Come December, and Chennai comes alive with music and dance. The Margazhi season has ceased to be merely a regional phenomenon and has been transformed into a global event. The overwhelming turnout at the inaugural of Hamsadhwani’s 20 NRI Music and Dance Festival in Indira Nagar on Sunday evening was a testament to this fact.
The festival, which is to last till the end of the month, offers a platform where the Indian diaspora from across the world showcases their best talent in classical music and dance.
Phillip A. Min, consul general, United States Consulate Chennai, the chief guest, pointed to the long history of cultural exchange between the U.S. and India. “The Indian diaspora is extremely dynamic and it is their culture of music and dance which sustains the link between the two countries,” he said.
This time, rasikas will be treated to performances of artistes of Indian origin from the U.S. A, Australia, Germany, Oman and Singapore.
R. Sundar, secretary of Hamsadhwani, said: “With the city’s December music season being recognised across the world, this festival offers the NRI community an opportunity to perform among their own. Our NRI festival is a proud offering to promote and appreciate classical music and dance among the overseas Indian community.”
The ceremony marked Hamsadhwani’s silver jubilee and NRI artistes Shobha Sekhar from Australia and Madurai R. Sundar from the U.S.A were honoured.
