A salute from China

Uyghur Mukam Opera, a 38-member troupe from Xinjiang, China, recently put up a colourful evening of folk dances and music at the Jnana Jyothi Auditorium. The event was organised by the ICCR, in collaboration with the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in India. The artistes were exceptional in their skills and enthralled the audience throughout the show.

Uyghur Mukam Opera is a popular name in China and has been gaining international attention for spreading the art and culture of the nation. On its recent trip to India, the members impressed Bangaloreans with melodious music, vibrant costumes and sophisticated performing skills.

The opening piece was Qabiyat Mukam Selections, a group performance. The presentation had some incredible movements, which impressed all who had gathered there. The format of the performance was like that of a dance marathon, with each group showcasing wonderful moves without any pause.

Singers Osman Amat and Tursungul Smasak and the instrumentalists supported the dancers with their tunes. It was a befitting opening item, which made the audience look forward to the next part of the performance. Next was a performance by Izzat Eliyas, who presented a Chinese song called ‘I Miss You’. Later she chose to perform a Hindi song, Pyar Na Ho To Is Duniya Mein, which evoked a positive response from the crowd.
They encouraged her with applause till the end of her performance.

After that there was a folk performance by female artistes called ‘Atux Folk Dance’. Adila Nurmamat and group presented it beautifully with their swift movements and perfect synchronisation.

Later, it was Hayrat Eziz who mesmerised the audience with his acrobatic skills. His show was very entertaining and he enthralled the jam-packed audience with his spellbinding acts.

Then it was time for the instrumentalists to showcase their talent on their respective musical instruments. Traditional instruments like ruan, dizi, pipa, qinqin and others were played on the occasion.

‘Bowl Dance’, a spectacular group dance, was the highlight of the evening. The female artistes danced while playing with porcelain bowls. It was a treat for eyes and the crowd couldn’t control their emotions.

“The show was really a treat for both the eyes and ears. The troupe took me to a different world altogether. Their make-up and costumes were quite appealing. One noticeable thing was that every single performer kept smiling throughout the show, which is a must for any stage performer,” opined Vinay Chandra, a member of the audience and also a trained classical dancer.