Amongst the variety of programming that it boasts of, the National Centre for Performing Arts’ (NCPA) annual event Living Traditions Festival focuses on highlighting the traditional folk arts from Indian states. The festival has, since 2009, featured traditional arts from the States of Goa, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and Nagaland among others. This year, the focus is on cultural treasures from Assam.
From documentaries to dances
Why Assam? Because, according to Dr. Suvarnalata Rao, Head Programming – Indian Music, NCPA, “Assam’s cultural and ethnic diversity is simply breathtaking!” Home to a multiplicity of natural features, archaeological sites, and cultural properties, the ancient land of Kamarupa or Pragjyotisha has indeed much to offer. “We are happy to bring alive a slice of Assam’s rich culture through these exceptionally talented artists and documentaries. Assam has a folk legacy which goes way beyond the more popular Bihu. We hope to give the audiences a true flavour of this culture in the most authentic manner,” says Rao.
Day One of the two-day festival will comprise documentary screenings and folk dance performances. The documentary screenings include a 1953 black-and-white film named Land of the Brahmaputra . This short film spotlights the river’s vagaries in alternately ravaging and helping Assam to reap rich harvests. It describes the sects of people and their culture who reside around the Brahmaputra region. It is an apt beginning to the festival, given that the Brahmaputra is inextricably connected to Assamese identity.
The next documentary, Purwottar Ki Parwaz , zooms in on the next big asset of Assam: the Kaziranga National Park. The park, which is a World Heritage Site, is situated in the Golaghat and Nagaon districts of Assam. It is best known for the one-horned rhinoceroses and tigers, but this documentary focuses on the heritage and conservation of birds.
The third documentary, Satras and Namghars of Assam, takes a look at the cultural facets of the State. The Satra and Namghar traditions were introduced in Assam approximately 500 years ago by the saint Shankardeva. These are institutional centres of a religious nature, related to the Ekasarana Dharma of Assam. Ekasarana Dharma is a panentheistic form of Vaishnavism, with most of its adherents in Assam. This film promises to offer some insights on this not-so-known religion.
Later in the evening, the spotlight will shift from moving images to live performances, as a number of folk dances will be performed. This session promises to not just entertain, but enlighten the audiences about the fact that there are many art forms associated with the traditional Assamese. The line-up includes Borgeet, invocation of Krishna practised by the Vaishnava sect, Kamrupi Lokgeet , a folk song in the dialect of Kamrup district, Jhumur , a dance form associated with the tea gardens, and of course, Bihu , the most celebrated folk dance of Assam.
Jazzing it up
Day Two of the festival moves on to the contemporary face of the traditional, with well-known singer Joi Barua’s performance. Accompanying him will be talented Assamese musicians like Abhijit Jejurikar, Ambar Das, Ibson Baruah, Laurence Mathew, Manasquam Mahanta, Rhythm Shaw, Shankuraj Konwar, and Ashwin Srinivasan.
Barua is a singer and composer from Assam, and his band, Joi, has a mixed musical style that incorporates elements of rock, soul, jazz, folk and world music. Joi is the lead vocalist of his band, but is also known for his singing in films such as Dev D , Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara , and more recently, Margarita with a Straw . Barua makes for an excellent representation of the contemporary music scene of the North East, and Assam in particular, given his taste for rock and world music. Inspired by and interspersed with the folklore and story-telling traditions of Assam, the group will present songs drawn from the rich folk repertoire of the region, however rendered in a contemporary style using visuals, modern expressions, arrangements and instrumentation.
Living Traditions: Festival of Assam will take place today and tomorrow at the NCPA, Nariman Point. For details, see bookmyshow and ncpamumbai.com
