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Santoor brings solace to prisoners

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Soothing Santoor of Pt. Bhajan Sopori brings solace to prisoners
Jammu, India, February, 2011

he ongoing 7th Annual ‘SaMaPa Aalap Festival’ today presented a special concert at the Central Jail, Kotbhalwal, Jammu. SaMaPa along with its aim to revive the cultural scenario of the J&K State and its further promotion and propagation has an audience structure of more than 35000 people witnessing the festival in different parts of Jammu and border areas like Khour, Rajouri, RS Pora, etc. The festival has a softer side too attached to it, and this was seen in the concert held at the Central Jail specially for the Jail inmates who were treated to a soul stirring and soothing Santoor recital by the Music Legend Pandit Bhajan Sopori that had a tranquilizing effect on the frayed nerves of the prisoners. It was the first ever concert held there and the aim of the programme was to provide solace to the prison inmates along with the prison staff who work tirelessly throughout the year. The SaMaPa Aalap 2012 is being presented by Sopori Academy of Music And Performing Arts (SaMaPa) in collaboration with Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board and Deptt. of Tourism, J&K.

Pandit Bhajan Sopori said that this concert is aimed to provide a musical healing touch and create vibrant activities for the inmates. He spoke to various jail inmates and solaced them. He said that the programme was organized with a motive to provide emotional support to the prisoners and in order to help them psychologically with music therapy in an attempt to make them better human beings so that they are able to face the world with confidence. He said Music is more a medium of education and worship than merely a source of entertainment. His captivating recital received thunderous applause throughout the concert. He also made the prisoners and the staff sing with him. He was accompanied on Tabla by Sarit Das. The concert also featured the young Sufi singer Ragini Rainu who presented various Sufi Qualams which were uplifting. She was accompanied by Sachin Sharma on Tabla, Kamal Sharma on Naal, Ustad Sajjad Ahmed on Harmonium and Abid Hussain on Sarangi.

Santoor Maestro & Music Composer Abhay Rustum Sopori spoke on the occasion and announced that SaMaPa under the aegis of its Chairman Pandit Bhajan Sopori will try to create musical avenues for the jail inmates. He said formulated workshops will be introduced to teach instrumental and vocal music to them. He said SaMaPa will also try to create an orchestra featuring only the jail inmates. He further said that the prisoners go through lots of stress and there is an expressionless behaivour in them and he intends to create a musically inclined sensitivity in them.

Speaking on the occasion, Sh. Naveen Agarwal, IPS, DG Prisons, termed the concert a major breakthrough initiated by SaMaPa, Pandit Bhajan Sopori and Abhay Rustum Sopori. He highlighted Sopori family’s contribution in keeping the J&K culture alive and contributing to the society in a grand manner and hailed Pandit Bhajan Sopori’s concert as an ‘icing on the cake’. He said that music is a good medium to reach the soul of a person and the aim of this concert is to provide mental peace to the prisoners which would reform them and relieve them from various environmental tensions they have gone through. He said that Pt. Sopori’s music is an opening to positive clarifications. He wished that SaMaPa continues to have such presentation in future too. Rajni Sehgal, Superintendent Central Jail, gave the welcome address while Dr. Sultan Lone, DIG, gave the vote of thanks.

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