Out of Africa

The Kamani Auditorium came alive as artists from Africa presented folk performances on May 18,the opening day of a two-day Africa Festival organised by the ICCR.

Written by Apoorva Gupta
May 20, 2010 10:12 PM IST

1 min read

The Kamani Auditorium came alive as artists from Africa presented folk performances on May 18,the opening day of a two-day Africa Festival organised by the ICCR. Troupes from five African countries South Africa,Rwanda,Tunisia,Malawi and Nigeria participated in the festival. It is an attempt to underscore our interest in Africa, said Virendra Gupta,director-general,ICCR.

Dressed in bright costumes and using spears,shields and even pots,they matched steps to the roaring beat of the drums. The Tunisian troupe presented a unique musical ensemble called IFRIGA,using stones and olive sticks to produce myriad sounds. The South African performance,Ubuhle Besintu or the Beauty of Culture,was a lively mix of traditional and contemporary dances. Apart from Delhi,the troupe will also be performing in Agra,Chandigarh,Hardwar,Jaipur and Lucknow.