Lucknow, September 15 (TNA) FolkTales Music Studio was formally launched at Hotel Taj, Lucknow, on Friday evening during a special musical programme titled "Music in Soul," an event that combined live performances with the unveiling of two new initiatives from the city-based cultural organisation.
The evening marked ten years of FolkTales' creative journey and coincided with the launch of ten books reflecting the organisation's work in art, culture, and knowledge. The FolkTales Spiritual Gifting Portal was also introduced at the event, an initiative through which the organisation intends to bring Indian spiritual traditions and curated products to a wider audience through a contemporary digital platform.
A New Platform for Emerging Musicians
At the centre of the evening was the launch of FolkTales Music Studio, positioned as a dedicated space for emerging musical talent to receive training, mentorship, and performance opportunities. Organisers said the studio would go beyond providing a stage, with an emphasis on helping new artists refine their craft and reach wider audiences.
FolkTales Director and singer Manuj Sharma addressed the gathering, tracing the organisation's decade-long association with art and culture and describing the studio as a natural extension of that journey. The idea for the studio had earlier been shared in a courtesy meeting with Uttar Pradesh's Tourism and Culture Minister, Shri Jaiveer Singh, who is reported to have welcomed the initiative as a boost to the state's cultural economy.
Performances Spanning Genres and Generations
The programme opened with High Tea and a ceremonial lamp-lighting before moving into an evening of performances by roughly twenty musicians. The lineup was led by Manuj Sharma and his ten-year-old son, singer Adhyatm Sharma, whose voice has previously featured in projects for T-Series and Doordarshan. His performance alongside his father and the wider ensemble drew notable appreciation from the audience.
Musically, the evening ranged widely-opening with the devotional composition "Brij Ras" and moving through a mix of classic Hindi film numbers, including "Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya," "Jeena Yahan Marna Yahan," "Sandese Aate Hain," "Mere Dholna Sun," "Chitthi Aayi Hai," "Chhap Tilak Sab Chheeni Re," "Ud Ja Kaale Kaawa," and "Tu Hai To Dil Dhadakta Hai." The set spanned devotional, Sufi, patriotic, and romantic strands of Hindi music over the course of the evening.
FolkTales Director Raj Smriti anchored the programme, linking performances, guest remarks, and felicitations into a single continuous presentation.
Distinguished Guests in Attendance
The event drew a cross-section of public figures, including Padma Shri awardees Vidya Bindu and Anil Rastogi, HG Aparimay Shyam Das, Pawan Singh Chauhan, Aparna Bisht Yadav, Danish Azad Ansari, Dr Hari Om, Sanyukta Bhatia, Awanish Kumar Singh, Dr Sanjeev Awasthi, Sudhir Halwasiya, Nisheeth Chandra, Manjula Goswami, Qazi Meraj Ahmad, and Anil Kumar. Several guests spoke during the programme on the importance of supporting emerging talent in music, art, and culture. The evening concluded with an honour ceremony and a group photography session.
Looking Ahead
With FolkTales Music Studio now formally launched, the organisation says its focus going forward will be on structured training, mentorship, and performance opportunities for new artists, alongside its existing work in publishing and spiritual products through the newly launched gifting portal.