BALTIMORE - Musicians from across the country will share the classical and folk traditions of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh at the 14th Annual Indian Music and Dance Festival to be held in UMBC's Fine Arts Recital Hall on Friday, November 21 through Sunday, November 23. Tickets for a Friday evening dinner and concert are $15, or $10 for the concert only. Admission to the dance competition on Saturday and Sunday is $5 each day and $7 for both days. All events are open to the public.

The festival, sponsored by UMBC's Department of Music and the Academy of Indian Music and Fine Arts in Catonsville, is the only event of its kind on the East Coast. The festival is part of an effort to promote appreciation for the artistic traditions of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Music performances and dance competitions regularly draw participants from across the nation, including the thousands of Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi nationals who live in the region.

Over 100 performers of all ages will be dressed in colorful native costumes to compete in the categories of classical, devotional and film songs; classical and folk dance; sitar and tabla (Indian drums). In addition, a variety of Indian food will be for sale.

The competition will kick off with a 6:30 p.m. dinner and a 7:30 p.m. concert on Friday, November 21. The concert features classical vocalist Sunil Mungee and sitar player Hidayat Khan with a tabla duet by Enayet Hussain and Patrick.

For more information or to reserve dinner tickets, call 410.747.3950

9:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday, November 22
10 a.m.-12:15 p.m.: Bhajan (devotional odes to Hindu gods and goddesses) /
Shabad (devotional odes to the Sikh god)
12:15-12:45: Classical vocal
12:45-2:35 p.m.: Bharatnatyam (classical dance)
2:35-4:35 p.m.: Sitar
4:35-7:15 p.m.: Tabla (Indian Drums)
7:15-end: Classical vocals

9 a.m.-6:35 p.m. Sunday, November 23
9:30-11 a.m.: Bhajan (religious vocals)
11 a.m.-12:45 p.m.: Film songs
12:45-2:15 p.m. Nazrul Geeti (classical songs based on Bengali poetry) /
Rabindra Sangeet (based on Bengali poetry of Nobel Laureate Rabindra Nath Tagore) 2:15-5:05 p.m.: Ghazal (songs based on romantic
Urdu poetry from Mughal history) 5:05-6:35 p.m.: Folk dance
6:35-end: Awards ceremony