Shared History

The High Commission of India in South Africa, in association with Teamwork Productions is proud to present the 5th edition of Shared History – The Indian Experience. The vastly successful festival platforms classical music, theatre, dance, film, food & literature from across India. Showcasing events in Johannesburg, Durban & Pretoria from 3rd to 24th September 2011 it is a celebration of the cultural exchange between the two countries.

SHARED HISTORY –THE INDIAN EXPERIENCE will provide an avenue for dialogue and collaborative work between Indian and South African musicians, literary figures and dancers staged in multiple locations throughout the country.

Teamwork Productions

Teamwork is a highly versatile entertainment company, with roots in the performing arts, social action, and the corporate world. Our expertise lies in the area of Entertainment including Television, Film–documentary and feature, Creation and Development of Contemporary Performing, Visual Arts & Literary Festivals across the world, and in nurturing new talent across arts forms.

We currently produce 17 performing and visual arts festivals in 21 cities across 11 countries including Australia, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, India, Israel, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, UK and USA.

Teamwork produces Asia's biggest literary gathering the annual DSC Jaipur Literature Festival, & recently launched Hay Festival in Kerala and the Bookaroo festival for Children. The annual Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (META) & Festival and the Ishara International Puppet Festival in New Delhi is produced by Teamwork.
Our recent musical extravaganza, Bollywood Love Story - A Musical, continues to tour the world and has had sold out shows in Austria, Germany, Netherlands, South Africa, Spain, Italy and Switzerland. The India Africa Forum Summit - Delhi 2008 featured A Tribute to Africa in which over 250 artistes from India & Africa came together in a musical extravaganza conceived & produced by Teamwork. For the second Africa India Forum Summit 2011 in Ethiopia, an Exhibition on Shared Cultural Heritage on India and Africa was specially produced by Teamwork.
With more than 200 events across 18 cities in India and featuring over 250 artists, designers, researchers & entrepreneurs , the Bonjour India! Festival, France's most significant rendezvous with India in 2009/2010 was produced by Teamwork for the Embassy of France - India.

Celebrating India in Israel, Indian Summer, Canada and Eye on India, Chicago are 3 new performing and visual arts festivals that have been launched in 2011.

For further information please visit www.teamworkproductions.in

WORDS ON WATER
India & South Africa in Conversation

Johannesburg: 10 Sept- Sci-Bono, Cnr Miriam Makeba and President Street, Newtown
(in association with University of the Witwatersrand)

Words on Water, the Literary Festival of Indian Writers in South Africa, attempts to mainstream the ideas of contemporary India & Indian writing in English for a South African audience. Of all the practiced arts writers capture the essence of societies and put into words what many of us just sense but have not been able to articulate.

The attempt is to move from the purely academic and portray Indian writing as enlightening and engaging. Through topical issues we hope to capture the mind space of a broad swath of people and introduce South African audiences to the trends in Indian writing in English of recent times.

Book readings, book signings, ‘meet-the-author’ opportunities, as well as talks and discussions between South African & Indian writers will bring together two diverse cultures.

