Visitors flocked to Harbourfront Centre’s South Asia Calling festival to discover the essence of South Asia.
The free Toronto summer festival celebrated the diverse arts, culture, music and food found within South Asian communities, with performances and activities from Sri Lanka, Tibet, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and more.
Harbourfront Centre artistic associate Umair Jaffar said, “South Asia Calling presents a hands-on way to experience the culture, traditions and history of South Asian gurus with a contemporary twist. There is something for everyone, from musical and dance performances to a curry cook-off, and more.”
Music
The three-day festival was packed with music. Shweta Subram kicked things off showcasing the transition of traditional Sufi music to contemporary popular Bollywood music. Also Friday evening, students of the legendary Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Fanna Fi-Allah showed the magnetism and beauty of Qawwali while paying homage to the “King Of Qawwali”.
Saturday afternoon, the Maestros Ensemble showcased the varying genres of South Asian music blending classical, contemporary and folk. Trichy Sankaran, the legendary Mridangam maestro, Sangeeta Shankar, the violinist from Mumbai, Qais Essar, the famed Rabab player from Arizona, and Canada’s Indian music band Autorickshaw all performed together.
JoSh
To close the night, JoSh, the widely acclaimed Canadian Indo-Pakistani contemporary band that performs a mix of pop, hip-hop and traditional bhangra performed in front of enthusiastic crowds at the WestJet Stage.
Dance
Bhangra competition
Dance was another key component of the festival, with highlights including dancers from the Menaka Thakkar Dance Company displayed the historical journey of Indian dance, a bhangra competition and performances from Sanskriti Arts Ensemble, celebrating Harbourfront Centre’s 40th anniversary with 40 of Canada’s top Bhangra dancers.
Food And Culture
Killer Curry Cookoff
Friday night, six curry chefs competed for the Killer Curry Cookoff title, with attendees voting for their favourite dish. Suman Sandillya’s riff on Old Delhi-Style Butter Chicken won top prize.
Meanwhile, throughout the festival, the Colours of South Asia Film Series showed the diversity of cultures and subcultures within the South Asian region, while the Guru Workshop Series taught audiences more about Indian classical dance, storytelling traditions and more.
Basant kite making crafts kept children happily entertained, and the weekend drew to a close having entertained and informed thousands of visitors on the varied cultures of South Asia.
All Images Courtesy Of: Harbourfront Centre
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