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Bangladeshi artists showcase 'water and life' on stage
Indo-Asian News Service

New Delhi, Feb 16 (IANS) The colours of life in the lap of verdant hills and pristine river banks came alive as a troupe from Bangladesh presented an evening of folk dances and music in the national capital.
 

 

Fourteen young artists from the neighbouring country Wednesday performed songs and dances - including Baul, Bhatiali and Bhawaia - at the conclusion of the three-day Music and Dance Festival organised by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) at Kamani Auditorium here.

The festival began Feb 13 with a performance by the Shillong Chamber Choir, a prominent music group from the northeastern state of Meghalaya, while folk artists from Sri Lanka took the stage the next day.

"The festival was organised to foster goodwill among neighbouring countries through cultural exchanges," Ashok Bahl, ICCR's programme director, told IANS.

"We included the Shillong Chamber Choir as this music group has taken India to the international stage with performances at places like Geneva, Poland and London."

The theme of the performance by the Bangladeshi artists was "Water and Life". The close proximity of rural folks to rivers was highlighted through Bhatiali songs and dance. 

The celebration of marriage was exhibited through Baul songs and dance.

Before their performance in the capital, the Bangladeshi troupe performed at Haridwar and the Surajkund Craft Mela. 

They will perform next in Kolkata before winding up their tour of India. 

The Sri Lankan troupe also performed at the Surajkund Craft Mela and in Kanpur before their show in New Delhi. Their last performance will be at Chennai.

"We received a great response from the audience during all three days of the festival. We are planning more such exchange programmes in the coming days," said Bahl.