Music Maestro and Secretary SaMaPa, Abhay Rustum Sopori expressed his gratitude to the people of Jammu and Kashmir for the success of the ninth edition of the SaMaPa Aalap Festival (SAF), the prestigious 15 days long premier music festival of J&K and one of the biggest music festivals of the country. SaMaPa is a cultural movement translating from the deep rooted vision of the great music legend, the pride of J&K, Pandit Bhajan Sopori. The SAF 2014 was held from 10th to 24th February 2014 in around 25 venues featuring around 40 music presentation and concerts by various internationally acclaimed musicians. SAF 2014 also saw various young generation musicians with exceptional excellence getting a stage to display their talent. Various musicians from J&K like also participated in the grand musical extravaganza apart from various talks and music discourses by a number of eminent music critics and musicologists of the country.

Maestro Sopori thanked Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, Jammu & Kashmir Police and Department of Tourism, Jammu for their enormous support in making the festival a grand success. He also expresses his gratitude to the media fraternity for its whole hearted support in ensuring the reach of the music festival to the people of the region and millions outside.

Sopori also met various media personalities of J&K taking their suggestions and feedback for building a stronger cultural scenario in the coming times by SaMaPa. Expressing his happiness on the success of the festival, maestro Sopori said that it was satisfying that SaMaPa could reach various border areas like Rajouri, Poonch, R.S. Pora, etc. and other areas like Katra, Udampur, Akhnoor, etc. in line of its motive – Jan Jan Tak Sangeet, music to the masses. He said it was a matter of pride that various musicians of the J&K State especially from far flung areas like Poonch participated in the festival sharing the stage with a number of eminent and renowned musicians. The success of SAF 2014 will surly open new doors for cultural activities in the State, he added.

Sopori further announced that the 10th edition of the SAF will be held in February 2015.