Kunwar Viyogi Memorial Trust organises Baakh Night

Kunwar Viyogi Memorial Trust organises Baakh Night
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Sonali Dogra receives Prem Jamwal Art Innovation Award
An evening was today dedicated to the traditional folk music of Jammu – Baakh at Jashn-e-Viyogi musical night, held online as a part of Kunwar Viyogi Utsav 2021. The occasion also marked the felicitation ceremony of renowned national singer and daughter of the soil Sonali Dogra. She received the Prem Jamwal Art Innovation Award for her excellent recreation of Baakh musical form in her recently released song Baabal – The Wedding Song, penned  by Sahitya Akademi Awardee Kunwar Viyogi, featuring actor-director Aarushi Thakur Rana and composed by Brij Mohan. Sonali’s melodious voice transports you into the magical world of true poetry and lyrical genius as she sings Viyogi’s Baabul. The song portrays tender emotions between a father and his daughter as he embarks on a new journey. The bitter-sweet emotion of a father, happy yet pained by the departure of his daughter is expressed in this heartwarming song that also lets you experience the warmth and beauty of this relationship.
Prem Jamwal Youth Art Innovation Award is instituted in the memory of Kunwar Viyogi’s wife Mrs. Prem Jamwal, an economics graduate, a par excellent painter and a stage performer. Mrs. Jamwal was the youngest daughter of Joint Commissioner Hira Singh and niece of a national hero, Martyr Brigadier Rajender Singh.

Prem Jamwal Art Innovation Award is awarded to artists for unique cross-artform creative interpretation, to widen cultural reach and relevance to the younger generation. The award is presented for creative interpretation of unique world literature and art forms, aimed at widening the cultural reach and relevance for the younger generation. The award endeavors to encourage the youth in fulfilling their creative pursuits, while at the same time providing them with a platform so as to help them showcase their talent worldwide. Previous recipients of this award are Bharatnatiyam dancer Shreyasi Gopinath, Kathak dancer Sanchita Abril and Theatre actor-director Aarushi Thakur Rana.
KVM Trust Director Poonam Singh Jamwal honoured Sonali during the ceremony and praised her for her ability to give life to lyrics of Kunwar Viyogi. “The purity in your voice makes people cry because you touch their hearts. The Trust is very fortunate to have associated with you for six years. She encouraged Sonali to further specialise in Baakh form of traditional music and take the legacy forward. In her address, Poonam also said that the youth today can only take Dogri to the world and endeavours such as this help in taking Dogri to centrestage.
While accepting the award, Sonali said that her love for Dogri folk allowed her to take up Baabul. “I was moved by the lyrics. The love of a father for her daughter is depicted so beautifully in Baabul that I just had to sing it,” said Sonali.
The event began with the Saraswati Vandana sung by the very talented Vanshi Jaral, who later in the event also performed live on Kunwar Viyogi’s Dogri song Dilangi Chaar. As the evening progressed, renowned singer and composer Suraj Singh lent voice to Viyogi’s song on love and heartbreak ‘Kandi da Dil’, while Joohie, a very talented singer in her own right sang a solo song titled ‘Jai Mein honda phul gulabi’, penned by Kunwar Viyogi.
The event also saw the trailer release of renowned Punjabi singer Jasbir Jassi’s latest song ‘Ucchi Udaan’. Jassi has lent his voice to Kunwar Viyogi’s composition, featuring the singer himself along with Joohie and Ram Dattaji along with his troop. The music video is extensively shot in and around Jammu and is due to release in November 2021.