	Antony Paul Altbeker Between 1994 and 2001, Antony worked as a civil servant, focusing on issues relating to crime and policing. Since 2001, Antony has worked as a lecturer in public policy at the University of the Witwatersrand, has been a researcher at two NGOs. He is also the author of three books, The Dirty Work of Democracy: A Year on the Streets with the SAPS (which won the 2006 Recht Malan Prize), A Country at War with Itself: South Africa’s Crisis of Crime and Fruit of a Poisoned Tree: A True Story of Murder and the Miscarriage of Justice. Antony is currently working at the Centre for Development and Enterprise.
	Craig Higginson
	Jaishree Misra has written six novels published by Penguin and Harper Collins. She has an MA in English Literature from Kerala University & two post-graduate diplomas from the University of London, in Special Education & Broadcast Journalism. She worked until recently at the British Board of Film Classification but has moved to Delhi, where she is helping develop a residential unit for developmentally challenged adults.
	Jeet Thayil is a performance poet, novelist, songwriter & musician. His four poetry collections include These Errors Are Correct, English & is the editor of The Bloodaxe Book of Contemporary Indian Poets. Jeet is the recipient of awards from the New York Foundation for the Arts & the Rockefeller Foundation, among others. Educated in Hong Kong, New York & Mumbai, he is currently based in Bangalore. As a musician who plays the guitar, he works with Bombay Down (NYC) & Sridhar/ Thayil (Bangalore). His novel Narcopolis is forthcoming in 2012 from Faber (UK) & Penguin (US).
	Namita Devidayal is the author of the critically acclaimed memoir, The Music Room, and the recent bestselling novel, Aftertaste and is winner of the Crossword Popular Book Award (2008). She was born in 1968 and graduated from Princeton University. Namita currently works as a journalist with The Times of India and lives in Mumbai. She has a keen interest in music and once aspired to evolve as a professional singer and be the inheritor of the Jaipur Gharana.
	Mahesh Dattani is a well known Indian playwright, screenplay writer & director. In 1986, he wrote his first full-length play, Where There’s a Will. His other plays include Final Solutions, Dance Like a Man, Bravely Fought the Queen, On a Muggy Night in Mumbai, Tara & 30 days in September. Mahesh is the first English playwright to be awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award. He is also the recipient of the Sahitya Kala Parishad award. He wrote and directed the movie Mango Souffle which delved into homosexuality. Morning Raga won him the Best Artistic Contribution in 2004, at the Cairo International Festival.
	MJ Akbar has worked in the field of journalism with the leading publications of India. He launched & was editor of The Asian Age. In 2008 he launched Covert, a political based fortnight magazine. He also launched in 2010 The Sunday Guardian, Delhi’s first Sunday newspaper & India on Sunday, published from London. MJ Akbar is the Editorial Director of India Today & Headlines Today. Some of his books include India: The Siege Within, Challenges to a Nation’s Unit; Nehru: The Making of India; Kashmir: Behind the Veil; The Shade of Swords: Jihad amongst others. MJ Akbar’s book Blood Brothers is the story of three generations of a Muslim family & how they deal with the fluctuating contours of Hindu-Muslim relations.
	Veronique Tadjo is a poet, novelist and academic. Born in Paris, she was brought up in Abidjan. She has a doctorate in African American Studies from the Sorbonne Paris. Some of her titles are: Laterite, L’ombre d’Imana and The Blind Kingdom. Her novel Reine Pokou received the Le Grand Prix Littéraire d’Afrique Noire. As the Crow Flies, her ground-breaking novel was republished in South Africa in 2009. Her novel, Loin de mon Père came out in 2010. Véronique is also a writer of books for children that she usually illustrates. Her titles include Mamy Wata et le monstre which won the Unicef Prize, Le grain de maï magique and Ayanda, la petite fille qui ne voulait pas grandir. She is Head of French Studies in University of the Witwatersrand.

Cuisine from Bengal

Johannesburg:
15-17 Sept - Southern Sun, Grayston Drive, Sandton

19 – 24 Sept - Le Canard, 163, Rivonia Road, Morningside
For bookings: (011) 884 4597

Bengali cuisine, originating from eastern India, lays an emphasis on fish and lentils served with rice as a staple diet. Bengali cuisine is known for its subtle (yet sometimes fiery) flavors, its confectioneries and desserts. It also has perhaps the only traditionally developed multi-course tradition from South Asia that is analogous in structure with similar traditions found in French and Italian cuisine .Bengali cuisine is all about aroma and reticence. The specialty of Bengali food lies in the perfect blend of sweet and spicy flavors.

Southern Sun is one of the leading hotel groups in Africa, providing world-class accommodation across all markets and offering the widest distribution of hotels in Africa in major urban centres and key leisure destinations. Their collection of 90 hotels, with 14 112 rooms, combine local favourites with some of the world's most respected hotel brands. With over 40 years of experience in servicing the local and international business and leisure traveler, Southern Sun is focused on building its portfolio of successful global brands and continues its expansion in Africa, the Indian Ocean and the Middle East. Tsogo Sun Holdings comprises Southern Sun and Tsogo Sun Gaming. It is one of South Africa's most successful entertainment and hospitality groups.

Le Canard is a beautiful restaurant, situated in the Sandtonian heart of South Africa’s financial hub. Although Le Canard specializes in Franco international food, it is regarded as an outstanding example of contemporary culinary classicism. Modern, albeit refined appointments, elegant interiors, silver service, warm and professional staff, and food and wines which have received accolades from national and international dignitaries, celebrities, artists and politicians. Le Canard’s chef owner, Freda Appelbaum, has been made a member of the Chene Des Rotisseurs and is also one of the very few women in the world to have been awarded the status of: Disciple of Escoffier.

