The Spirit of Hope Festival 2017 will usher in the Yuletide spirit in the city this evening.
Organised by the Saldanha International Academy and Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar, the annual musical evening will feature the acclaimed Shillong Chamber Choir, the European Concert Orchestra and a surprise act, about which Neil Nongkynrih, founder-conductor of the Shillong Chamber Choir, is tight-lipped. The proceeds from the concert will go to Sankalp Rehabilitation Trust, which provides treatment to AIDS patients and works for the welfare of drug abuse victims.
Driving away fear
The Shillong Chamber Choir was founded by Nongkynrih in 2001 after he sensed an absence of music in his conflict-stricken State of Meghalaya. “I had just returned from England, where I spent 12 years, when I saw that people [here] lived in fear, ” says Nongkynrih. He felt it was unfair on youngsters to live in despair and started a small choir, which has now grown to become the Shillong Chamber Choir. A multi-genre ensemble, the choir shot to fame after winning a reality competition, India’s Got Talent, in 2010. The choir then went on to collaborate with musicians and actors such as Ustad Zakir Hussain and Amitabh Bachchan on several projects.
Third appearance
The choir’s association with the festival is not new, having performed at the concert twice. “I like the term Spirit of Hope,” says Nongkynrih. “This is exactly what we need now: hope.” The concert was founded by Captain Allwyn Saldanha in 2007 for a reason. “A lot of young people are in despair, with their lifestyle today,” says Capt. Saldanha. “There is no one to guide or direct them.” He says hope has changed lives and he would like to do the same with the event. And what better time to realise this dream than Christmas? “[We need] one soul to come up there and save 10, and 10 can save 10,000s,” he says. The concert is expected to draw up to 5,500 music lovers.
‘Variety: our USP’
The Shillong Chamber Choir is expected to perform favourite numbers such as a mash-up of Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ and the evergreen ‘ Zindagi Ek Safar ’. Nongkynrih says, “Every group has its own USP; ours is our variety.”
The evening will also see actor Boman Irani sing a few carols. Actors Rishi Kapoor, Neetu Singh, Naseeruddin Shah, Randhir Kapoor and Kunal Kapoor, and celebrity couple Lara Dutta and Mahesh Bhupathi are also expected to attend the event.
The Spirit of Hope Concert, Seaside Lawns, Taj Land’s End, Bandra (West), 6 p.m. Entry is free.Live screeningof event at Bandra Bandstand amphitheatre.
The author is an intern at The Hindu
