Different cultures on one stage
Honouring Relations
A celebration honouring the sixty years of diplomatic relationship between India and Japan was recently held in the City. 
Organised by the Indo-Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, it was marked by a colourful cultural programme that included plenty of dancing, music and inter-cultural mingling. It was attended by many members of the IJCCI, in addition to the head of the Japanese Consulate, Koichi Ibara and his wife.
This occasion was the first in Bangalore, and is part of a year-long celebration to mark our relationship with Japan. It began with renditions of both the Indian and Japanese national anthems, sung by Nazomi Yasui, a talented Japanese singer, for which the entire crowd stood up in respect. After this, S Janakiraman, the president of the IJCCI, gave the welcome address and spoke about the flourishing relationship between the two countries, making a mention of Japanese involvement in Bangalore’s Metro rail project as well.
The cultural programme, when it began, was welcomed by both the Indian as well as the Japanese members of the audience. Entitled ‘Sambhrama 2012 — The Colours of India and Japan’, it included dance performances and plenty of music. The performances were by artistes from the Sangeetha Bharathi Institute of Arts.
The cultural programme began with an invocatory dance called Natyanjali. In this semi-classical dance number, the dancers sought the blessings of the omnipresent Kaladevi. The music to which the piece was set was infused with a contemporary feel, since it was layered with a modern drum beat. The dancers performed beautifully, exhibiting both grace and skill. The high-energy performance had
the audience clapping enthusiastically.
This was followed by Gopalakrishna, a folk dance from Rajasthan. The dance showcased the emotions of the gopikas, and their love for Lord Krishna. It was set to the popular Bollywood song Kisna, and was an energetic, attractive performance. Dressed in bright green and red lehengas and dupattas, the dancers portrayed both the shy gopikas as well as Lord Krishna.
After this, Nazomi Yasui came back on stage. To the audience’s delight, he sang the popular Kannada hit number Neenadena. Many members of the audience sang along and clapped with him. This was followed by another dance performance. This one, however, was contemporary rather than classical, and focussed on the overwhelming power of Mother Nature. Dressed in vivid purple costumes, the dancers depicted the flowing movement of wind and water in this piece.
