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The Hindu
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
‘O Gaanewali' is an ode to powerful female voices from the past
'O Gaanewali' is an ode to those legendary women singers who broke the glass ceiling and engaged with art beyond gender divide. Artistes such as Rasoolan Bai, Gauhar Jaan and Begum Akhtar showed the world how women can pursue their passion without being bogged down by societal norms. 'O Gaanewali, a show that celebrates the beauty of thumri, dadra and ghazal, will launch its first EP — O Gaanewali Session 1. The EP will be released at a concert in Mumbai's Royal Opera House on June 7. Having performed 55 shows across India over the past three years, the team behind O Gaanewali series felt it was time to put out a recording. The very first song will be Mirza Ghalib's ghazal 'Muddat hui hai yaar ko' , which will be followed by a thumri later. 'O Gaanewali' plans to release songs every fortnight. It is conceptualised and written by Avanti Patel, a Hindustani vocalist, who features along with singer Rutuja Lad in the series. The concert includes theatrical elements such as storytelling. Musical terms will be demonstrated and explained in a conversational mix of Hindi and English. The shows are directed by theatre personalities Mallika Singh and Meghana AT. Avanti and Rutuja are trained under senior Hindustani vocalist Ashwini Bhide-Deshpande. They duo also carries the legacy of Ashwini's aunt, Sarla Bhide, a senior disciple of Shobha Gurtu. Says Avanti: 'It helps that Rutuja and I have the same guru in Ashwini tai, in that, our approach to music is similar.' The idea for the EP, she reveals, originated during the lockdown as part of a series initiated by Harkat Studios. O Gaanewali was presented in March 2022 at the Experimental Theatre of the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA). Soon, offers started coming in, but Avanti wanted the show to be interactive, and educate new listeners about the nuances of thumri. She says, 'My knowledge of theatre was limited, but Mallika and Meghanahelped bring out that element and work withmusicians and the script.' The show was put together after researching the lives and music of legendary women artistes. 'We wanted to talk about their hardships and challenges too,' adds Avanti. Rutuja, who had earlier learnt from Jaipur-Atrauli gharana doyenne, Dhondutai Kulkarni, says she had her inhibitions, but quickly adapted to and began enjoying the new format. She explains, 'As a classical singer, I was accustomed to the traditional style, where weannounce a piece and sing the composition. The directors helped me overcome that.' The theme of the shows keeps changing to add some excitement to the presentation. O Gaanewali has had specials for Holi, monsoons and songs of Shobha Gurtu to mark her centenary year, along with love songs and ghazals among others. Avanti says this helps audience come back, as they know they will get something different each time. She adds, 'By changing the basic theme, one will look for songs that have not been performed before. At times, we have to learn and practise something totally new, because it goes with the flow. But that is where the joy lies .' Rutuja also shares that she sought the guidance of singer Shubha Joshi, a student of Shobha Gurtu,on how best she should approach certain thumris. She also speaks of learning the Hori ghazal 'Mere hazrat ne Madine mein manayi Holi', popularised by Gauhar Jaan. 'There are horis songs sung for Holi, and there are ghazals. But Hori ghazals are rare and require a specific expression,' she points. As the shows are attended by different kinds of listeners — purists and uninitiated, Avanti says, 'We structure it in such a way that it appeals to both. Hence, we make it interactive. We are happy to see more youngsters in the audience.' The idea of releasing an EP came after many members of the audience asked details about specific songs.'We would tell them to hear a recording of the original singer, such as Begum Akhtar or Shobha Gurtu. Gradually, we thought of recording a few songs that we performed, some in a studio, and one of them is a live recording,' shares Avanti. For Avanti, O Gaanewali is a flagship project, as she spends much of her time conceptualising new shows. She is also into composing and is currently composing music for a theatre production. Rutuja, concurrently is into performing classical concerts, with her recent one being in Kolhapur at a Mahotsav dedicated to vocalist Manik Bhide, Ashwini's mother and guru. Athe forthcoming concert, at Mumbai's Royal Opera House, the duo will be accompanied by Akshay Jadhav (tabla), Apoorva Petkar (harmonium) and Sandeep Mishra (sarangi). They will present a repertoire of thumri and allied forms, besides some ghazals.
