Heritage Evenings At ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival 2019 To Celebrate India’s Cultural Diversity

• Two Heritage Evenings will be showcased at iconic heritage locations in the city - Jawahar Kala Kendra (JKK) and Amber Fort.

• Details of the Heritage Evenings

* Clothing as Identity @ Jawahar Kala Kendra -A group of skilled artisans from Kutch will showcase their designs on the ramp. Friday, 25th January, 7pm to 8pm.

* A Majestic Evening @ Amber Fort - An evening of performance and music by Rajasthan Tourism and the Zee Jaipur Literature Festival that will bring together art, culture and built heritage at the magnificent Amber Fort. Saturday, 26th January, 7pm onwards.

Music, dance, and fashion performances will charm audiences at the ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival 2019 during two glorious Heritage Evenings which will be set against the backdrop of the city’s spectacular monuments. On the evenings of January 25th and 26th, in association with Rajasthan Tourism, the Festival will host these grand events at Jaipur’s iconic Amber Fort and the multi-arts centre Jawahar Kala Kendra (JKK). While the two evenings are dedicated to the monuments of Jaipur, the spellbinding shows will celebrate the rich and diverse culture of India.

Clothing as Identity is a fashion Show by Artisan Designers of Kutch. This will be a vibrant narration of the diversity and unity found in the rich cultural traditions of Kutch through its prevalent fashions. Numerous communities from Rajasthan, Sindh, Pakistan, Persia and Africa migrated to Kutch bringing with them their traditions, costumes, culture and shaped the region’s unique identity. Accompanied by Rajasthani Folk Music, the hour-long event will exhibit costumes that bring together folk traditions of Kutch on a chic canvas in a fusion of craft and contemporary silhouettes. Complex traditional textile techniques and skills such as Bhujodi weaves, block prints, Bandhani and DhebariaRabari embroidery will be showcased. Presented by Craft Stories Under the Mango Tree, the participating Artisan Designers include:

• Aslam Abdul Karima Khatri (Ajrakh block printing)
• Irfan Anwar Khatri (Ajrakh block printing)
• Abdul Aziz Khatri &Taina Aziz Khatri (Bandhani)
• TalahGulam Khatri &FahadGulam Khatri (Bandhani)
• KunvarbenBhikabhaiRabari (DhebariaRabari embroidery)
• SajnubenPachanbhaiRabari (DhebariaRabari embroidery)
• Rajesh VishramjiSiju (Bhujodi weaving)
• DilipDahyalalKudecha (Bhujodi weaving)

A musical evening awaits audiences on Republic Day, January 26th with a mix of enthralling music and dance performances. Rajasthan Tourism, in partnership with the ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival, will bring together art, culture and built heritage at the magnificent Amber Fort.

The evening will begin with a performance by Folkland, International Centre for Folklore & Culture, Kerala showcasing Theyyam, a ceremonial dance from Kerala, depicting famous folk, tribal and mythological stories with music, dance and mime. A chorus of traditional musical instruments will accompany this stately dance.

Following the performance, Man Booker Prize winner, acclaimed poet, novelist, essayist and playwright Ben Okri will be on stage presenting The Griot, a new kind of live literary experience in the tradition of bards and griots, ancient story-tellers and custodians of oral traditions.

Another highlight of the evening will be a recital by Sitar Ensemble, one of India’s most accomplished sitar duos: Shakir Khan and Azeem Ahmed Alvi. Shakir, son and disciple of UstadShahidParvez Khan, and Alvi, a disciple of the sitar maestro, have come together to form this unique collaboration as the 8th generation representatives of the Etawahgharana. UstadAkram Khan and Hafeez Ahmed Khan will join them on the tabla.

The evening will culminate with 3G – a unique performance that brings together three generations of the only family in India that has been paying rich tributes to Carnatic music for decades. Legendary percussionist VidwanVikkuVinayakram, along with his exceptionally talented sons, V. Selvaganesh and Umashankar, and grandson Swaminathan, will celebrate Indian classical music, at the forthcoming majestic evening to be held at Amber Fort. Audiences will witness their unmatched dedication to music and superlative skills on the ghattam (VikkuVinayakram and Umashankar), hand-drums (Selvaganesh), morsingh (A. Ganesh) and the kanjeera (Swaminathan). Vinayakram’s youngest son Mahesh will join them on vocals.

Sanjoy Roy, Managing Director of Teamwork Arts, Producer of the ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival said, “Ever year, with support from Rajasthan Tourism, Heritage Evenings at the ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival celebrate the built heritage of the state and highlight its rich cultural and architectural legacy through performing arts. This year, we will present some of the best in earthy fashion, music and folk-dance against the backdrop of two unique spaces – Amber Fort and Jawahar Kala Kendra. The events are exclusively curated to bring the audiences closer to the diverse cultural heritage of India.”

Entry to the Heritage Evenings are by invitation only. Guests can enquire at the Information Desk at the ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival on the days the events are held.