U.S. President Barack Obama was treated to a stirring cultural performance organised by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) at the Rashtrapati Bhawan here on Monday evening.
The programme began with a five-minute recital by a renowned percussionist group led by Guruvayur Dorai and V. Raja Rao. The group performed with the mridangam, tabla, ghatam and khanjeera and played an identical tukda of jati on each instrument in succession and regaled the audience to a baffling variety of India's ancient drums.
Tabla maestro Anindo Chatterjee was another noted performer in the percussion segment.
This was followed by a dance titled “Maitrayee” choreographed by the SEHER group. The Indian Navy Band then performed music from the Hindi films of the 1960s and 70's.
The Shillong Chamber Choir's performance was a melange of music symbolising cultural exchange and engagement, highlighting themes like motherhood, world peace, friendship and divine grace.
Their first performance was the Khasi Folk Opera, based on the matrilineal society of the Khasis in Meghalaya.
They followed it up with the Yeh Dosti… song from the hit Hindi film Sholay and their last item was My Tribute , a solo-song written by American gospel singer Andrae Crouch.
The ICCR Director-General Suresh K. Goel lauded all the performers. The ICCR is the cultural arm of the Ministry of External Affairs.
