Indian culture on display during music festival

Kenya-India relations got a major boost at the music festival in Mombasa as boys and girls performed Indian cultural dances.

Arhdhra George from Melvin Jones Lions Academy Nakuru was splendid as she successfully defended her unbroken record since 2012 with a solo dance performed during marriage ceremonies.

"The dance is also performed during a bumper harvest season because it symbolises peace, unity and prosperity," George Scaria, the deputy director at Melvin Jones School, said.

There are seven different forms of Indian classical dances including Kathak, Bharat and Natyam, which were presented by Aga Khan Academy Mombasa, Our Lady Queen of Peace South B, Nyali School and MM Shah Primary School.

Each dance had its own costume distinct in meaning and aesthetics and each colour represented the rich and diverse Indian culture.

Garba, a traditional Gujarati festival dance, was performed by Our Lady Queen of Peace Primary School. Choreographed by Sr Jissin, it was as captivating as it was synchronised for maximum entertainment and emerged the best in the Group Dance class.

According to Bharti Patha, the director of Shivam Performing Arts School in Mombasa, the huge number of Kenyans performing Indian dances was a sign of a great sense of diversity and love for different cultures.

"It brings me great joy to see Kenyans perform traditional Indian dances with so much credibility," she said.

Other winners in the category were Diya Gohil, Norin Patni and Ibdita Itota, Aditi Dube from Aga Khan Academy.

Meanwhile, Booker Academy from Mumias put on a brave face despite the loss of teachers and a bus driver in a road accident involving their school bus on Friday to emerge second behind winners Pumwani Boys High School in the accompanied Zilizopendwa class.

"We were singing it for the teacher and all those who were involved in the accident," said James Mwanje who, together with Denue Senelwa, led a powerful duet of the song Fatimata.

Arranged by Joram Mwangi, the song depicts a beautiful woman, Fatimata, who is ever elusive.

Joseph Muyale's boys from Pumwani High School proved that they are the indomitable lions in this category when they came tops with their song Misengue.

The group displayed a good instrumentation exposition coupled with great control and a well blended choral rendition that was full of entertainment.

And Pumwani has mastered dancing that is both simple and complex in equal measure.

"We are happy to have had a great experience on stage in the manner of expression that we have achieved," said Mr Muyale after receiving the winner's trophy presented by Director of Quality Assurance and Standards Mohammed Mwinyipembe.

Starehe Boys and Girls centres united in Aquinata to take third position.

Migori TTC proved the best group in the Luo-Luhya dance category that saw Kaimosi TTC and Muranga TTC tie in position two in the Teachers' Colleges edition of the festival.