Spectacular Independence Gala to mark culmination of UK – India 2017 Year of Culture

To be held at London's Southbank Centre, it is a get-together of Indian and British performing artists, highlighting their distinct movements, rhythms and inherent similarities.

Y.K. Sinha, Indian High Commissioner, said, “The Independence Gala will be a fitting celebration of the 70th anniversary of India’s independence, showcasing some of the best cultural collaborations between India and the UK. The Gala will bring together distinctive art forms and performers from India and the UK in a magical montage of dance and music. I hope the audience will get to see the vibrancy and depth of our cultural ties at this spectacular event, which will be a celebration of friendship and togetherness.” 

The Independence Gala will mark the culmination of the UK-India 2017 Year of Culture, a year-long celebration of the cultural ties and partnership between the two countries. 

The Independence Gala will feature two distinct sections with a line-up of over 150 artistes from both countries.

The evening will begin with music and dance performances, including Indian regional and classical dances, tap dance, hip hop, opera and choir by the acclaimed London Contemporary Voices and a slow rhumba performance by the dance company, Step Change Studios.

There will be regional Indian dances, from the Gotipua, an ancient and traditional tribute to Lord Krishna to the heady, athletic and martial art-inspired Chhau dance form. 

Leading dance exponents, including London-based Kuchipudi dancer Arunima Kumar, renowned Kalakshetra alumnus Geetha Sridhar, among others, will perform classical Indian dances like the Bharatnatyam, Kathakali-Mohiniyattam and Kathak.

Musical performances will feature British Indian composer and virtuoso sarod player Soumik Datta, Slovenian-born improv guitarist Igor Bezget and British-Austrian percussionist Bernhard Schimpelsberger. British opera soprano Patricia Rozario will regale with her renditions and, as the tempo builds, music conductor Sharat Chandra Srivastava will orchestrate a grand foot-stomping finale.

After the medley, audiences will be treated to a breath-taking headline performance by Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood and Israeli composer and musician Shye Ben Tzur in collaboration with Indian band Rajasthan Express who will perform numbers from their critically acclaimed album, Junun.

Recorded in a makeshift studio inside the 15th-century Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur, the album was made with Radiohead’s producer Nigel Godrich and comprises Ben Tzur’s compositions, which feature devotional Sufi qawwal musicians who sing in Urdu as well as in Hebrew.

The Independence Gala’s objective is one of cementing artistic partnerships and collaborations through the universal language of the arts. The programme will focus on highlighting the unique aspects of each distinct genre while using the universality of dance and music to create a seamless performance.

2017 has been declared the UK-India Year of Culture (India@UK2017) following the joint announcement in 2015 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then-Prime Minister David Cameron of a bilateral initiative to mark the deep cultural ties  and the 70th anniversary of India’s Independence; a commitment that was reiterated during Prime Minister Theresa May's visit to India in November 2016.

Sanjoy K Roy, Director of Teamwork Arts, said, “In a year of such great significance for our country and for the historic Indo-UK alliance, we are delighted to have put together this cultural spectacle – the Gala – which strengthens ties in ways which bind the tightest –through the universal language of the arts.”  

The Independence Gala will be presented by High Commission of India – London UK; Ministry of Culture - Government of India; Indian Council for Cultural Relations and leading Indian festival producer Teamwork Arts.

www.indiaatuk2017.com