Just Mehfil, a unit of Excuisine Foods & Beverages Pvt. Ltd., serves authentic indulgent Indian food. Excuisine Foods & Beverages, an entrepreneurial venture started with the goal of offering fresh, healthy & affordable Indian & global cuisine experience to meet the rapidly changing gastronomical needs of the urban market.

The Chefs

Vikram Udaygiri is a young and well travelled entrepreneur & chef. He has specialized in French and regional Indian cuisines. Vikram’s expertise lies in creating food concepts for various formats, from Managed Kitchen Solutions & Industrial Kitchen Operations to Quick-Service Restaurants & Fine Dining Restaurants.

T.S.Nanaiah, a graduate in Hotel Management, started his career as a Chef with the Park Hotels, India. He went on to specialize in Costal Indian Cuisine and currently works as a Chef & Food Architect with Excuisine Food & Beverage Pvt Ltd. He designs menus for various brands of Just Mehfil & Orange Peel.

Rhythm Divine
Astad Deboo Dance Company

Durban: 15 – 17 Sept - The Playhouse Company, 29 Acutt Street, 8pm

Johannesburg: 20 – 22 Sept - Dance Factory, President Street, 8pm

For tickets: www.computicket.com

The Performance
Rhythm Divine believes dance is a system of ideas and together with music can enrich the moral, the material and the intellectual. Astad walks the perimeter with Manipuri Pung Cholam drummers to create a universe of dance. In Rhythm Divine, Astad plays with "a seamless blend of the avant-garde with traditional movement". The soulful sound of an operatic soprano intones profound feeling reflected in Astad's body. Throughout the first two segments, a dedicatory quality is pervasive, offering everything to a higher realm; qualities of reverence and spirituality that are part of the Pung Cholam tradition of Manipur, North-Eastern India. The segments flow with a perceptive choreographic logic from the slow and devotional to staccato beats and martial movements. The overall feel of the work is ritualistic and meditative.

Astad Deboo
Astad Deboo's dance journey over the past four decades is remarkable for his prodigious artistry, solo and group choreography, and collaborations with different performing artists in India and across the globe. His work has been seen in 65 countries. Astad is the recipient of the 2007 Padma Shri Award, a prestigious recognition by the Government of India for his pioneering work in contemporary Indian dance. His artistry is marked by technical virtuosity along with a unique humanism in his dance work with the physically and socially disadvantaged - with the deaf (in Kolkata, Chennai, Washington DC) that now spans two decades, and more recently, with street children of the Salaam Baalak Trust. Astad is creatively passing down his legacy and the gift of his signature style onto these youthful bodies.

Cast & Credits

Choreography: Astad Deboo
Collaborator: Guru Meihoubam Seityaban Singh
Performers:
Pungcholam Drummers of Shree Shree Govindaji Nat Sankirtan - Ibungo Singh, Handsome Singh, Santosh Singh, Sanasam Shantikumar, Nelachandra Singh, Narendra Singh, Ojit Nongthobam, Dharmendra Singh & Astad Deboo
Music: Yoichiro Yoshikawa, Dawn Upshaw, Drummers of Shree Shree Govindaji Nat Sankirtan
Costume Design: Archana Shah, Hiloo Mehta & Seityaban Singh
Lights: Pushan Kripalani

DANCE LIKE A MAN
By Primetime Theatre Company

Johannesburg: 8 -10 Sept, The Fringe, Joburg Theatre, 8pm
For tickets: www.computicket.com 0861 670 670

Durban: 13 & 14 Sept- The Playhouse Company, 29 Acutt Street, 8pm
For tickets: www.computicket.com

Directed by: Lillete Dubey
Written by: Mahesh Dattani
Language: English
Duration: 90 minutes (with interval)
For tickets: www.computicket.co.za

The Performance
The story of Jairaj and Ratna, two Bharat Natyam dancers past their prime, is contrasted with that of their daughter Lata, who is on the brink of establishing herself as a brilliant dancer. Her immenent success creates tension and jealousy, and the audience is drawn into the dark secrets of family relationships and conflicts between generations. The play probes the surface of the characters to question their deeper motivations, but the mode is comic rather than tragic, even though the concerns are serious, and you are never sure whether to laugh or cry.

