behind the bazaar and that got corrupted to Bhendi Bazaar!”
One of the most valuable events of 2020 in Indian Classical Music is this interview series with Pt. Mahale, conducted by Pt. Nayan Ghosh for Baithak Hyderabad, discussing the work of Pt. Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande. Mahale is a senior musician and scholar in the direct lineage of Pt. Bhatkhande and is a storehouse of information about Khayal and its history especially as it evolved in Mumbai. The discussion is invaluable for its historical and interpretive value. That an online event was among the more noteworthy ones was a sign of the "new normal" in 2020. Baithak Hyderabad is a Facebook page that possibly garnered more following this year than it did in the four years of its existence. Other Facebook pages too gathered enthusiastic following: like Artists United that offers “a virtual roof for artists, listeners, viewers and audiences” and was created in response to the pandemic-induced lockdowns during the blighted year that was 2020.