‘Khazana’ Ghazal Festival for raising funds for Cancer and Thalassemic patients

Hyderabad: As the Covid-19 pandemic has imposed restrictions on all types of activities including social and cultural, the music industry has not been an exception to it. Finding a way to tide over the restrictions following the doctrine of the Show Must Go On.
 
The Cancer Patients Aid Association (CPAA) and the Parents Association Thalassemic Unit Trust (PATUT) present their annual fundraiser Khazana – a Festival of Ghazals in an unique way. Ghazal aficionados will experience the rich and vibrant performances Virtually of India’s top performers on 19th December (Saturday) and 20th December ( Sunday) 2020  8.00PM onwards
 
This year, Khazana will feature a multitude of talents including Anup Jalota, Talat Aziz, Sudeep Banerjee, Mahalaxmi Iyer, Pandit Ajay Pohankar and Abhijit Pohankar ,Pooja Gaitonde , young talent Sneha Shankar, Pratibha Singh Baghel and Deepak Pandit. It will also feature a special act by the Samarpan band  featuring Singer Prithvi Gandharv and Gayatri Asokan. The program will also have Khazana Talent Hunt Winners –  Ritwika Mukherjee from Chakradharpur (Jharkhand) and Atul Rao from Jaipur (Rajasthan) and the everlasting  Ghazal Maestro Shri Pankaj Udhas.
 
‘Khazana – a Festival of Ghazals’ is a concept over Nineteen years old, which began as a platform for Ghazal artists to showcase their talent to an audience that appreciates their musical talent. It is an unique phenomenon of celebration of ghazals to raise funds for thalassemic children and cancer patients and it's unbelievable how this has worked over a period of time. The concert will be presented online by our digital platform partner Hungama. All proceeds in terms of donations will go to the charities to help the treatment of thalassemic children and cancer patients . Since the live show was not possible owing to the lockdown restrictions, it was recorded in a grand manner recently and will be presented before the connoisseurs of music online. This is not a ticketed event and can be watched by all viewers across the world. We have tied up with Ketto to facilitate viewers to donate online to the charity directly.
 
What is interesting is that this concert will see the young talent from Khazana ArtistAloud Talent Hunt performing with the veterans. The second edition of the ‘Khazana ArtistAloud Talent Hunt’ – India’s first and only talent hunt for ghazal singers.  The contest saw tremendous participation from 75 cities across India. From Mumbai to Pratapgarh, Delhi to Vidisha and Bengaluru to Sitamarhi, the judges saw immense talent in small and big cities alike. The participants were judged by an esteemed jury consisting of Pankaj Udhas, Rekha Bhardwaj,  Talat Aziz, Anup Jalota and Sudeep Banerjee which was spread across 2 rounds. The 2 winners will get an opportunity to now perform at the eagerly awaited Khazana Ghazal festival 2020
 
As virtual communication has become the new normal amid the Covid-19 lockdown,  The Cancer Patients Aid Association (CPAA) and The Parent’s Association Thalassemic Unit Trust (PATUT), which is working to raise funds for treatment on children suffering from Cancer and Thalassemia has decided to organise its annual fundraiser online this year says Padmashree Pankaj Udhas ( Eminent Ghazal Singer and President of the Parents Association Thalassemic Unit Trust (PATUT). “I take this opportunity to thank all the artists, sponsors and the audience, for their full- hearted support from the bottom of my heart. I hope and am also confident that this year also the show will prove to be a resounding success as in the past. “said Ghazal Maestro Padmashree Pankaj Udhas
 
He Further said that ‘Every year 10,000 children with Thalassaemia Major are born in India, which constitutes 10% of the total number in the world and one out of every 8 carriers of Thalassaemia worldwide lives in India. PATUT, headed by PadmaShri Pankaj Udhas as its President, provides end to end solution on Thalassaemia,  including Awareness,  Detection,  Prevention,  Test for matching of Bone Marrow of Donor and Donee, sponsoring Bone Marrow Transplant of Thalassaemia Major Children under ten years age and Counselling. For the last five years, PATUT has concentrated on Bone Marrow Transplants  (BMT) for Children up to age of 10 years, which is the only remedy available for Thalassaemia Major, Sickle Cell Anaemia and A Plastic Anaemia Patients.
 
Cancer Patients Aid Association (CPAA) is a non-profit organisation that aims to support cancer patients and care-givers to face their illness with the hope of living their lives to the fullest and providing them with means to reclaim their identities and dignity of life. 51 years ago, Mr. Y. KSapru, Founder Chairman, CPAA recognised and developed the philosophy of the 'Total Management of Cancer' which is recognised world over today. CPAA works side-by-side with the medical fraternity, focusing on activities encompassing Awareness, Early Detection, Support for treatment, Guidance and Counselling, Rehabilitation, Research Studies and Advocacy.
 
“Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, cancer did not stop at all and nor did CPAA's aid and support to cancer patients said Mr Y K Sapru (Founder Chairman CPAA)  With the help of online networking and technology, we were able to reach out and assist 1,444 cancer patients with medicines amounting to Rs. 1.24 crores. We conducted several virtual entertainment programs for cancer patients especially those afflicted with COVID-19