Concerts in the park by a variety of musicians and bands. Genres range from jazz to fusion, pop to retro, and blues to funk.
Curated by Sneha Khanwalkar
Sounds in My Head is at its core, a space for sound which invades your entire being, leaving visitors with a unique aural and physical experience. It is, in essence, a museum of sounds, with sonic experiments by people who ‘think’ about music and have a relationship with it. Aimed at triggering the senses and altering the way we listen, the museum will be fragmented into various sound spaces that are immersive and surreal.
Curated by Aneesh Pradhan
Until the mid-nineteenth century royal courts in India were the main source of patronage to Hindustani music, but after 1858, the establishment of the British Crown as the paramount power in India crippled Indian princely power. Gradually, hereditary musicians and courtesans from Northern and Central India migrated to Bombay (now officially called Mumbai), one of the most important colonial cities in India. Musicians migrating to Bombay included women of the devadasi community from Goa and neighbouring areas, who were engaged in service to temples.
Curated by Ranjana Dave
This is probably the first time that Karnatic music and Kattaikkuttu will meet on equal terms to explore what they share, where they differ, and how they “speak” with each other. The coming together of two artistic minds – a Karnatic vocalist T.M. Krishna and Kattaikkuttu actor, director and playwright Perungattur P. Rajagopal – has resulted in an exuberant collaborative performance. In an exhilarating exchange of repertoire elements from both forms, Karnatic and Kattaikkuttu performers present excerpts from the all-night plays, Disrobing of Draupadi and The Eighteenth Day. Karnatic music and Kattaikkuttu theatre intertwine in the performance, reinforcing and commenting upon and transforming each other. Sangeetha Sivakumar renders the lyrics to introduce the character of Draupadi, while Kattaikkuttu actress S. Tamilarasi embodies the epic heroine during the infamous disrobing scene. In a composition by Perumal Murugan especially written for the programme, T.M. Krishna reflects on the position of women in society after Draupadi has been dragged by the hair into the assembly. He responds (as Krishna) to the angry accusation of Duryodhana, performed by P. Rajagopal, that he has been pivotal in drawing the Kauravas into a devastating war that has witnessed the annihilation of all their forces. Kattaikkuttu actor singers Doraisamy, Srimathy and Bharati perform a brief excerpt from Bhaja Govindam commenting on Duryodhana’s inability to let go of his desire for power and wealth, even in the face of defeat.
Curated by Ranjana Dave
Abhanga Ranga is a presentation that captures the spirit of the Varkari saints of Maharashtra through the medium of Bharatanatyam. The abhangas, which are gems of poetry rich with devotional fervour, have been translated into a visual landscape in this performance. The choreography through descriptive images in Bharatanatyam, unfolds the stories of deities like Ganapati, the glories of Lord Rama, the leelas of Krishna, the pangs of separation from the God, ending with Dnyaneshwar’s Pasaayadaan. The traditional narrative of classical dance idiom also explores the philosophy and thoughts of Bhakti Marga. The pulse of this celebrative work is the rich literature of the four pillars of Varkari Sampradaya, Sant Dnyaneshwar, Sant Naamdev, Sant Eknath, and Sant Tukaram.
Curated by Leela Samson
Chavittu Natakam originated in the coastal belt of western Kerala during the 16th and 17th century, together with the advent of the Christian Missionaries. Closely connected to Koothu and Koodiyattam of Kerala, the dance form also bears striking resemblance to the Greek Opera. While in the olden days, the performance of a single story of Chavittu Natakam extended between ten to fifteen days, it has now been confined to a short span of two hours. The story of this play is based on the heroic deeds of the French emperor Karalsman (Charlemagne), who defeated Albrath, the emperor of Jerusalem, regaining the land he had once lost.
Curated by Ranjana Dave
‘Look Left, Turn Right’ is a site-specific intervention that questions the fine line between functionality and performativity in movement. Set up as a series of structured improvisations, ‘Look Left, Turn Right’ is performed at busy traffic intersections, thus pulling dance out of a formal setting into an everyday public space that is accessed by all. The performers engage with the site in real time as a first encounter, thus setting up relationships between a dynamic passing audience, and the space they temporarily inhabit.
Curated by Leela Samson
Odisha is a land of art and culture, where many folk dance forms have evolved in different regions of the state. Vividh Varna comprises the dance forms of Gotipua, Danda Nata, Sambalpuri and Ghumara, representing the myriad of hues and colours of the folk culture of Odisha. Gotipua is a traditional dance form performed in Odisha for centuries by young boys, who dress as girls to serve in Vaisnavite religious festivals. “Danda Nata” is a popular folk dance of Odisha which derives its origin from the ‘Saiba Purana’ i.e the mythological history of Lord Shiva and Devi Parvati. It is also linked with the socio-agricultural scenario. When the Earth is ripe with the harvest and the oceans of paddy sways madly in the wind, the first cut of fragrant grain is offered to Goddess Lakshmi and a jubilant community sings and dances at the prospect of renewed prosperity. Ghumura is a traditional dance of Kalahandi in Odisha and performed with great pomp and ceremony in each and every village of Kalahandi.
Curated by Leela Samson
The performance, which is laden with an age-old tradition and the abundance of flowers, accounts for Krishna’s ‘raas-leela’ with the gopis. Travelling from the land of Vrindavan to the coastal region of Goa, the spirited dance engages a variety of colours, movements, and sounds.
Curated by Ranjana Dave
Kumbakarna and Lakshmana, the brothers of the two protagonists of the Ramayana, are connected by boons that dramatically alter their cycles of sleep and wakefulness. Kumbakarna along with his brothers, Ravana and Vibhishana performed a major yajna and penance for Lord Brahma. When the time came for asking a boon from Brahma, his tongue was tied by goddess Saraswati (acting on Indra’s request). So instead of asking for Nirdevathvam (annihilation of the Devas), he asked for Nidrawathvam (sleep) and his request was granted. Laxmana, on the other hand, was allowed to give up his sleep completely and bequeath it to his wife, Urmila, for the fourteen years of his exile. In the course of time, both boons seem to acquire the dimensions of a curse, as they each have an uncomfortable outcome.
SIGN IN WITH GOOGLE
