Bharatnatyam is flavour of Sufi festival this year

Source: Delhi News Line
by Sumati Mehrishi Sharma - New Delhi, March 1, 2006:

KATHAK has always been the perfect partner for Sufi whirls, but now it’s Bharatnatyam’s turn.
At this year’s Jahan-e-Khusrau festival, an annual Sufi music event, Bharatnatyam artiste Rama Vaidyanathan will perform with an ensemble directed by Carnatic flautist G.S. Rajan.
Rajan, from the group The Malabarians, will use the Carnatic raag, Kirvani, which he says is apparently reflected in the aazan. However, Vaidyanathan will don white for this performance instead of a traditional costume.
Pakistani Sufi legend Abida Parveen is already in the Capital to participate at the sixth edition of the festival, jointly organised by filmmaker and designer Muzaffar Ali and Delhi Tourism. Parveen has been a regular at the festival since 2000— when it started.
Popular for bringing together Sufi dervishes from West Asian countries and Indian qawwals in the previous years, the festival has now opened to Bollywood playback singers Daler Mehndi and Sukhwinder Singh.
Ali feels it will help popularise this form of music among youth. ‘‘We are open to artistes from all backgrounds— even from Hollywood. But the Sufi spirit should be common,’’ he says.
Other performers at Jahan-e-Khusrau include the Rumi group from Iran, Yulchieva Munojatkhon from Uzbekistan, Ustad Shafqat Ali Khan and Amaan and Ayaan Ali Khan Bangash.