SPIC MACAY and the Nehru Centre recently concluded a week-long festival
of Indian Classical Music and Dance, ‘Virasat 2014’ in London at the Nehru
Centre from July 28 to August 1, 2014. This
first of its kind exhibition and series of programmes through the week were
very well received by locals. SPIC MACAY (Society for Promotion of Indian
Classical Music and Culture Amongst Youth) is a voluntary movement which
organises about 8000 events in 1500 schools and colleges in 400 cities around
the world every year to promote Indian classical music and culture. The Nehru Centre is the cultural wing of the Indian High Commission
headed by Minister of Culture Sangeeta Bahadur under the direction of High
Commissioner of India Ranjan Mathai.
The London Virasat 2014 festival brought
together children, youth and local communities in London and the classical arts
in a most interactive and easy-to-understand manner. The festival was attended
by people from all walks of life (including well known personalities) and all
ages – from school children to university students, families to senior
professionals, counsillors to educationists and it also brought together some
old SPIC MACAY volunteers who had lost touch with the movement for years!
The London Virasat festival opened with
an audio visual presentation to introduce various forms of Indian classical music
and dance. There was also a beautiful exhibition curated and made by children between
6 to 15 years on the same theme.
Sarod maestro Ustad Wajahat Khan spoke on cultural
preservation, evolution and the role of SPIC MACAY in promoting India’s classical
arts for 37 years in India and around the world. Ustad Wajahat Khan's father,
the legendary Ustad Imrat Khan, had presented one the first concert for SPIC
MACAY back in 1981.
Through the event a Bharatanatyam dance workshop was
conducted for beginners and children by Guru Usha Raghavan (July 29).
Lecture-demonstration
programme by Padma Shri awardee Kathak Guru Pratap Pawar (July 29) left
audience overwhelmed especially after he performed his composition of Bahadur
Shah Zafar’s ghazal dedicated to his love for India. Bharatanatyam Guru Usha
Raghavan (July 30) demonstrated the beautiful stories of Krishna leela and
spoke of the dance form’s evolution from temples to the stage. Ustad Wajahat
Khan (August 1) gave a brilliant introduction to Indian music giving a detailed
comparative account between the western music and Indian music. He not only
played pieces on the sarod but also on sitar but was accompanied by artistes
from Rajasthan, India who played Sarangi and Tabla.
Speaking to the media, Ms. Bahadur said, “The Indian Council for
Cultural Relations and the Indian High Commission have been encouraging and
inviting artistes from India to perform at the Nehru Centre. We are pleased
with the response received for Virasat 2014 and that it has inspired several members
of the local community.”
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| Councillor Natasha Sheikh with Sumit Jamuar |
Councillor Natasha
Sheikh who attended the closing ceremony along with Councillor Amit (both from
the Ealing constituency) enjoyed the sitar and sarod lecture-demonstration
recital by Ustad Wajahat Khan and commended SPIC MACAY for having organised a
programme of this format and scale. She was particularly impressed by the
exhibition and said, “the artwork done by children was incredible. It is a
great initiative and must be extended to other youngsters, especially those
from the Indian ethnicity as this is their cultural heritage.”
Congratulating the team of volunteers for the grand success of the
festival, Executive Chairman of Global Gene Corp, Sumit Jamuar, who serves as
Chairman of the UK Advisory Board for SPIC MACAY, said, "We have been delighted by the success of London Virasat
2014 and exceptionally touched by the response from the community. The desire
for understanding and experiencing our rich Indian cultural heritage and the
accompanying arts has truly been incredible. The spirit of volunteerism is
truly alive to organise a festival of this scale. Finally, it is through the
generous support of The Nehru Centre and ICCR that we have been able to host the
inaugural London Virasat".”
Says one participant
Anisha Safaya, “it was the first time for me and my friends to learn about
ragas and their importance in Indian classical music. The format of the
programmes was such that we not only learnt the basics of the ragas and various
techniques, but also got to watch the maestros perform for us like in a
concert.”
Anjelli Wignakumar, a student of Bharatanatyam was delighted to be a
part of London Virasat. She said, “It is a great honour
to be able to experience our culture and heritage because being brought up in
this country, not everyday we are exposed to the way older generations used to
live. I feel it is very important that us, the younger generation, explore and
delve into our ancestors’ culture and ensure it is not lost. I have found my
way of doing this; through the arts. My guru also gave me the chance to dance
in Chidamabaram (a temple in Tamil Nadu, India) where Lord Natarajah resides. I
addressed the deity directly and I felt an emotional change in the way I
danced. From that day on, I danced with more understanding and valued this
beautiful art form much more. I hope the work of SPIC MACAY carries on as it is
a great learning curve for all those involved and I wish them all the best.”
One of the parents of a child who did the artwork for the exhibition,
Mrs. Vemury said, “attended a programme after very long time with
Indian culture and flavour. Hats off to Spic Macay and looking forward to
contribute to this movement in whatever possible way. Kids really enjoyed and
confidently spoke in the stage."
Chief Executive for SPIC MACAY (UK) Lakshmi Kaul sees this as a mere
introduction to the work of SPIC MACAY and wants the movement to reach the
entire student community across England. She adds, “Virasat 2014 was intended
to provide an experiential introduction to India’s classical music and dance to
the audience. We are delighted to see such overwhelming response to our
programmes. It is heartening to see how the audience have responded positively
to our effort and now want to be a part of this movement in whatever way is
possible. We hope to take Virasat next year to schools and colleges all over
England and make it a series of programmes across locations as opposed to being
held at one place alone. Our vision is to have a heritage club in all schools
and colleges one day!”
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