Most song and dance professionals are on their way to US, UK and Gulf countries to perform

RAJKOT, SEPT 19: Folk singers and performers from Saurashtra are making a beeline for foreign countries these days. About 80 per cent of r...

RAJKOT, SEPT 19: Folk singers and performers from Saurashtra are making a beeline for foreign countries these days. About 80 per cent of reputed performers are booked to perform in foreign countries during the Navaratri by Gujaratis living aborad.

Although the trend began a few years ago, this year the artistes are flocking to foreign lands like never before. Last year, only about 20 per cent had gone. This time, most of the popular singers are headed for the USA, UK or countries of Middle East for those nine days of traditional festivities, beginning September 28.

Utpal Vacharajani of Sailesh-Utpal group said the popularity of Navratri’ had increased among non-resident Gujaratis in recent years. For the artistes, a foreign invitation means prestige and more money than they get here, that too in foreign exchange.

So, Damyantiben Bardai, Lalita Gudhatra, Lalit Sodhra, Rahul Mehta, Sonal Thapa, Nilesh Pathak, Arvind Bagad, Nitin Dhruv, Kalim Khan — all well-known names on the garba’ cricuit in Saurashtra — are packing their bags and arranging their air tickets.

Lalita Gudhatra, a famous singer based at Rajkot, is booked for Sharjah. Last year, she performed in the city. This time, some Gujaratis in Sharjah, who had heard her casettes, sent an invitation. She has got her visa and is all ready to leave in two days.

Ashwin N Trivedi of Musical Mellows is headed for Chicago with his group. In the past, Trivedi used to perform in Calcutta. This time, an NRI group sent an invitation much in advance. Damyantiben Bardai, a popular singer, is already in London, Lilit Sodhra has left for USA, while Deepak Joshi is somewhere in the Middle East.

A few years ago, only eminent artistes, like Hemant Chauhan and Diwaliben Bhil, used to get invited to foreign countries. As the demand has increased, even younger artistes are going abroad. Vachrajani said a new trend was the invitations coming from the rich Gujaratis settled in African countries for long.

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Ashwin Trivedi said the demand for artistes from Saurashtra was more because their songs and dances were closer to traditional forms and many, in fact, had stuck to the original compositions and styles. While tastes here may be changing, the Gujaratis living abroad miss all this, he said.

How much do the artiste earn on these trips? Bihari Hemu Gadhvi, son of famous folk artist Hemu Gadhvi, who has been to London three consecutive years, remarked, “An artist may go there with two pair of clothes, but he comes back a rich man”.

Dhirubhai Survaiya, a young artist of Lok-Dayro, who visited the USA last year, said that unlike here, those who send the invitation from aborad make all arrangements of journey and stay. Besides, there is no haggling over payment; the artistes get what they demand. On top, a performance abroad adds to the artiste’s prestige.