Celebrating 4 decades of Spic Macay with Padmashree Dr Kiran Seth
Padma Shri Dr Kiran Seth, 66, was studying in the US when he had an epiphany during a Brooklyn concert by dhrupad maestros Ustad Aminuddin Dagar and Ustad Fariduddin Dagar. When he came back to India and started teaching mechanical engineering at IIT Delhi, he realized most of his students were cut off from any form of Indian classical music. This inspired him to start a small organization called SPIC MACAY in 1977, to expose young people to India's vast cultural heritage. The organization grew and grew, and is today the largest voluntary non-governmental body of its kind. It organizes more than 5,000 concerts each year and has a presence in 800 Indian cities and towns. It is estimated to have impacted more than 3 million students from schools and colleges, many of whom credit SPIC MACAY with giving them their first taste of classical music.
The disharmony outside is a direct reflection of the disharmony within a large majority of the population. Bringing in art and other aspects of Indian and world culture into our lives can make all the difference.
