Dastangoi [made up of two Persian words: ‘Dastan’ meaning long tale and ‘goi’ meaning to tell it], is the lost art form of Urdu storytelling, revived in recent years. The original Dastans were epic tales of adventure and magic, among which Dastans of Amir Hamza were most prominent. In recent years new Dastans have expanded to include folk and other tales as well and the language has widened from chaste Urdu to include Hindustani and Hindi. The beauty of Dastangoi lies in the fact that it is the purest form of storytelling, which relies heavily on just two factors: the beauty of the language and the skill of the narrator.
Dastan Miyan Azad ki
This Dastan is a carefully curated selection of 3 nuggets of different moods, from ‘Fasana-e-Azad’. Authored by Pandit Ratan Naath Sarshaar, this gem of Urdu literature was hugely popular in the late 19th and early 20th century. It is a compilation of anecdotes and encounters of its central character- Miyan Azad and brings alive, in its word pictures, the Lucknow of the post-1857 era. The Dastan is embellished with the element of music, in carefully chosen songs based on classical ragas, highlighting the different moods.
The ageless appeal of this Urdu classic lies in its rich tapestry of colloquial language, ornamental expressions and lyrical writing peppered with occasional couplets, to describe festivals, rituals, festivities, mourning, feasts etc. It’s like a brilliant multi faceted diamond, flashing various moods and flavours. Published in book form first in 1880, ‘Fasana-e-Azad’ was serialised from December 1878 to December 1879 in ‘Avadh Akhbar’, an Urdu weekly published from Lucknow by Munshi Nawal Kishore.
The Dastangos
VALENTINA TRIVEDI is an educationist and performance artist. She has performed at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, Edinburgh, Bookraroo Childrens’ Literature Festival, Malaysia, apart from performances pan India. As a Dastango, apart from performing in Urdu and Hindustani, she has also adapted Satyajit Ray’s popular film ‘Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne’ into a Dastan embellishing it with translations of its original songs.
ASKARI NAQVI is Lucknow based performing artist. Soz Khwani and Dastangoi are two different Art forms he performs. He is also a student of music and getting trained under Pandit Amit Mukerjee. He has performed Soz Khwani and Dastangoi to national and international acclaim. Open Donation. All are welcome.
October 06, 2018 7:30 pm Saturday & October 07, 8:00 pm Sunday.
“Soz-khwani”, is a poetic & musical expression of a battle against tyranny in Karbala 1400 years ago by a group of seventy two people. This poetic and musical form is a beautiful expression of human emotions weaved in Indian symbols, narration of life and culture. This Art form is performed traditionally during the month of Muharram. Muharram is month of mourning for Shia Muslims. The form is performed during the close gatherings in an event called the “Majalis” where people gather for mourning for the sacrifices made in Karbala. The Art form has really been an important tradition of Awadh in India in terms of classical Awadhi, Urdu and some Persian poetic forms. Soz-khwani is also very much part of the folk music traditions of Awadh though not widely appreciated as they have been only closely associated to personal religious beliefs and traditions. The compositions for Soz-Khwani are based on the Indian Ragas. The Art form was part of many Shia family traditions in Awadh but now there are very few families who are still holding this tradition. The family Askari comes from belongs to a ‘Qasba’ (town) situated in the heart of Awadh called Mustafabad in Raebareli district of Uttar Pradesh in India. The family has been practicing and has preserved the Art form in a similar way like any other oral cultural traditions. But now there are very few in our generation who are practicing these classical forms.
ASKARI NAQVI is Lucknow based performing artist. Soz Khwani and Dastangoi are two different Art forms he performs. He is also a student of music and getting trained under Pandit Amit Mukerjee. He has performed Soz Khwani and Dastangoi to national and international acclaim.
Open Donation All are Welcome.
