Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will lay the foundation stone for the State’s first Hindustani music academy at Kuttikkattoor in Kozhikode district on Saturday. The academy, which has been a long pending demand of the city, will be named after late Ghazal singer P.A. Ibrahim who was popular among music lovers as Umbayee.
The academy, which will come up in a 20-cent plot donated by Malabar Group of companies chairman M.P. Ahammed at Montana Estates, will function under the control of the Umbayee Music Academy Trust. A special grant of ₹2.5 crore, sanctioned by the State government, will be used for setting up the basic facilities.
The plan of the trust is to complete the project in two years. In support of the initiative, the State government has already allotted ₹50 lakh from the sanctioned grant. Apart from the government aid, the trust expects the support of all Hindustani music lovers and the fans of the late singer.
The State government comes in support of the project as it envisages scientific training for youngsters interested in Hindustani music. One of the main attractions of the academy will be the presence of prominent artistes in Hindustani music from north Indian States.
According to the trust members, there will be facilities for students and performers to conduct research under the guidance of renowned performers and music scholars. A modern music museum that can conserve the history of music and its evolution at various phases in India will be another attraction of the project.
On completion of the project, a hi-tech studio will also be a reality at the academy for facilitating music productions and performances. The building and other planned facilities will be constructed with the support of the Kozhikode-based Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society.
