Cultural fusion at Kolkata fiesta
Pramita Bose
Fusion can be both fun and cerebral. It is a third component that merges two into one. As it makes a perfect blend of all things best, it concocts a composite plurality into a judicious mix of common singularity to find unity amidst diversity. From food, fashion, music, dance, theatre to art and culture — every sphere has forayed into the fusionistic realm of passion with innovation. Maestros across the world have experimented their crafts to explore and invent a new idiom of expression. Sharing the stage with different minds and makers, have thus time and again, sprouted a barrage of novel concepts and ideas to give way to that new-age spirit and vision. The current-day zeitgeist calls for fusion to advocate noble causes on an open pervasive public platform. And keeping this maxim in mind, Kolkata Fusion Fiesta 2013 seemed to be the ideal initiative.
A cauldron of world music seethingly came alive at Kolkata’s Nicco Park Plaza, starting from Friday February 8 onwards. The show went on till February 10, lasting from 11 am in the morning to 10 pm at night. It promised to offer a musical treat like never before with a purpose. The stage was already set and the proposed eclectic live concert aspired to invoke a message of morality to oppose violence through music. The city music-lovers therefore got to watch a sparkling music festival with renowned percussionists like Sivamani and his prolific band, Trilok Gurtu, Tanmoy Bose along with his music-troupe Taaltantra, Mother Jane and Prem Joshua featuring in the live performance.
A three-day musical endeavour saw stalwarts of the music fraternity coming together on one stage to lodge loud protests against pandemic atrocities inflicted upon women. But obviously, music was their sole language to cause a stir across the board. For that is the best medium known to the artists, musicians and performers all over. “We wanted to push the envelope further through this unique affair. Besides conjuring up the best of world music to regale the audience, we just extended our responsibility to raise voices against sadism and injustice meted out to the hapless innocents by their pervert tormentors. See, we have to start from somewhere to stop this brutal victimisation. And what better way to kick it off via music which is such a powerful, effective tool to convey our sub-text, other than anything else!” wonders tabla exponent Tanmoy Bose, whose brain-child was Kolkata Fusion Fiesta 2013.
Joining his hands was a clout of like-minded philanthropists which subscribes to the premise of art through livelihood. Endorsing this philosophy, several voluntary organisations or NGOs had come forward to participate and show their solidarity in this well-meaning work to make it a grand success. Involved in a flurry of welfare activities to make a viable social standpoint and wield in positive changes, well-known outfits like Kolkata Sanved, Pranthakatha and Banglanatok Dot Com had pledged their support to champion the cause of oppressed women and underprivileged children.
Recently, a press conference was organised at Kolkata’s American Centre (US Consulate) to highlight upon this issue-oriented event which can aptly play an instrumental role to nurture hope, trust and faith through an awareness campaign. It is true that even great saints like Swami Vivekananda and Tyagraja had once resorted to music as the mainstay of a peacemaking process in between the warring parties. For music as they say, facilitates building bridges and blurring the barriers of chaos and friction amongst the nations across borders. “Artistes as cultural ambassadors can certainly spread the word of love, equality and harmony around,” comments American Centre Director
Jeffry K. Reneau. “Like corporate social responsibility, the cultural brigade too faces an onus of lifting the bar on their performance-scale beyond sheer entertainment. From being a culture-capital I think, Kolkata should now evolve as an ultimate destination of social causes, thereby institutionalising its edicts among the performing artistes. It should set a standard benchmark nation-wide by spring-boarding and fostering more such fests to metaphorically address poignant, sensitive and socially relevant issues,” he pitches in further.
Co-conceptualised by Celebrations International and sponsored by Shya-msundar Jewellers, Kolk-ata Fusion Fiesta will be a big star-studded confluence of bonding over art and music. Ace painter and idol-maker Sanatan Dinda will render a live demonstration of his art wherein he would portray body art which is fam-ous across Australia, New Zealand and Africa besides the Asian countries like India and around the sub-continent as mehndi designs.