Dr Parth Oza will take a break this Navratri from medicine and will join his father noted singer Sanjay Oza- on the stage to sing during Navratri and make the people groove with passion anddevotion on the garba grounds.
This father-son duo are in great demand this Navratri as they will be seen performing together at most of the prominent garba venues of the city. In fact, passion for music is another thing these two share along with their genes. Dr Parth, 25, who started singing at the tender age of seven says, “While singing was in my blood, I was also interested in the medical field. I think this is the right age for me to be a part of both the fields as I can spend time for both. I am currently doing a research on medical music therapy in Mumbai and travel to Ahmedabad for performances. My father has been a great source of inspiration and has always been supportive in all my decisions.I consider myself fortunatetobe getting this opportunity of performing with him.”
Singing is in the family’s legacy as Sanjay inherited this passion from his mother Umaben who too is a renowned singer. “I have been singing for the past twenty four years and after my son joined me,I have seen broader dimensions of my profession. He has brought about a new vision along with his fresh singing. He used to accompany me as a child artist in my foreign trips and now, he has taken it up as a profession. The experience of performing together is difficult to express in words”, says the veteran singer who himself has a degree in B.Sc with Physics.
In fact, the state has a number of dedicated artists who have invested their lives to continue the legacy of garba generation after generation. “Garba is our family religion,” says Sonal Shah (49) daughter of Harshda (72) and Janardan Raval (75), noted Sugam sangeet artists who have done playbacksinging for garba in about 200 Gujarati films and have received several state-level awardsfor best garba singing.
Sonal, who has inherited the art of musicfrom her parentsfeels, “I began tosing atthe ageof 4 and have been professionally singing garba since the last 30 years.” Sonal’sdaughter, Kirtan (24)student of CA, now accompanies her to top-end venues and clubs during Navratri. “I am thrilled that my daughter too has inherited the art and is taking the family legacy forward,” she says.
Similarly, Ami Patwa (54), founder of Venunaad-one of the oldest garba groups in the city which has put up more than 50 stage shows, says, “Garba –folk dance forms the real identity of Gujarat and it is vital to continue the legacy of this traditional folk.” Patwa’s daughter, Saloni Patel, a lawyer by profession, has inherited this art. “I am happy that Saloni is the co-director of this 34-year old group and enthusiastically choreographs garba performances.”