Mint
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
Planner: 4 events that make this a jazzy week
Colombian jazz musician Jesus Molina is back in Mumbai after his 2023 performance. This time, he will be performing with an ensemble, which includes guitarist Rock Choi, Alex Polydroff on bass and Cain Daniel on drums at the National Centre for the Performing Arts. A graduate from the Berklee College of Music and winner of the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation, Molina combines many musical talents—he is pianist and a vocalist with a keen interest in technology, who brings together jazz, Latin beats and Middle Eastern influences in his harmonies. Some of his other inspirations include Oscar Peterson, Art Tatum, Bill Evans. At the Tata Theatre, NCPA, Mumbai, 5 June, 7.30pm. A diptych by photographer Shahid Datawala for 'Jhalak'. Gallery Espace is hosting a solo show of images, Jhalak, by photographer Shahid Datawala. The photos were taken over a year from 2018-19 and 'offer fleeting glimpses—jhalaks—of Mumbai's teeming humanity,' as the gallery note states. Datawala took these images while walking and cycling from his home in Dadar to different neighbourhoods. 'Datawala arranges the images into diptychs creating connections through similar colour palettes, aligned shapes or related concepts—for instance, a man in blue-shirt and with an orange lolly paired with a woman in blue sari…,' states the note. At Gallery Espace, Delhi, till 14 June, 11am-7pm, closed on Sunday. Musician Lala Tamar is of Brazillian-Moroccan descent. A FUSION OF THE PAST & PRESENT Lala Tamar, vocalist, dancer, and guimbry player from Morocco is in Bengaluru to perform with her pop quartet. As a Sephardic jew of Amazigh heritage, Tamar reinterprets the musical legacies of north Africa with an intensely personal and modern voice. The global performer's music fuses gnawa trance, flamenco, Berber rhythms, and Ladino song traditions with contemporary pop, jazz, and electronic elements. For her live act, Tamar will be joined by Ofer Ronen on flamenco Guitar and palmas, Oussama Menay on bass and vocals and Habib Baychou on drums and vocals. At Windmills, Bengaluru, 31 May, 9.30 pm onwards. Tickets on An archival photo of The Great Eastern Hotel, Kolkata in 1865. City Scripts by the Indian Institute for Human Settlements is hosting an online conversation where writer and filmmaker Ruchir Joshi will be discussing his latest novel, Great Eastern Hotel, with Rupleena Bose. Set against the backdrop of World War II, the novel unfolds within the opulent Great Eastern Hotel, where lives of revolutionaries, artists, spies, and colonial officials collide, reads a press note about the book. This session is part of City Scripts' year-long curation Planting Gardens of Public Memories. On 4 June, 6.30pm. For details and registration, visit
Time Out
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
This charming Southeast Asian capital city is one of the world's best cities for culture right now
If you ask us, it's about time for Asia's art and cultural scene to get the global spotlight. We're home to some of the world's oldest civilisations, and to balance that, the region is thrumming with youthful energy, driving an exciting calendar of arts festivals, literary events, and underground parties. If you're eager to dive into Asia's flourishing cultural landscape, then we've sussed out the cities you can start with. Time Out surveyed 18,500 locals worldwide to get their thoughts on the quality and affordability of their city's cultural scene. Our network of art and culture editors then narrowed the list to 20 of the world's finest cultural hubs. We thought outside the box of museums, galleries, and theatres to consider free-wheeling, community-rooted events like pop-up festivals, museum parties, and even raves in caves. So, the best city in Asia for a large dose of art and culture? Hanoi (No. 9), Vietnam's charming capital with a history stretching back more than 1,000 years. As local writer Joey Gann puts it, "What's charming about modern, youthful Hanoi is that the past is never far away." One minute, you can be in the Old Quarter watching performers on ancient silk-string instruments; the next, you can rock and roll with upcoming local bands at Hanoi Rock City. The city is home to the aforementioned 'rave in a cave' Equation Festival, and blistering fashion talent who are bringing ethnic textiles to the global couture stage. The kicker? Getting cultured in Hanoi is super easy on your wallet. It's the cheapest city for art and culture on our list, with 82 percent of locals ranking it highly for affordability. Case in point: weekend walking streets filled with street performances and traditional showcases you can enjoy for free. In a bit of a shocker, Japanese cities like Tokyo and Kyoto didn't crack the top 20. Instead, Beijing comes next at No. 11, standing out for its intriguing mix of Chinese tradition and modern life. Locals particularly love the National Centre for the Performing Arts and Tiananmen Square, so make space in your itinerary for those. We're glad to see Indonesia's capital, Jakarta, at No. 13. This city has long been wildly creative, with "big name museums and galleries, [as well as] many smaller spaces like Artspace, Jakarta Art Hub and M Bloc Space becoming popular venues for various creative communities," says local expert Leyla Rose. She also highlights Jakarta's vibrant music scene, which shines with annual fests like Java Jazz Festival, Djakarta Warehouse Project, and We the Fest. It's the most affordable city for the arts after Hanoi, too. The final Asian city on the list is Delhi at No. 14. 