Over 85 members of the local community gathered at the Hampton Inn & Suites in Stamford, CT to enjoy a rare evening of “ghazals” by renowned vocalist Shanti Hiranand and her talented group of musicians. She enthralled and mesmerized the appreciative audience for almost three hours with her rich and captivating voice, singing many of the ghazals of yesteryear. She was accompanied by Vinay Kumar Mishra (harmonium), Ghanshyam Sisodia (sarangi), Manoj Nagar (tabla) and Prakash Kumar Thakur (tanpura).
 
Hosted by GOPIO Connecticut chapter and the Hampton Inn, the program was made possible through the support of the Indian Consulate in New York and the Indian Council of Cultural Relations.
 
Born in Lucknow, Padma Shri Shanti Hiranand is a renowned vocalist who received her early training from Ustad Aijaz Khan of Rampur. Her first performance was on radio Lahore in 1947. She met her guru and mentor Begum Akhtar in 1952, and received training from her in the traditional forms of thumri, dadra and ghazal singing.
 
Welcoming the performers and the guests, Sangeeta Ahuja, president of GOPIO-Connecticut chapter said “it is an honor and a rare privilege to have Shanti Hiranand with us today to share her talent and joy for music with all of us here in Connecticut, and keeping this rich tradition alive.”
 
GOPIO-CT serves as a non-partisan, secular, civic and community service organization – promoting awareness of Indian culture, customs and contributions of PIOs through community programs, forums, events and youth activities. GOPIO is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization. It seeks to strengthen partnerships and create an ongoing dialogue with local communities and policy makers.
 

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