GERMAN Ambassador to India Michael Steiner was on Saturday (November 30) night felicitated for making possible the ‘Ehsaas-e-Kashmir’ concert held in the Valley in September and for strengthening cultural ties between India and Germany.
The ceremony which was held at the Ambassador’s residence was attended by Union Minister Farooq Abdullah and Indian instrumentalist Pandit Bhajan Sopori.
The Sopori Academy of Music and Performing Arts (SaMaPa) awarded Steiner for “his significant contribution towards the growth, development and promotion of the music of Kashmir.”
The Kashmir Concert, organised by the German Embassy on September 7 at Shalimar Bagh of the Moghul Garden, saw Maestro Zubin Mehta conduct the Bavarian State Orchestra from Munich together with the fifteen Kashmiri musicians in a 90-minute musical tribute to the Kashmiris.
“The ambassador has not only contributed to this event but the relationship between India and Germany has been strengthened in his time,” Minister of New and Renewable Energy, Farooq Abdullah said.
Pandit Sopori, while giving away the award credited Steiner for hosting the event in the valley.
“It’s a real privilege to felicitate Michael. This was the first time the entire world saw the culture of Kashmir and the credits go to the ambassador,” he said.
SaMaPa honour personalities who go beyond the conventional areas and contribute significantly towards the growth of art and culture in the country and carries a cash reward of Rs 50,000 ($803.25/£490.22).
“It is difficult to blend the two worlds. It was a wonderful experience in having such reception from not just Kashmiris but whole of India. It was good to know that even after some resistance we can have cooperation between cultures which encourages us all. We proved classical Europe and Islamic culture can cooperate in working together,” Steiner said while receiving the award.
The evening also saw some performances by Kashmiri musicians who started the event with traditional Kashmiri song ‘Rind-e-Poshmal’.
The Embassy said they are planning to conduct more such events to strengthen cultural ties between the two countries.
