‘Stringstruck’ a sitar concert in celebration of 67th Republic Day of India

‘Stringstruck’ a sitar concert was held on Monday, January 26 in celebration of  the  67th Republic Day of India.  The evening commenced with the singing of both the Sri Lankan and Indian National anthems which represented the strong bonds between the two countries.  

The concert at Bishop’s auditorium was organised by the Indian High Commission in Colombo. Among the guests was Indian High Commissioner Y.K. Sinha, Speaker of Parliament, Karu Jayasuriya and his wife as well as sitar enthusiasts awaiting the much anticipated performance from sitar maestro Purbayan Chatterjee. 

The concert was part of a series of events organised as part of the Festival of India which is to continue throughout 2016. The theme of the festival is “Sangam”  - a confluence of cultures between India and Sri Lanka and both the Indian High Commissioner and Mr Jayasuriya spoke of these great historical links. Mr Jayasuriya said he was “honoured to help celebrate as a friend of India” and explained how the concert was yet another initiative to acknowledge their shared culture. 

After the formalities, the one and only Purbayan Chatterjee was warmly welcomed onto the stage by an enthusiastic crowd.  Joining him was Darshan Doshi on drums, Prakash Ulliyeri on keyboard and ManasChowdhary on bass guitar. The multi-talented musicians captivated the audience with their mesmerising sounds. Chatterjee with his unique style, transforms the traditional sitar sound by combining it with electronic music and the result is outstanding! 

There was even audience interaction which added to the light hearted, celebratory tone of the evening and the fantastic performance was commended by a standing ovation. In February the next festival event will be an exhibition on “Digital India”.