A stunning solo vocal performance, a violin recital and a jazz music group were just the beginning of the festivities taking place in Merton earlier this month. This is the third year that the Indian Classical Music and Poetry Festival has taken place in Merton, so people, of all different cultures, were eagerly anticipating the weekend!
The grand celebration of Indian culture began on March 17th, and spread over the next three days – the hours were full of live performances expressing the joy and bliss of the culture. A Hindustani classical singer: Chandra Chakraborty, performed at the Merton Arts Space showing off her absolutely stunning and beautiful vocals. Following her, was another remarkable live show by the jazz music group ‘Iyatra’ who performed an array of music to celebrate the Indian culture and history of it.
The next solo recital by an incredible musician Anup Kumar Biswas who played the cello. He is a very well-known Indian cello player, praised in particular for his Western classical music. The final day of the festival, was held in Raynes Park Library Hall where there was a talk about the challenges of promoting Indian classical music to western audiences, the stereotypes or possible prejudices that could arise.
Overall, the festival was a huge success; festival director Ahmed Kaysher expressed his excitement for the “unique festival”. He said the artists put on “world-class performances” portraying “magical and enrapturing genres of Pan-Indian classical music” Ahmed Kaysher finished by explaining how they put the festival together: developing “experiential ways of presenting Indian classical music by intertwining it with the haunting verses of world poetry to appeal to audiences from across the globe.”
Source: http://www.wimbledonsw19.com/default.asp?section=info&page=indianmusicfestival001.htm
