Artist Aloud, a platform by Hungama that supports and promotes independent music and Khazana, an annual concert that celebrates the brilliance of ghazals, today announced the best performers of ‘Khazana Artist Aloud Talent Hunt’, India’s first-ever talent hunt for ghazal singers. Aditya Langeh (24 years) from Jammu and Oshin Bhatia(25 years) from Delhi were announced as the star performers of thisunique contest that set out to leverage the power of technology and give talented singers across the country a chance to be a part of the exquisite art of ghazal singing. In addition to the duo, DattaprasadRanade (45 years) from Pune and Siddhant (11 years) from Kashipur were also called out for their brilliant ghazal singing skills. All four will get an opportunity to perform at the annual concert, ‘Khazana – A Festival of Ghazals’ along with legendary ghazal singers Pankaj Udhas, Talat Aziz, AnupJalota, Rekha Bhardwaj, Sudeep Banerjee, among others on 27th and 28th July 2018 in Mumbai.The participants were judged by an esteemed jury consisting of Pankaj Udhas, Talat Aziz, AnupJalota, Rekha Bhardwaj andSudeep Banerjee. The contest saw tremendous participation from 75 cities. From Mumbai to Pratapgarh, Delhi to Vidisha and Bengaluru to Sitamarhi, the judges saw immense talent in small and big cities alike, across people of all age groups.
Speaking about the talent hunt, SouminiSridhara Paul, Vice President, Artist Aloud, Hungama Digital Media Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. said, “Khazana Artist Aloud Talent Hunt was an amalgamation of technology and the sublime art of ghazal singing. The contest enabled us to reach out to a pan-India audience and in turn, allowed aspiring singers to utilize the medium to have their voice heard. We are certain that through such collaborations, both Khazana and Artist Aloud will continue to aid and enable deserving singers and help them share their talent with the world.”Speaking about the talent hunt, Pankaj Udhas said, “Khazana was conceptualized to be a festival that celebrates the magic of ghazals. Every year, we aim to bring to light budding singers who show immense promise and can carry forward the legacy of ghazals. We are proud to have Aditya Langeh, Oshin Bhatia, DattaprasadRanade and Siddhant with us this year. All of them displayed a pure love for the art and had soulful voices that made us choose them in what was an extremely tough decision.”Elaborating on the judging process, Rekha Bhardwaj said, “Shortlisting two candidates from a host of extremely talented singers was a difficult process. Through the duration of the contest, we realized that there is a storehouse of talent in India waiting to be discovered, and we had to provide a stage to four talent, instead of just two.”
Sudeep Banerjee added,“The digital medium provided by Artist Aloud gave the participants an exceptional mechanism to get noticed. I wish the four singers best of luck and hope that they will continue their march forward on this beautiful journey.”Speaking about being chosen, Aditya Langeh said, “Being a part of such a prestigious festival is a dream come true for me. I am grateful to Khazana and the judges for taking a note of my voice, and to Artist Aloud for providing a platform that helped me get noticed.”Oshin Bhatia added, “Participating in Khazana Artist Aloud Talent Hunt was an extremely easy process. I didn’t have to wait in long queues for auditions or even travel to another town for submitting my entry – it was all done online, from the comfort of my home. I hope that I’ll be able to make the judges proud of my performance at the Khazana Festival.”Khazana – A Festival of Ghazals was founded by legendary ghazal singer and President, Parents Association Thalassemic Unit Trust, Pankaj Udhas and Mr. Y.K. Sapru, Chairman & CEO, Founder Director, Cancer Patients Aid Association (CPAA) with the support of ghazal maestros Talat Aziz and AnupJalota. Currently in its 17th year, Khazana has excelled in presenting a melodic mix of exquisite poetry and soulful compositions rendered by both, new and established ghazal singers of the country in an ambience that transports ghazal lovers to a land of pure bliss. All proceeds from the festival go to the Parents Association Thalassemic Unit Trust (PATUT) andCancer Patients Aid Association (CPAA).