Dance opens Shared History

Traditional instruments, songs and dances opened Shared History, a festival tracing the relationship between India and South Africa through the arts.
A CALL to war echoed through the Joburg Theatre Complex last night, heralding the start of Shared History: The Indian Experience.

Balancing act: Balancing act: Gazmuri dazzles the crowdImmersed in the exotic sounds and dances, the audience was whisked away to ancient India. Using traditional instruments, performers conjured up the nomadic tribes of Rajasthan, and brought spectators to the very edges of their seats.

Steven Sack, the City’s director of arts, culture and heritage; the High commissioner of India, Virendra Gupta; consul-generals based in Joburg; and a host of invited guests converged at the theatre on 6 September for the start of the month-long proudly Indian festival.

International artists Nathoo Lal Solanki, Chugge Khan, Chanan Khan, Gule Khan, Pempo Khan, Salim Khan and dancer Lorena Gazmuri mesmerized the audience by combining the folk traditions of the northern and western regions of the sub-continent.

Rajasthan Josh, a musical, started and ended with a trumpet-like calling to war, and Gazmuri blessed the stage with a massive lamp, which she then placed on her head before dancing.

The musicians used instruments like the morchang, a wind percussion instrument; bhapang khartaal; double flute; nagada; and bamboo flute, and incorporated vocal styles ranging from Sufi traditions to bhajans and folk songs. The show encapsulated Rajasthani culture with the help of captivating dances like the chari; kalbelia, the snake charmers dance; and terah taali.

Alba Letts, the acting director of arts, culture and heritage, described the performance as the “embodiment of the Indian experience”. She was amazed by it and by the audience’s reaction to it, she added.

Produced by Teamwork Productions, this year marks the fifth Shared History festival in Joburg. Sanjoy Roy, the managing director of Teamwork Productions, said: “We hope in the years to come the festival will continue growing.”

There were very few platforms that allowed people to understand other mindsets and other countries, he added. Shared History represented the coming together of South Africa and India.