Bringing the first day to a close was an exquisite series of Manipuri dance performances by artistes Kheersana, Jeena and Niky, from Manipur.
Published: 19th September 2023 08:43 AM | Last Updated: 19th September 2023 08:43 AM | A+A A-
Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi inaugurated the event/photos: P Ravikumar, Ashwin Prasath, Suman Mondal.
CHENNAI: With a vibrant spell of colours, music, food, and whatnot, the two-day cultural fest Textures of Traditions was held at Kraft Retail Dine over the weekend. Under the warm yellow lights with the golden glaze of the sun peeping through the window, the event was inaugurated by Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, Minister for School Education, and Janaka Pushpanathan, director of the British Council, South India. The fest produced by Ranga Mandira Trust, an initiative that took wings under dancer and actor Swarnamalya, was a celebration of cultures and traditions across the country. TNIE was the media partner.
Celebration of heritage
The highlight of the exhibition was ‘Cultured Lives’, an audio-visual installation featuring captivating photographs of individuals from diverse regions, each embodying a facet of their unique cultural heritage. From Gond Tribal community’s Karma dance performance to the return of Ayyanar Swamy to the Draupati Amman temple, it blended the universal theme of self-discovery through one’s culture and heritage. Radhika Ganesh, co-founder of Ek Potlee Ret Ki, the organising NGO, emphasised how culture undergoes a continual transformation with each individual’s exploration of their roots, the absence of cultural dominance and the inherent richness within each cultural narrative. The team also arranged ‘Discovering India’, a fun trivia-filled event to teach children more about India’s cultural diversity and how co-existing amid these narratives can be possible.
Recognising Art
Imagine a society where every form of art not only receives recognition but thrives at its best. This vision became a reality at the festival through the inception of Atrupadai, India’s first arts market, driven by a kindred purpose. Seven tables adorned with gifted artisans, panellists, and arbitrators converged to engage in vibrant dialogues about diverse art forms, guiding and inspiring attendees to delve deeper into the realms of various art forms. The event functioned as an intensive incubation programme dedicated to nurturing the evolution and prosperity of creative industries and the cultural economy. Swarnamalya, the event’s curator, said, “We are delighted to host a constellation of exceptionally talented artistes and craftspeople as panellists, and Atrupadai is designed to be a platform for the exchange of knowledge and artistic insights.”
The panel featured Anusha Subramaniam, a UK-based dancer and choreographer; Anurag Singh, a documentary filmmaker; Srivatsan Sankaran, a celebrated photographer dedicated to empowering the disabled community; Preveen Nair, a textile designer; and a host of other passionate individuals, all deeply committed to the advancement of art and culture.
An evening of arts
The inaugural evening unfolded with a mesmerising fusion of two seamlessly interwoven performances. The first featured team Ranga Mandira Sadir Melam, commemorating the centenary of Kalaignar Karunanidhi with their rendition of ‘Tamizhe’, celebrating the beauty of Tamil language. The performers graced the stage with elegance, their expressions perfectly synchronised with live percussion. The graceful Swarnamalya took the stage next to deliver emotive performances — from a tribute to Lord Muruga to an enchanting ode to Senthamizh — leaving the audience spellbound.
Bringing the first day to a close was an exquisite series of Manipuri dance performances by artistes Kheersana, Jeena and Niky, from Manipur. The three-part performance centred around the timeless tales of Krishna and Radha, and their performances were both graceful and powerful. Talking about her experience, Kheersana shared, “Being part of such a unique event, where people from diverse backgrounds unite to celebrate various cultures under one roof, was truly special. The resounding cheers from the audience after our performance showed how much this city and its people cherish the arts.”
The performances left a mark on the audience. “It was a pleasure to be a part of this beautiful event, and the highlight of the day was for sure the Manipuri dance. All of the songs and patterns were chosen very carefully, considering the intimate proximity of the audience to the performers, as there was no traditional stage. This unique setting elevated the overall experience to an entirely new level,” shared Gayathry, an assistant professor at DG Vaishnav College.
Art contained in barriers
Sunday’s events began with the sounds of parai, dhol, and drums. Two boys performed parai, said to be “a tool of communication” for residents in the mountains. As people gathered around tapping their feet and moving their shoulders, four other artistes emerged from the audience wearing salangai and joining the parai team. Talking about the importance of art form, Sivakumar, a student and the coordinator of the performance, said, “Earlier, this art form was performed to celebrate every occasion. It was a way to convey a person’s emotions, but as people evolved, they restricted the art form to one community and to death. But now there is a boom noticed slowly. I see parai being performed at weddings and other celebrations as well.”
Swetha and Radha from Krea University joined the musicians to perform Dappankuthu. The girls threw light on how the art form can be performed by anyone, anywhere and it is also a way to showcase one’s emotions.
Impressed by the parai performance by the students of Loyola College, they were asked to appear as guest performers in the next performance — KM Chamber Ensemble by the students of KM Music Conservatory, an AR Rahman foundation. Both the teams gave an impromptu performance on the song Thottu Kadai Orathile. The performance was conducted by Anupam Roy, a faculty of the music institute. “We tried to look at some diversity as we didn’t want all the songs to be in Tamil because we are at an intercultural art festival. We wanted to be as inclusive as possible,” he said. The KM team consisted a singer, three first violins, three second violins, a cello, and two double basses.
Own the floor
As the sounds continued to reverberate, Anjana Rajagopalan and Matt Bacon took the audience on a journey of multi-genre confluence of voice and guitar. Anjana, a singer, sang in Tamil, German, and Spanish, leaving the members awestruck with the ease with which she sang songs of different languages with authenticity and modulations. Matt, a guitarist who gave a solo performance on Journey of Life, complimented her singing.
The event was not just restricted to performances. A workshop by choreographer Anita Ratnam titled ‘Exploring Spaces’ taught artistes to captivate the audience in a set-up — closed or open. “It is important that they make observations of the space, and use the lines, shapes, the objects as part of interior decor, trying to respond to that in movements,” said Anita.
More than a medium
As the clouds darkened, hinting at a possibility of a downpour, Kashmiri singer Ahmad Parvez’s verses brought to light the life in the valley, and put out a strong statement that Kashmir is more than just a paradise. “There is a set beautiful image of Kashmir in the minds of people, but the beauty comes with pain and trauma that the residents have to go through. These events help us bring the truth out as I was also told the same. I was asked for consent before planning everything, I was just asked to speak the truth,” he said. He divided his performance into two sets. In the first, he took the audience through love, the beauty of Kashmir, and in the second he chose songs of resistance, the darker side of life in the Switzerland of India. Though he sang Urdu songs, he made sure the audience got a background of what he was singing. Just as he started singing Munbe Vaa as a treat for Chennaiites, the clouds opened up. Ironically, the switch in weather was a portrayal of his life — while the sun and the brightness were the love he received from the people he knows, the darkness is something he has to go through every day of his life.
The rest of the evening was dedicated to classical arts. Aniruddha Knight, Bharatanatyam artiste and the grandson of Thanjavur Balasaraswati made sure everyone’s eyes were on him as he set the evening. He was backed by a group of singers and musicians, both challenged each other with their moves and voices. As he ended his performance by dancing a set on Lord Krishna, the venue was filled with divinity. The final performance was by Kalamandalam Krishnendu from Kerala depicting the story of Narasimha through the Nangiar Koothu. As the festival came to an end, the purpose of the festival was achieved — All Cultures – Cultures for all.
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