Indian classical music needs to be preserved: Shiv Kumar

Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma stressed on the need for financial support for Indian classical music.

Mumbai: Stressing on the need for financial support for Indian classical music, sarod maestro Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma Wednesday said it needs to be preserved and nurtured.

"Before Independence, the rajas and maharajas patronised art and culture. Hence, great musicians had ample time to guide and train their next generation disciples," he told a press conference here. "Indian classical music needs financial help so that it can be preserved and nurtured," he added. The legendary musician said even though cricket and Bollywood are considered to be religion for the present generation, music is a living tradition of over a thousand years. He described as "misconception and mental block" that youth of today have no concern for classical music. According to him, the response to Idea Jalsa, the multimedia platform for all forms of Indian music promoted by Indian Music Academy and Idea of the Aditya Birla group, has been phenomenal. He said the journey of Idea Jalsa began in 2006 with a ground concert tour across 39 cities. It went on air as a television programme of 78 episodes on Doordarshan. Since February, it is on Zee TV. Zee MD and CEO Punit Goenka said the channel plans to make the show global by airing it in 163 countries where Zee has a reach. PTI