photographer can put up an exhibition or a fashion designer can showcase the designs. A very special performance was by Gurnoor, an 8 year old boy, who played guitar on his back, besides other performances by Akriti Sethi, Puneet Dhiman, Ravijot Singh, Ritu Chandna to name a few. Famed Flamenco Guitarist Aman, summed up the spirit behind celebrating World Music Days asking more and more people to Join in using the universal language of music to diminish hatred, respect differences and reach out in making networks.
