MEDFORD, MA–Ekal Sa Re Ta Re 2024, a symphony of music and positivity and the brainchild of Rishabh Tole, Ekal Youth leader, was held late last month at the Tufts University in Medford, MA. It was 2nd annual Ekal Sa Re Ta Re vocal competition.
An accomplished singer and musician with education as a priority, Rishabh, a senior at Xaverian Brothers High School, wanted to provide an unbiased platform for all singers to showcase their talent while benefiting Ekal Vidyalaya and contributing toward education in rural India. In its second year, Ekal Sa Re Ta Re had more than 50 participants registered including kids and adults, who took part in the Non-Classical Western and/or Indian section.
The event started with the western category, judged by an accomplished panel of judges, comprising of Mr. James Holmes, an Honor Award recipient in his 29th year of teaching in MA and RI public schools, Soprano Danielle Shevchenko, a voice teacher with the POMS program in Bedford and a performer with over 15 years of experience, and Radha, a final semester student at the Berklee College of music, and recipient of the Berklee World Tour Scholarship.
Here are the winners in the respective categories in the western section:
Western Kinder (Grades K-4)
· First Prize: Myra Manchanda
· Second Prize: Shanaya Sonchhatra
· Special Mention: Avery Nagarkar
Western Junior (Grades 5-8)
· First Prize: Sameer Saxena
· Second Prize: Aadya Choubey
· Special Mention: Dia Mysore
Western Youth (Grades 9-12)
· First Prize: Suhani Saxena
· Second Prize: Myra Todkari
· Special Mention: Rishita Phanse
This was followed by the Indian Non-Classical section, that was judged by a group of versatile, seasoned musicians from the community. Kanika Pandey, a versatile artist, educator, and community advocate with over 20 years of experience in Hindustani Classical music, Shraddha Agarwal, a senior disciple of Padma Shri Shri Suresh Wadekar ji and an extensive performer in diverse genres, Raghu Saranathan, trained in Carnatic and Hindustani music and performing in the Greater Boston area since 2003, Sankar Gangaikondan, often referred to as the Mohammad Rafi of New England for his distinctive style, & Ashwini Paranjape who has trained in Hindustani Classical vocal since age 10 and has released two music albums.
This story was originally published in indianewengland.com. Read the full story here.
