Harmony India Awards 2021 featured Indian Harmonies Choir; Released Nadims Poem ‘Me Cham Aash Paghaech’ (I Have Hope In Tomorrow)

Jammu, October 17, 2021: With it’s 7th edition, Harmony Cultural Foundation in association with Harmony India organised a musical evening with the theme of Celebrating the spirit of Jammu & Kashmir, this year featured the young budding talents from Jammu and Delhi and Indian Harmonies Choir from J&K. The Harmony India Award ceremony was followed by the choir performance.

The program was held at Teacher Bhawan, Jammu where many dignitaries like Ms Nirupama Kotru ji IRS, joint Sectary & Financial Advisor Ministry of Coal, Mines & Minority Affairs GOI, Mayor Jammu Sh. Chander Mohan Gupta, Sh. Vivekanand Rai Director Tourism JK UT graced the occasion and appreciated the work flow and presentations, initiatives, projects carried by the harmony cultural foundation throughout these years.

The foundation has been conducting cultural programs, musical workshops, recording & producing Kashmiri music, releasing patriotic songs, folk music, devotionals, Sufi poetry etc. involving the upcoming talented generation and well known reputed artists for the upliftment of Kashmiri tradition and Indian culture.

New talents were featured this year from Jammu and Delhi, starting with performance was Harshita Pandita, she presented a Kashmiri folk song which was hugely appreciated by the audience, followed by the bharatnatyam dance performance by Chhavi Koul on Saraswati Vandana. With her expressions and rythmic movement, Chhavi’s performance was all upto the mark. Vanshika Bhat mesmerized the audience with her melodious voice and won the appreciation & applauses for her performance.

Second part of the program featured the presentation by Indian Harmonies Choir from J&K who recently performed at Inaugural Ceremony of Amrit Mahotsav and represented J&K’s music at global level in front of PM Modi, singer Hariharan, actor Aupam Kher. Founded in the year 2018, by singer-music composer Saurabh Zadoo, Indian Harmonies Choir of J&K, is a young & dynamic choir group from J&K state, which aims at propagating Indian poetry & folklore with the contemporary music.

The Choir group performed two poems of Dina Nath Nadim, vocals by Sagar Koul, Chhavi Koul, Prajjwal Kaul, Himanshi Raina, Bhavik Pandit, Aakash Bhat, Sannat Koul, Anmol Raj, Vanshika Bhat, Khushi Kaul, Shriya Walli, Harshita Pandita, Srushti Raina. Music Composer Saurabh Zadoo couldn’t attend the program due to some medical emergency.

First performance was Soun wattan followed by the new special release “Me Cham Aash Paghaech” featuring the melodious Dr. Deepali Wattal. This poem ‘Me Cham Aash Paghaech’ by Dina Nath Nadim revolves around the story of three different women with different hopes and their only fear. The pregnant woman’s fervent inklings of immediate future that she shall be a mother of a child who shall ring new resolution and enthusiasm in her life. The poem written against the background of the World War II and the first Indo-Pak War in 1947, is a paradoxical notion of future full of hopes but under the shadow of the destruction of war. This poem is another piece of art written by Nadim showcasing a journey from fear to hope. Based on conflict, portraying the anxiety, fear, aggression and a hope in the poetry, the music is composed, designed and conceptualised by Saurabh Zadoo.

Harmony Cultural Foundation is felicitating Eminent & Creative Personalities, Artists, Musicians, Social Activists ,Theatre & Visual Artists, journalists of the state every year. Third part of the program started with the felicitation ceremony.

This year the Life time achievement award’ for this year was conferred upon Zareef Ahmad Zareef, Sahitya Academy Awardee, a Kashmiri poet and writer, for his outstanding contribution in the field of Kashmiri Literature and Language.

Shrestha Samman was conferred upon Veer Munshi for his contribution in the field of Fine Arts.

Shrestha Samman conferred upon Kailash Mehra for her contribution in the field of Kashmiri Sufiyana and Folk Music. 

Shrestha Samman conferred upon Ravi Kemmu for his contribution in the field of Acting & Theatre, 

Shrestha Samman was conferred posthumously upon Late Shadi Lal Koul  for his contribution in the field of Acting,

Shrestha Samman conferred upon Ravinder Kaul for his contribution in the field of Art & Culture, 

Shrestha Samman was conferred upon Gokul Dembi for his contribution in the field of Fine Arts, 

Shrestha Samman was conferred posthumously upon Late Pandit Mohan Nirash for his contribution in the field of Kashmiri Language & Literature, 

Shrestha Samman was conferred upon Dr. Naseeb Singh Manhas for his contribution in the field of Media Production, 

Shrestha Samman was conferred upon Ravi Dhar for his contribution in the field of Painting and Sculpture.

The Samman is given in recognition of the outstanding contribution by personalities in their respective fields.

‘State Icon Award’ was conferred upon Rajesh Raina in the field of Journalism.

Community Icon Award’ conferred upon Sandhya Dhar in the field of Social Work, Kanwal Peshin & Sanjay Saraf for Community services.

Community Icon Award conferred upon Sanjeev Pargal for his immense contribution in the field of Print Media,

‘Yuva Puraskar’ is being conferred upon Abdul Rashid in the field of Kashmiri Folk Instrumental Music.

A special award was given this year for Voluntary Service During Covid-19 to Dr Rohit Koul ,Vikas Razdan, Bhavna Pandita & Ravinder Pandita who have been supporting hand during these unprecedented times.

“Our foundation is working hard to preserve and promote our language which’s on the verge of extinction. These initiatives, cultural programs, music productions, felicitations are our efforts for the preservation of our language and literature. These are important in strengthening the strong cultural bond across the state and nation.

The awards are the efforts to recognize the contribution and celebrate the legacy which not only is encouragement to the whole Kashmiri community but more than thousands of youngsters who want to do something for their nation” said the composer Saurabh Zadoo over telephonic conversation.

Glimpses of the award function: