Sivamani

Trilok Gurtu

Fusion fest: Music, dance, fashion and food merged on the Nicco Park lawns on Friday evening for Kolkata Fusion Fiesta 2013, an initiative by percussionist Tanmoy Bose. The first two days of the three-day fete saw rousing performances by kanjira maestro V. Selvaganesh and his group Anandam, and percussionists Sivamani and Trilok Gurtu. Models walked the ramp sporting painter Sanatan Dinda’s creations. “It is not just entertainment, the festival is our way of raising awareness on women’s empowerment and trafficking through music,” said Tanmoy. “I think music is an excellent diplomatic tool. The fusion of music — music from all over the world together on one stage — is the musical version of my job. So, naturally I want to be here,” said US consul-general Dean Thompson after the inauguration. An open-air stage for local bands, a plug ’’ play facility, handicrafts stalls from different parts of India and a food village made up the festival grounds.

Pictures: Anindya Shankar Ray and Bhubaneswarananda Halder