89 percent of locals rated their city's culture scene highly in our survey, which local writer Shuvajit Payne says is becoming "bigger, better, and more inclusive each year." If there's one thing to check out, it's the newly opened Humayun's Tomb museum, a marvel of Mughal architecture. So, which is the best city in the world for arts and culture in 2025? Take a wild guess – or find out below. Paris Florence Edinburgh Mexico City Sydney Barcelona Chicago Lisbon Hanoi Cape Town Beijing Tbilisi Jakarta Delhi Medellin Amsterdam Marrakech Vienna Prague Abu Dhabi
The Sun
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
CGTN: Peng Liyuan and Brazil's first lady visit NCPA in Beijing, vow to deepen cultural exchange
BEIJING, CHINA - Media OutReach Newswire - 14 May 2025 - The National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) in Beijing on Tuesday welcomed Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Rosangela Lula da Silva, wife of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, as CGTN reported. Rosangela is accompanying the Brazilian president on his state visit to China. Peng and Rosangela appreciated the centre's interior architecture and viewed 'Stage of Glory,' an exhibition on the achievements of the NCPA, which has played a major role in China-Brazil and China-Latin America cultural and people-to-people exchanges in recent years. They also learned about the work of the NCPA in promoting international cultural exchange and art popularization. For example, in 2023, the NCPA launched its artists' first South American cultural exchange tour in Brazil and Argentina. In 2024, a special concert was held at the NCPA to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Brazil. Noting that both China and Brazil are major cultural countries, Peng said that people-to-people and cultural exchange between the two sides has been active in recent years, and that mutual understanding and friendship between the peoples of the two countries have deepened. In recent years, China and Brazil have collaborated on a range of cultural exchange initiatives, including the China-Latin America Cultural Festival and film programs among BRICS nations. Brazilian cultural icons, such as adorable capybaras, bossa nova music, samba dance and capoeira, have gained widespread popularity in China. Meanwhile, traditional Chinese celebrations like the Spring Festival and cultural treasures such as traditional Chinese medicine are becoming increasingly familiar and appreciated in Brazil. In 2022, the City of Rio de Janeiro designated September 28 – widely recognized as Confucius' birthday – as Mandarin Day, reflecting the deepening cultural ties between China and Brazil. Additionally, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, the Spring Festival, or Chinese New Year, has been officially recognized as a public holiday. Bilateral cultural and people-to-people exchanges between China and Brazil were further strengthened in 2024 as the two countries celebrated the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations. Marking the occasion, they signed an agreement to issue 10-year multiple-entry visas for their citizens in January, facilitating business, tourism and family visits, and boosting economic and commercial ties. In April, Air China also resumed its Beijing-Madrid-Sao Paulo route, enhancing connectivity between the two nations. A total of 76,000 Chinese tourists visited Brazil in 2024, an increase of 79 percent compared to 2023, according to Embratur, also known as the Brazilian Tourist Board. Next year, the China-Brazil Year of Culture will be held to enhance bilateral cooperation in fields such as culture, education, tourism and media and to facilitate personnel exchanges between the two countries. Looking ahead, Peng expressed the hope that both sides will maintain this good momentum and bring the two peoples closer. Appreciating Peng's arrangements, Rosangela spoke highly of China's development and splendid culture. She also expressed her willingness to actively promote people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two countries, and to continue contributing to the deepening of friendship between Brazil and China.
