January 24, 2011 (Sampurn Wire): Kolkata Festival has finally started its journey on Saturday at the Nicco Park Big Lawns with a promise to offer a treat to the music lovers. The music lovers were waiting for the grand event to start. Now, the curtain is raised and the city will rock for the next eight days.

The event will offer you some soothing music, taste bud-tickling cookery shows and thought-provoking theater shows till January 31. Under the banner of Times of Youth, renowned singer KK has crooned for his fans at a programme. At the same venue, Runa Laila has already enthralled her fans on Sunday by taking them back to the eighties evergreen numbers.

On January 25, Munawar Masoom and Niyazi Brothers will offer a spellbinding experience to the audience through their qawalis. The same day will also see the performances of theater actor Rajesh Gopie in the play Out of Bounds at the GD Birla Sabhagar.

Celebrity chefs like Rajesh Dubey, Chiranjib Chatterjee and Manoj Ashwal will prepare some mouth-watering dishes at the restaurants such as Afraa and Mainland China. Tumhari Amrita, which is considered to be much talked play of last two decades, will be offered by veteran actors Shabana Azmi and Faooque Sheikh.

On January 29, the Rajasthani Roots will offer some fusion dose at the Tollygunge Club Lawns. There is something more exciting to enjoy on the final two days of the festival. Renowned singer Shubha Mudgal will entertain the audience with her fusion numbers at the Prinsep Ghat on January 30. On the same day, the baul band Brahmakhyapa will capture the audience at the South City Mall. The visitors will also be entertained by the jugglers and tattoo artists.

On January 31, the festival will conclude with the performance of renowned band Saptakshara. The same evening will see the performances by percussionists Vikku Vinayakram and Selvaganesh, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, Pandit Jasraj and Swapan Chaudhuri.

--Sampurn Wire