Perth Artist’s Mesmerizing Concert “Aaj Jane ki Zid Na

By: Rekha Rajvanshi

Ghazal Maestro Amitav Islam and Tabla Ustad Gurpreet Singh travelled to Sydney from Perth and enthralled audiences with their soulful ghazal singing. “Aaj Jaane Ki Zid Na Karo” 2023 mehfil tour by Amitav and Gurpreet began in Perth on June 24 and continued via Sydney on July 1, Newcastle on July 2, and Auckland on July 7. The events in Sydney and Newcastle were planned and emceed by Sonu Rastogi.

Amitav Islam has a classical music background and is a well-known performer, who is often referred to as “Jagjit Singh of Western Australia” by his fans and admirers. Amitav’s fascination towards ghazals, especially towards ghazal maestros like Mehdi Hassan Khan Sahab, Ghulam Ali Khan Sahab and Jagjit Singh ji has helped him to specialize in the niche semi-classical genre, which has established him as a foremost ghazal singer in Perth.

Gurpreet Singh, who accompanied Amitav on Tabla, is also a leading Tabla player in Australia, he hails from Punjab Gharana. He has shared the stage with some of the biggest Classical and bollywood artists in the past including Ustad Dilshad Khan, Pt. Purbayan Chatterjee, Ustad Tari Khan, Jazim Sharma, Prithvi Gandharv and many Gurmat Sangeet maestros.

Riti Bhattachary and Tarini Masuwadi, students at Chakras Performing Art in Newcastle run by Shrimati Savitri Naidoo, gave a dance performance to kick off the evening. A Sydney-based singer named Bhagirathi Bhatt