Artist Aloud, a platform by Hungama that supports and promotes independent music and Khazana, an annual concert that celebrates the brilliance of ghazals, recently announced the winners of the second edition of ‘Khazana Artist Aloud Talent Hunt’.

This year, the contest was open to participants from across the world and 20 semi-finalists, including one from USA, were shortlisted to perform live in front of the jury comprising Pankaj Udhas, Talat Aziz, Anup Jalota, Rekha Bhardwaj and Sudeep Banerjee. Joydeepta Bandyopadhyay from Kolkata, and Sohini Singha Mojumdarfrom Kolkata, were announced as the winners and will get an opportunity to perform at the annual concert, ‘Khazana – A Festival of Ghazals’ along with legendary ghazal singers that includes the jury and others, in July 2019 in Mumbai.

The contest saw extraordinary participation from over 75 cities worldwide. Aspiring singers across age groups from various parts of the nation including cities like Kashipur, Jabalpur, Kozhikode, Tiruchirappalli, Dhanbad, Pusad City and more participated in the talent hunt.

Speaking about the talent hunt, Pankaj Udhas said, “The Khazana festival is the biggest celebration of the art of ghazal singing. With each successful edition of the talent hunt, we seek to offer a platform for aspiring singers that helps them hone their talent further. I am proud of and excited for Joydeepta and Sohini. I congratulate them and wish them luck as they embark on an exciting journey.”

Commenting on the performances, Rekha Bhardwaj said, “We saw an overwhelming response from all the participants. I am glad to have been a part of an initiative that has helped extend the reach of ghazal singing on a global level. Khazana and Artist Aloud have successfully created a platform that enables and empowers aspiring artists and gives them a stage to share their talent with the world.”

Khazana – A Festival of Ghazals was founded by legendary ghazal singer and President, Parents Association Thalassemic Unit Trust, Pankaj Udhas and Mr. Y.K. Sapru, Chairman & CEO, Founder Director, Cancer Patients Aid Association (CPAA) with the support of ghazal maestros Talat Aziz and Anup Jalota. Currently in its 18th year, Khazana has excelled in presenting a melodic mix of exquisite poetry and soulful compositions rendered by both, new and established ghazal singers of the country in an ambience that transports ghazal lovers to a land of pure bliss. All proceeds from the festival go to the Parents Association Thalassemic Unit Trust (PATUT) and Cancer Patients Aid Association (CPAA).