Whiff of India
FRANCE- BOUND: Odissi dancer Radhika Jha.
The Association Action Afrique Asie is organising Les Nuits De L'Inde - Nights of India - festival from May 13 to 21, 2005 in Marseille, South of France. This is the fourth year that the India Festival is being organised by them.
In a press conference held last week at the Cite de la Musique, Marseille, the administrator of AAAA first presented cheques to the international organisation Handicap and to organisations in Tamil Nadu in aid of tsunami victims. Funds for this were collected earlier through an evening of performing arts by Indian and French musicians at the Dome, the biggest auditorium in Marseille.
This programme was organised by AAAA in association with the office of the Mayor of Marseille.
Artistes participating in this year's Nuits de l'Inde are Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia (bansuri), musicians from Rajasthan, a ballet titled Le Mahabharata, Sattriya by Menaka P.P. Bora, Odissi by Radhika Jha, world music by Susheela Raman, sitar-cello duet by Shubhendra Rao and Saskia Rao and the Indo-French Raaga-Jazz by the group Nautilus, among others.
While Chaurasia and Susheela will perform at the Espace Julien auditorium, all other performances will be held at the Cite de la Musique auditorium.
In addition there will be workshops and master classes during festival days in Bharata Natyam, Carnatic vocal and instruments, conducted by Rama Vaidyanathan and others.
An Indian bazaar will also be put up at Cours Julien during festival days with stalls selling Indian artefacts, paintings, books, CDs and Indian food.
The organisers had invited Pandit Ravi Shankar this year. However Panditji could not participate due to prior engagements.
He has sent a congratulatory letter for promoting and popularising Indian arts in Europe and has also sent his blessings. Richard Macotta, administrator of AAAA read out the sitar maestro's message at the press conference.
GS RAJAN
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