Thousands confined to their homes logged on to Facebook to listen to different kinds of music, from Poove Sempoove to Maitreem Bhajata , by musicians from 14 countries.
It wasn’t limited to music — from clips of their dances to storytelling sessions, the Janata Curfew Online Festival on Facebook saw several artistes coming forward to keep both adults and children engaged, through the day.
Musician Anil Srinivasan, who organised the festival, said that a few days ago, when the idea was mooted, several artistes were enthused about participating. “We had an overwhelming response to the festival. Instead of looking at memes or fake news on WhatsApp, people were listening to artistes and we were thrilled to see how much they loved it. Art does wonders. The event is proof enough that nothing can bind a community together more than art and creativity,” he said.
Musician Vedanth Bharadwaj spoke about how art plays a huge role in times of crisis and has a calming effect on people. “And the advantage is that people need not be logged in at all times, they can always pause and come back to listen to a session. In such challenging times, art shows how it can bring people together,” he added.
Stories for children
Besides, actor and storyteller Janaki Sabesh said that they would have an online storytelling session, every day, till March 31, at 5 p.m., on Instagram. “I never imagined online storytelling would be received so well by children. We got an overwhelming response. The important aspect of our storytelling is that we also give children activities like drawing and painting. Through this, we have seen how parents and children come together, engage, and have a great time. Children could easily be bored at home as they have been staying indoors for days now,” she added.