Scroll.in
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scroll.in
A documentary filmmaker's new subject: her experience with breast cancer
For her latest documentary, filmmaker Teenaa Kaur Pasricha turned to a subject intensely close to her: her breast cancer diagnosis and her recovery. In What If I Tell You, Pasricha explores not only her experience of cancer but also the silence around this particular form of the disease. Pasricha questions the overall reluctance in society to talk about a cancer variant that can transform women in fundamental ways. 'When I was undergoing treatment for breast cancer, I realised that no one wants to talk about it – even my parents said, forget it ever happened, like it was a bad dream,' Pasricha told Scroll. 'It's not an easy thing to forget, and perhaps it's good to remember the lessons I learnt from the experience.' Completed in February, the documentary has been doing the rounds of festivals, with an upcoming screening on May 15 at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Mumbai. 'I wasn't just making a film about myself but multiple films about so many other women too,' Pasricha said. 'That's one way to normalise the experience, rather than consider it as a stigma.' What If I Tell You includes scenes of the Mumbai-based Pasricha's visits to her oncologist and conversations with her parents, who live in Ajmer. A friend, Nomi, with whom Pasricha converses through video calls, lends Pasricha an ear and a shoulder. 'Some days are long,' Pasricha says in the documentary. 'Those are the days you meet the doctor.' Pasricha's previous films include 1984, When the Sun Didn't Rise (2017), about the women who were affected by the anti-Sikh violence in Delhi following Indira Gandhi's assassination by her Sikh bodyguards. In 2018, a week before Pasricha won a National Film Award for 1984, she found out that she had breast cancer. 'I had no reference for cancer, except for the film Anand,' Pasricha said. In Hrishikesh Mukherjee Anand (1971), Rajesh Khanna plays a terminally ill cancer patient who refuses to let the disease get the better of him. 'I wondered, will this be my end too, will I die, will I have a life after this?' Pasricha said. 'There were so many questions.' In the documentary, Pasricha pursues various coping mechanisms, including signing up with a theatre group. She had begun seeking a partner even before the diagnosis, she said. An important section of What If I Tell You is dedicated to meeting prospective companions and asking whether they will accept a woman with a cancer diagnosis. 'I felt, let me continue the search, let me see what men think of me,' Pasricha said. 'Would they be able to connect with me, appreciate what I have undergone, accept me in a very normal way?' All the men Pasricha met gave their written consent to being featured in the documentary, she said. 'We have cordial relations with everyone even today,' Pasricha added. 'The film hasn't been edited in a way that favours me – the idea was to make the film balanced and not judge anyone, even though I may disagree with him.' For Pasricha, the exercise of turning the camera on herself has been revelatory. 'I really got to know what self-love meant,' she said. 'I didn't understand this New Age term before but now I do. In my previous films, I put my work before my self. Somewhere, I have understood the importance of putting myself above my work. I've also learnt to slow down in life too.' Play
