What's On

Mushtari Begum Festival

2022/09/02 (Friday)

The MBF is taking place on Saturday, September 24th 2022 at 7pm featuring the Kathak/Harmonium maestra Amika Kushwaha, who will dazzle the audience with her trademark “Poetry in Motion” Kathak performance, where she will present stupendous footwork patterns and blinding pirouettes.

The 2011 Red FM Idol, Khayal vocalist Dr. Kamaljeet Gill from Edmonton, Alberta, will enchant the evening with her stirring and powerful voice. Maestro Baljit Singh’s sonorous bowed instrument, the Dilruba, appropriately named as the “Strings of the Heart”, will accompany all the artists that evening. Dr. Disha Mehta will be presenting a Ghazal alongside her teacher and guru,The Ghazal/Tabla Wizard Cassius Khan. Canadian Olympic Coach Ram Nayyar and Ashifa Tharani will read the translations of the poetry on stage as well and help create the magical flair the MBF is famous for.

Click here for tickets and more info.

Founded by New Westminsters own internationally recognized Cassius Khan, the Mushtari Begum Festival is not only a tribute to his guru, the late Ghazal Queen Mushtari Begum, but it is a platform for professional practitioners of Indian Classical Music and Dance to showcase their rare talents to the Canadian audience.

In this day and age, traditional styles of singing such as Ghazal, Khayal and Thumri are becoming increasingly rare. Similarly, it is unusual to see different forms of Indian Classical Dance with live musical accompaniment. Cassius Khan was concerned about the survival of Indian Classical Music and Dance in Canada as there are not many platforms for them to flourish. He felt a personal responsibility to ensure the survival of the various art forms, especially in Canada.

Accordingly, he invited some of the finest Indian and Canadian artists to join him on stage to present a rare treat, and ensure that these arts and artists are showcased. The Massey Theatre, understanding the importance of this cause, generously provided their venue as the Festival site in 2012, and continues to do so every year in September.