MUMBAI: The Indian Music Academy announced the names of six winners from among 18 finalists of its national level talent hunt on 12 December 2009.
S Akash (12 yrs, Flute) Gurpreet Kaur (23yrs, Santoor) Kakali Bhattacharya (32 yrs, Thumri) Ramendra Singh Solanki (22 yrs, Tabla) Prabhakar – 27yrs and Divakar Kashyap – 25 yrs (Hindustani classical vocal) and S Jananiy (18 yrs, Carnatic vocal) are the chosen six.
Pt Hariprasad Chaurasia, Pt Jasraj and Hariharan graced were the national level judges at the mega finale that was hosted by actor Annu Kapooor and Durga Jasraj.
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After an intensive three month nation-wide search across six centers: Chandigarh, Kolkata, Chennai, Bhopal, Mumbai, Nagpur with overwhelming responses and participation from over 2000 contestants, IMA discovered 18 Indian musical gems of gen next who participated in the national semi finals and the national mega finals that were held on 11 and 12 December at Rangsharda, Bandra (W), Mumbai. This was a first of its kind complete Indian music talent hunt that included all forms of Indian music such as Ghazal, Bhajan, Sufi, Folk, Qawwali, Hindustani and Carnatic (Vocal and Instrumental).
IMA will not only provide one year free music scholarship to these six national finalists declared in Mumbai, but will also groom them into professional musicians. Every six months the progress of the six national finalists will be reviewed on the basis of which their scholarship and training will be extended. In addition to this, IMA will also give them a golden platform to showcase their talent along with young rising stars, young maestros, popular stars and legends of Ghazal, Bhajan, Sufi, Folk, Qawwali, Hindustani and Carnatic music in Idea Jalsa – Music For The Soul which is currently being aired on DD National every Sunday (10:30-11:00 A.M. IST). In addition, it will also provide multiple opportunities to each of the other remaining national finalists who were exceptionally talented
Prior to the competition in Mumbai, the 18 national finalists had an interactive session with Padma Vibhushan Pt. Jasraj at his residence and also visited Padma Vibhushan Pt. Hari Prasad Chaurasia’s Gurukul, where he shared his insights in music with them. In the national semi finals on 11th December the eminent jury chose 9 national finalists namely Gurpreet Kaur, Mukul Gill, Kakali Bhattacharya, K. H. Vineeth, S. Jananiy, S. Akash, Ramendra Singh Solanki, Ranjit Pawar and Prabhakar-Divakar Kashyap. As each of their performances were marvelous and par excellence it became extremely difficult for the jury to make a decision on the final six.
