MUMBAI: The third edition of Citi-NCPA Aadi Anant explores the theme ‘Boundaries and Beyond’, denoting the festival's cross-cultural collaborations between musicians who are constantly expanding their horizons through newer and more interesting partnerships. This year, musicians Hariprasad Chaurasia, Zakir Hussain, Ranjit Barot, George Brooks and Rashid Khan will merge not only Western and Indian cultures, but also the indigenous traditions of Indian classical music. The festival begins in Mumbai on December 7 & 8, 2013, at the NCPA, then travels to Delhi on January 12, 2014, and Pune on January 18, 2014.
Speaking about his association with Citi NCPA Aadi Anant, Zakir Hussain said, "Indian classical music relies on innovation. The whole idea of improvising with the given boundaries forces a musician to find new ways to tell the same old story. Creativity is at the heart of an Indian classical music performance and the practice of this allows the musician to have a map into innovation."
Dr. Suvarnalata Rao, Head – Programming (Indian Music), the NCPA, said, "Like the NCPA, Citi is also recognized as a pioneer in its domain of expertise. We are happy to come back together with this unique music festival which aligns with our common vision of nurturing traditions with innovations. We salute our artistic legacy and heartily welcome the innovative endeavours, with the strong belief that, together, we can nurture and nourish creative excellence and enrich our heritage for the benefit of our future generations."
Pramit Jhaveri, CEO, Citi India said, "As a patron of the arts in India and around the world, Citi is delighted to present the third Aadi Anant festival of Indian music. During the course of our 110 year history in India, we have invested in preserving India's rich cultural heritage. Citi's partnership with the NCPA has enabled us to contribute to this important mission. This year's theme for the Aadi Anant festival is innovation. Innovation is integral to Indian music, just as it is to an organisation like Citi. We do hope that you will enjoy the music which is going to be an exciting fusion of styles and cultures, traditional and futuristic."