Deshpande music festival is back, on YouTube this time

Nagpur: The Dr Vasantrao Deshpande Smruti Sangeet Samaroh, a flagship music festival organized by the South Central Zone Cultural Centre (SCZCC), will be relayed on YouTube platform this year owing to the Covid-19 restrictions on the live cultural and theatre events in Maharashtra. Last year, the festival was broadcast live on Facebook. The centre has launched its YouTube channel now.
“This festival is a three-decade old tradition and we have decided to continue it. Despite full lockdown last year, we managed to hold the 29th edition. This year, we were expecting to hold at least some events on stage. As the restrictions are still on, the fest will go online again,” said Dr Deepak Khirwadkar, director of SCZCC.
The three-day music festival is held around July 30 every year to coincide with the death anniversary of legendary classical vocalist Pt Vasantrao Deshpande. This year, it will start on July 30 and end on August 1. The day will mark the conclusion of death centenary of Lokmanya Tilak.
“We have dedicated the 30th edition of the fest to the life and work of Lokmanya Tilak. On August 1, a musical event on Marathi Natya Sangeet will be held. The event calendar has a good blend of artists from all parts of the country,” said Dr Khirwadkar.