A day to honor legendary singer Mohammed Rafi to add color to the Changampuzha festival

Changampuzha Park is going to celebrate the singer with live concerts with his evergreen numbers, various competitions and a ghazal evening. | Photo credit: file photo

Fans of legendary singer Mohammed Rafi in the city had better “hold the date” and put off all business on December 24th.

Changampuzha Park, which was recently renovated, is set to celebrate the singer with live concerts showcasing his evergreen and mesmerizing numbers and a number of competitions. The day dedicated to Rafi will be the culmination of the month-long Changampuzha festival organized by the Changampuzha Cultural Center (CCC) from December 1. The evening of ghazals will also be part of the celebration.

There are currently plans to make the festival a key event in the city’s cultural calendar. “We aim to make it an annual event and build its reputation on the lines of the famous Suriya festival in Thiruvananthapuram, which had humble beginnings before reaching its current level,” said P. Prakash, president, CCC.

Apart from the day dedicated to Mohammed Rafi, another day will be dedicated to traditional Mappila art forms such as Duffu muttu, Oppana and Arabanamuttu. The festival is expected to be attended by famous artists and cultural figures, which will be the first cultural and artistic celebration organized in the renovated park.

The festival will feature performances by renowned artistes including Asha Sharath, Rajasree Warrier and Vaikom Vijayalakshmi. The event will feature seven classical dance performances, six classical music concerts, three plays and traditional art forms such as Koodiyattom and the Edakka-Tayambaka concert.

Kathakali plays written by the late Irayimman Thampi and the play Sri Ayyappan performances by renowned Chavitthunatakam singers from Goturuthu will add color to the festival. The three lectures will be given by former Director General of Police Rishi Raj Singh, writer-speaker Shukat Sahajotsu, a disciple of Guru Nitya Chaitanya Yati, and motivational speaker V.K. Suresh Babu.

The Greater Cochin Development Authority recently renovated Changampuzha Park with funds from Cochin Smart Mission Limited.