Nritya Nandan and Chirkutt impress Sri Lankan audience

18 March 2013, 18:00 PM

UPDATED 19 March 2013, 13:57 PM

A Correspondent

Nritya Nandan's collaborative performance with Sri Lankan artistes. Nritya Nandan, a Bangladeshi dance institution led by eminent dancer Sharmila Banerjee, and the band Chirkutt have returned home after performing at the two-day Jaffna Music Festival in Sri Lanka. The Jaffna Music Festival 2013 was a sister event of the Galle Music Festival, which attracted over 22,000 people over two days in 2012. The Jaffna Festival, as it promised, was as exhilarating as the Galle Festival -- bringing together an exciting line-up of musicians, dancers and other performers. On March 1 and 2, the Jaffna Municipal Grounds pulsated with a combination of vibrant music and colours. The festival itself was a celebration of the unique and fascinating history, heritage, diversity and talents that Sri Lanka had to offer. Performers from Brazil, Bangladesh, India, Palestine and Norway joined local counterparts to create memorable performances. Sharmila Banerjee (director of Nritya Nandan), along with her daughter Sudeshna Swayamprabha, presented Manipuri dance at the festival. The troupe also collaborated with a Sri Lankan dance group, The Aru Sri Art Theatre, and a Norwegian team, Hat Trick & Fiddle. The collaboration highlighted Bangladeshi, Sinhalese, Tamil folk dances and Norwegian social dance, and was hugely appreciated by the audience. Chirkutt, meanwhile, worked the audience with their popular numbers. The audience may not have understood the Bangla lyrics, but was seemingly appreciative of the beats and tunes. Chirkutt also collaborated with Norwegian band Casa Murilo at the festival. Pinto Ghosh and Emon Chowdhury of Chirkutt, kept the audience swaying with their violin and guitar. Following the festival, both Nritya Nandan and Chirkutt -- along with the other international groups -- also featured in a concert titled “Blend of Traditions” on March 4 in Colombo, at the Samudra Hotel Auditorium. Nrityan Nandan's performance of Manipuri dance and Chirkutt's melodious numbers were much appreciated by the audience. Sudeshna Swayamprabha, of Nritya Nandan, also performed in a Norwegian social dance with musician and dancer Ulf Arne Johannessen. Both the Jaffna Festival and the concert in Colombo were organised jointly by Riksconsertene (Concerts Norway) and Ari Sri Art Theatre, Sewalanka Foundation. The festival was funded by the Royal Norwegian Embassy and the United States Agency for International Development.