With December coming, can music be far behind? December is the peak music season in Chennai. The city hosts an astonishing number of concerts every December and is the destination for artistes and rasikas of assorted sorts, cutting across geographical locations. Since last year, however, thanks to The Hindu, the music season has advanced by a month in Chennai.

The Hindu, popularly known as Mount Road Maha Vishnu, had successfully launched its maiden music festival, christined `November Music Fest’. It was a huge success last year with renowned artistes like vocalist Bombay Jayashri and flautist Ronu Majumdar participate in the opening to present a splendid Jugalbandhi. It was quite an exciting start to November Music Fest. Later on, the November Fest gathered momentum with a Jugalbandhi concert of Mandolin U. Shrinivas and Ustad Sultan Khan on Sarangi. It was a scintillating show. Drupad concerts by Gundecha brothers - Umakant and Ramakant - took the audience to a different world. Last year, the festival saw Shuba Mudgal enthrall the audience with her fabulous Khayal and Thumri recital. Bangladeshi singer Runa Laila’s haunting melodies brought the curtain down on The Hindu’s maiden November Fest.

The Hindu has announced the schedule for its second edition of the November Music Fest. This year’s fest will be for 7 days from November 10 to 19 at the Music Academy, Madras. This time around, there will be seven shows. Well-known singer from Pakistan Malika-e-ghazal Farida Khanum, the majestic lady with her superb voice, will fly into Chennai to enthrall the discerning rasikas. Farida Khanum is trained by her sister Muqhtar Begum and the Patiala Ustad Ashiq Ali Khan.

Khanum was on a sabbatical for a long time. But when she returned, she came back with a bang. For the first time, music buffs in Chennai can hear the haunting thumris and ghazals from this renowned singer on the opening day of The Hindu November Fest. The second day will feature “Magic of Mozart” by Signum Quartett of Germany.

They will play the Mozart pieces to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the composer. Kerstin Dill (violin), Annette Walther (violin), Valentin Eichler (viola) and Thomas Schmitz (cello) will play special selections from Mozart’s work. The fest will also feature World Music by Rahul Ram, Susmit Sen, Asheem Chakravarthy and Amit Kilam. They have won the "Pick of the Fringe Festival" nomination at Edinburgh.

There will also be a Global Conversation (fusion music) by reputed artiste of Hindustani music Kala Ramnath (violin), George Brooks (saxophone), Kai Eckhart (bass), Satyajit Talwalkar (tabla), Harmeet Mansetta (keyboard) and Mukul Dongre (drums).There will be a melodic and rhythmic confluence. Kala Ramnath has been trained under T.N.Krishnan, N.Rajam and Pandit Jasraj. Kala Ramnath has proficiency in both Carnatic and Hindustani music. Dr.M. Balamuralikrishna and Ajay Chakraborthy will do a Jugalbandhi with their exclusive repertoire. They are also slated to sing together. There is also an exciting “Wisdom of Vittala,” an Abhang show by vocalist Aruna Sairam.

Finally, in the “Meeting of Minds”, Umayalpuram K.Sivaraman (mridangam) and Ram Kumar Mishra (Tabala), Chitra Veena Ravikiran and Mohana Veena Viswa Mohan Bhatt will play swaras and balance rhythm. It is designed by Maestro Umalyapuram K.Sivaraman.