Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society (SIFAS) presented its annual offering, Alangkar 2018, in Chennai during the iconic season of Indian Classical Music and Dance Kutcheri from December 7-9, 2018.
The festival is presented by SIFAS in collaboration with Consulate-General of the Republic of Singapore, Chennai. Alangkar was inaugurated with the lighting of the lamp by Roy Kho, Consul-General on Friday, December 7, 2018, at 6 pm.
“When we began the festival, we featured some of Chennai’s most eminent artistes. Over the last few years, we’ve chosen to showcase our students and faculty members in order to help them get some exposure and widen their artistic reach beyond Singapore,” said SIFAS’ principal Shankar Rajan.
This year for the first time, Alangkar presented a concert, Laya Sangamam as the opening highlight. Conceptualised and conducted by Guru Sreekanth, Laya Sangamam is inspired by the diverse and multi-cultural influences that enrich the land of Singapore. It married the strength and depth of Indian Ragas with the rich palette of musicians and sounds from across Indian, Chinese, Malay and Western instruments, and makes them dance to Indian classical rhythms.
Alangkar presented both South Indian and North Indian genres of Hindustani Sitar and Kathak along with Bharatanatyam performances by Netra Easwaran, Kum Meenalochani, Meera Balasubramanian, Muskan Anshuman Rao, Shalini Mohanakannan and other SIFAS artistes and Carnatic music sessions featuring Anuradha Rajaraman, Swathi Kumar, Sreeranjani Muthusubramanian, Shruthi Kumar, Sudarshan Narasimhan, Shankar Rajan among others on its second and third full day programmes.
Founded in 1949, SIFAS is Singapore’s pioneer academy in imparting the knowledge of Indian traditional and classical music, dance and arts. SIFAS makes an effort to include junior and upcoming talented performers along with talented artistes and provides a platform for SIFAS students and alumnus to perform and be a part of the Chennai Kutcheri.
The partnering with the Kalakshetra Foundation is a result of SIFAS’ over 35-year association with the premier institute.
“We’re building the interest in young people, slowly and surely,” Rajan assured. “We’re not just a place to build careers. We’re building better people, more creative minds, through music and dance of all forms.”
