Doha-Katara: Katara hosted a performance by an Indian “Kalbelia Dance” troupe on Saturday. The event was organized in collaboration with the India embassy in Doha.
The performance was inaugurated in the presence of the Indian ambassador to Qatar Sanjiv Arora and the Deputy General Manager for Operational Affairs at “Katara” Ahmad Al-Sayed.
The group will perform again on Monday at 7pm at Katara amphitheater
Heads of diplomatic missions in Qatar were also present during the event that grabbed a significant turn out of attendees.
In a brief speech ahead of the show Arora expressed his utmost gratitude to Katara for hosting such cultural events which reflect keen interest in connecting people from various cultures and demonstrating an example of a cultural destination and platform that celebrate cultural diversity.
This event is ushering in the start of the “Road to India” festival which will witness several other performances and activities on Monday April 18.
Arora introduced the show by saying: “The performance we are seeing tonight is one of the most rich dance forms of Rajasthan, performed by a tribe of the same name. Most of the region’s landscape is covered with sand. It is similar to the desert of Qatar. The band uses traditional Indian musical instruments and the “Kalbelia” dances and songs made it to the UNESCO list of World Intangible heritage in 2010”.
The dances and songs performed by “Kaleblia Dance” show wowed the audience using folkloric dance elements and costumes inspired by ethnographic traditions. The performance included the traditional “Sheri Dance” in Rajasthan, Sufi songs including one about Muin-ud-din Chishti, a renowned Sufi figure in the Indian Subcontinent, and other traditional songs from Rajasthan which became very popular through Bollywood movies.
The “Kalbelia” songs disseminate mythological knowledge through stories, while special traditional dances are performed during Holi, the festival of colours. The songs also demonstrate the poetic acumen of the “Kalbelia”, who are reputed to compose lyrics spontaneously and improvise songs during performances.
At the end of the show, Al Sayed and Arora presented bouquets of flowers to the performers of “Kaleblia Dance” as a sign of appreciation. For her part, the Director of the show Subki gifted Al Sayed of “Katara” a traditional handmade souvenir.
Once professional snake handlers, “Kalbelia” today evoke their former occupation in music and dance that is evolving in new and creative ways. Transmitted from generation to generation, the “Kalbelia” songs and dances form part of an oral tradition for which no texts or training manuals exist. Song and dance are a matter of pride for the Kalbelia community, and a marker of their identity.
The Peninsula
