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South Asia Calling
heralds
A Convergence of Master Artists and Innovators
South Asia Calling, a new free festival, showcased the diversity of South
Asian culture through music, film, dance, food and visual arts a Harbourfront
Centre, in Toronto, from August 8 to 10. With a focus on masters, teachers and
innovators; this festival presents profile artists from India, Sri Lanka,
Pakistan, Bangladesh and Tibet alongside internationally recognized artists
from Canada. Cross-generational and cross-cultural traditions of mentorship
and collaboration highlight these artist's important impact on the greater
South Asian culture.
The
festival was as part of World Routes, presented by RBC.
Free MUSIC highlights
On August 8 night the festival premiered the debut collaboration Autorickshaw
- Bollywood and Beyond. The acclaimed Toronto group performed with a
string quartet and the Hannaford Street Silver Band, a dizzying display of
Indian classical music and vintage Bollywood hits merging with jazz,
electronica, and folk. The festivities included performances from students of
Brampton's respected The Tabla House school followed by Toronto's Skyline
group - who combine and contrast Sri Lankan with Western percusssion styles.
On August 9 night concerts included the Canadian debut of U.S. based trio
Tirtha (Downbeat Magazine's Rising Star artist, pianist Vijay Iyer alongside
guitarist Prasanna Ramaswamy and tabla player Nitin Mitta) playing traditional
and contemporary instruments. Following Tirtha was a duet performance by
Aashish Khan and Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri, two of India's most influential
music artists. Aashish Khan's family has a musical lineage extending back to
the 16th century and he began playing publicly with his family in the 1950's.
Aashish quickly built an international reputation as a Sarode master which
expanded when he co founded the groups Shanti and The Third Eye, pioneering
East and West musical collobarations. He has collaborated with George
Harrison, Ringo Starr and Eric Clapton and was nominated for a Grammy Award in
1996. Chaudhuri is regarded as one of the finest Tabla players of his
generation and he has won many international awards.
In the evening a late-night performance called Sister South Asia showcased
features prominent UK DJ Ritu playing her signature mix of house, garage,
soul, swing, jungle, ragga, bhangra, and hindi. This influential DJ is also a
well-known BBC broadcaster and host who is acknowledged as a leading
musicologist of the British Asian music scene.
In the afternoon the group Talavadya Kacheri featured a collaboration amongst
leading players from Canada, India and Sri Lanka including Dr. Sriram
Suryanarayan on mridangam and khanjira; Anamalai Manoharaon on thavil, Vineet
Vyas on tabla and Jay Shankar Balan on violin.
On
August 10 afternoon Toronto based Irshad Khan delivered a unique presentation
of different Indian classical music styles. His mastery of the intricate
gayaki-ang (vocal) and tantra-ang (instrumental) styles are enhanced by his
incredible sitar and surbahar (bass-sitar) playing.
Free DANCE highlights
Naach Dhamaaka is an extravagant collage of dances and dance groups
representing the diverse regions of South Asia, produced by Lata Pada of
Sampradaya Dance Creations. Enjoy song and dance from the U-Tsang province of
Tibet in Song & Dance from the Roof of the World, with the first
performance featuring graduates from the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts
in Dharamsala, India, founded Dalai Lama in exile to preserve Tibet's unique
cultural heritage.
In
the second performance the graduates were joined by students of the Tibetan
Canadian Culture Centre, with many variations of the Bhangra dance and dress
as Bhangra Nation presented the Virasatt Academy from Punjab, India. There
were four variations of the Dances of Sri Lanka when Lathika's and
Pushpa's Dance Troupe, the Malay Dance Troupe, Premila's Dance Academy and the
Mandakini Dance Troupe performed. Finally, there were dances of Bollywood
during the Nach Nach Bollywood Dance Competition where groups across
Toronto competed.
Free FILM
highlights
There was a celebration of the dynamic South Asian film industry within the
Ollywood film series, showcasing films from Sri Lanka, Bangledesh and
Pakistan. The audiences were inspired by films from Bollywood (based in
Mumbai, formerly Bombay), Lollywood (based in Lahore), Tollywood (based in
Telugu), and Kariwood (based in Karachi).
Featured
titles included two screenings of the Canadian premiere of In the Name of
God (Khude Ke Liye) by director Shoaib Mansoor, which showed the struggles
of Muslim Pakistanis in their own communities and abroad in the post-9/11
world. A Peck on the Cheek (Kannathil Muthamittal) by director Mani
Ratnam showed an adopted girl searching for her biological parents in war-torn
Sri Lanka. The Toronto premiere of Fisherman's Daughter (Dheevari)
by director Salinda Perera was a subtle protrayal of the harsh realities of
life in a fishing village in Sri Lanka. A Q&A with director Perera
followed the screenig Home Land (Ontorjatra) by directors Tareque and
Catherine Masud showed a divorced mother and her son returning to Bangladesh
after 15 years abroad, prompted by the boy's father's sudden death and
funeral.
Free VISUAL ART
highlights
Toronto's SAVAC (South Asian Visual Arts Centre) curated two exciting
presentations of contemporary South Asian art. In partnership with SAVAC Sounds
of the Silenced is a 90 minute film program by internationally known mixed
media artist and curator Sharmila Samant. This Mumbai based artist examined
the twin problems of slum demolition in urban Mumbai and agrarian suicides in
rural India in a video that formed the background for her major installation
Revolutions Forms that Turn at The 2008 Biennale of Sydney. The artist were
presented after the screening for a Q&A.
Throughout the weekend, SAVAC's juried member's exhibition RE-GENERATION
featured mixed media works examining the social, political and cultural
contexts within South Asia, Re-generation responded to the complex and
changing nature of the contemporary South Asian experience.
In partnership with the Textile Museum the exhibition South Asian Textiles,
there was a special preview of South Asian works from the upcoming The
Cutting Edge exhibition project. This weekend-long exhibit expressed the
meaning of traditional South Asian textiles and their response to a society's
needs and cultural preferences. The display was accompanied by a video.
Free FOOD highlights
Food demos provided visitors with a sensory passport to South Asian cuisine. Curry,
Spice and Everything Rice featured Excecutive Chef Sanjiv Malhotra from
Indus Junction making coriander and mint chicken curry and basmati and Zuchini
cakes. Shangrila Tibetan and Asian Cuisine Chef Dolma Tsering prepared Momos.
Chef Anthony Lin of Danforth Dragon created Hakka Chow Mien. Additional demos
featured the popular Sri Lankan dish hoppers (appa) by Chef Bala of Colombo
Catering. A tea demo hosted by Umbereen Inyat featured Masala Chai, Tibetan
Butter Tea and fine teas from Sri Lanka and Nepal.
Free FAMILY
highlights
Through The Eyes of a Child Art Activity in partnership with Masala!
Mehndi! Masti! and Artescape Anua, provided every child imaginative ways to
explore the world of South Asia and to use their talent to its greatest
ability! Through the use of mixed media materials such as feathers, bindis,
sparkles, paint, felt cutouts of cows, fields, huts, cars, and more,
children brought their imagination into a tangible form on canvas.
Imagine cows wearing bindis, or milkmans using cell phones! The idea is - what
is South Asia now to the next generation? A telecommunications giant? A land
of Bollywood song and dance? Samosas and chutney?
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