About the Director

Acclaimed theatre director Lillete Dubey is also a Stage, Television and Film Actor. Her Theatre Company- The Primetime Theatre Company, Mumbai was set up in 1991 with the primary purpose of promoting and providing a platform for some of the country’s most talented Indian Playwrights. The Company’s work has won several awards and has traveled extensively. Lillete has played the lead role in over 60 productions on stage over the last 35 years, from plays as diverse as Greek tragedies to Absurd drama, Farces, Shakespeare, Brecht and a gamut of Indian Playwrights. She joined films only a decade ago but has left her mark with her strongly etched roles in films as diverse as Zubeida, Monsoon Wedding, Gadar, Baghban, Kal ho na ho, My Brother Nikhil, Corporate, Bow Barracks Forever, Pankh and a host of others.
She hopes to keep her passion for acting and the theatre going for many years to come and to also pen a novel, make a film and open a theatre ashram one day before she hangs up her sandals!

Credits

On Stage:
Vijay Crishna: Jairaj
Joy Sengupta: Viswas
Suchitra Pillai: Lata
Lillete Dubey: Ratna

Off Stage:
Bhola Sharma: Production

SHUBHA MUDGAL
Music of the Mystics
Mystic poetry from India rendered in song

Johannesburg: 9 Sept – Linder Auditorium, University of the Wits Campus, 8pm
For tickets: www.computicket.com

The Performance
Centuries ago, some of the most powerful and ecstatic expressions of love, devotion and surrender to the ultimate were authored by the great saint poets from the Indian subcontinent. While some of these verses are direct and forthright in their simplicity, others contain complex allegory and metaphor. Most of this great literary treasure was meant to be sung, and continues to inspire Indian musicians across genres even today. Shubha Mudgal is one such artiste whose study of the mystic poetry of the sub-continent has greatly enriched her repertoire. She presents selections from the verses of Kabir, Amir Khusrau, Gorakhnath and others in a style that bears the hallmark of her training in Hindustani classical music. Accompanying her for this presentation are three accomplished musicians - Dr. Aneesh Pradhan (tabla), Sudhir Nayak (harmonium) and Pratap Rath (percussion).

Shubha Mudgal
One of India’s most versatile singers, Shubha Mudgal is an exponent of Hindustani classical music who is equally at ease experimenting with diverse genres of music such as fusion and cross cultural collaborations, film music and devotional music. She is also a composer and a teacher, in addition to being involved with many projects related to music education, and the dissemination of Indian music.

Cast & Credits
Vocals: Shubha Mudgal
Tabla: Dr. Aneesh Pradhan
Harmonium: Sudhir Nayak
Additional Percussion: Pratap Rath

RAJASTHAN JOSH

Pretoria: 3 Sept - Rendezvous, State Theatre, 7.30pm

Johannesburg:
4 Sept - Jazz on the Lake, Zoo Lake, 12.30pm (Free Show)
6 Sept – The Mandela, Joburg Theatre, 8pm (Free Show)
(For tickets: tickets@joburgtheatre.com / 0861 670 670)

Durban: 10 Sept – Blue Lagoon, 8pm

The Performance
Nathoo Solanki, Chugge Khan, other Rajasthani musicians & the enchanting Lorena come together in a mesmerizing performance combining the folk traditions of north western region of India.
Using instruments like the Morchang, Bhapang Khartaal, Double flute, Nagara & Bamboo Flute and incorporating vocal styles ranging from the mystic Sufi traditions, bhajans & popular folk songs of Rajasthan, the performance will be interspersed with captivating dances like the Chari Dance, Kalbelia – Snake charmers dance, & Terah Taali.

Nathoo Lal Solanki
Nathoo Lal has been playing the nagada for several years now performing all over India, and has also showcased his talent at numerous festivals all over the world. He has performed with artists such as Prem Joshua, Indian Ocean, Susheela Raman, amongst others. He now teaches the nagada to people of all ages from all around the world at his own school in Pushkar, Rajasthan.

Chugge Khan
Chugge Khan is very talented versatile folk singer and musician. Widely traveled all over the world he has played with an extensive range of artists and bands. He plays the mouth harp and wooden hand claps. His energetic movements and his endearing personality add melody and joy.

Cast & Credits
Musicians: Chugge Khan, Gulam Khan, Pempo Khan, Gule Khan, Salim Khan, Chanan Khan & Nathoo Lal Solanki
Dancer: Lorena