San Diego Classical Music And Dance Fest Is A Big Draw
India-West Staff Reporter
LA JOLLA, CA – The Indian Fine Arts Academy of San Diego’s 17th annual Music and Dance Festival from March 19 through March 24, at the Jewish Community Center here was a great success with over 6000 attendees streaming through and enjoying the festival.
The festival was attended by San Diego Mayor Tood Gloria, City Council Member Kent Lee, Indian Consul General Dr. Sikar Reddy, San Diego Arts and Culture commissioners Fritz Friedman, and Lee Ann Kim and school board President Dr. Darshana Patel. Mayor Gloria declared March 19-March 24 as Indian Music and Dance Days while Councilman Lee declared March 20 as Maestro VV Subrahmanyam day.
The line-up this year featured world-renowned vocal and instrumental artists of both the Hindustani and the Carnatic genres. Among the many highlights of the program were fascinating concerts that showcased the virtuosity of artists performing on instruments such as veena, flute, harmonium, and violin, a vocal Hindustani concert, and melodious vocal concerts by several popular artists including Sudha Raghunathan, Vijay Siva, T.M. Krishna, Tiruvarur Girish, Hemmige Srivatsan, Ramakrishnan Murthy and Vishnudev Namboothri. Also on stage were masters like Sangeetha Kalanidhi Dr. T. Bakthavatsalam, and Guru Mannargudi Easwaran.
The festival presented some of India’s most talented and engaging percussionists who played on such diverse instruments as the mridangam, the kanjira, the tabla, and the ghatam. IFAASD also presented Indian classical dance productions that were marvelous aural and visual treats. These classical dance productions were choreographed by India’s most talented and experienced dancers in Bharatanatyam, Odissi and Kathak. The festival also featured two music and dance concerts performed by over a 100 children from all over Southern California.
The festival celebrated the 100th birth centenaries of vocalists, Padma Vibhushan Kumar Gandharva and K.V. Narayanaswamy, and the 104th birthday of Bharat Rathna Ravi Shankar. IFSAAD also honored the prolific contributions of Mannargudi Easwaran, Dr. T. Bakthavatsalam, Dr. Gowri Ramnarayan, Vijay Siva, RK Shriramkumar, and K. Harishankar for their lifetime contributions to the classical arts.
