Traveller’s Diary: From the Khajuraho Dance Festival the Jazz Utsav

Jazz Utsav 2017
When: Feb 19, 2017
Where: New Delhi

This February, Delhi will swing to the strings of the guitar played by the great Stanley Jordan as the iconic Jazz Utsav will be back bringing the legendary musician to the city on 19th February, 2017 at One Golden Mile, New Delhi. In association with Capital Jazz, the Jazz Utsav returns to the city as part of Teamwork Artsf Jazz India Circuit. A definitive event for jazz-lovers all through the 70s and 80s, the forthcoming Jazz Utsav brings yet another of the jazz maestros to captivate Delhi audiences with the soundscapes of classic jazz wafting through the crisp winter air.

The festival will put the classic back into jazz, recreating the raw energy, passion, and sheer genius of the analog times through performances by Indian and international artistes. For more than three decades, Jazz Utsav has experienced performances by maestros such as Max Roach, Freddie Hubbard and Eric Truffaz Quartet. And this year, with Stanley Jordan lighting up the bill, the celebration is set to live up to its legacy.

Jazz Utsav is, in association with Capital Jazz, a part of Teamwork Arts; Jazz India Circuit. An endeavor to spread the word and sound of jazz across the country through various concerts that span the spectrum of the fascinating genre. Earlier, in November 2016, Jazz India Circuit gave aficionado in Goa a taste of new-age contemporary artistes from the genre with the Goa International Jazz Live Festival (GIJLF) which celebrated the joy of the experiment jams of jazz filled with punk, funk, and other edgy styles.

Khajuraho Dance Festival 2017
When: Feb 20-26, 2017
Where: Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh
Khajuraho Festival of Dances is celebrated at a time when the hardness of winter begins to fade and the king of all seasons, Spring, takes over. The most colourful and brilliant classical dance forms of India with rich cultural traditions across the country, offer a feast to the eyes during a week-long extravaganza here. Since time immemorial, myriad forms of dance have been absorbed into the classical dance styles. Watching these performances reveal the age-old trends, treats and nuances that are firmly established in dance in various regions of India.

The aura of these masterpieces has not dimmed over many centuries; nor have the living traditions of these styles lost their fluidity and charm over the long passage of time. Indian traditions of dance have been considered to be divine in origin. In Indian mythology, the gods and goddesses are great lovers of music comprising vocal singing, instrumental music and dance.

Losar
When: Feb 27, 2017
Where: Buddhist community regions in India

Losar is considered to be the most significant festival of the Buddhist community. The festival marks the Tibetan New Year and is celebrated with great splendour and grandeur. The word Losar has been derived from two Tibetan words, Lof meaning year and Sarf meaning New. The Tibetan Buddhists observe the festival to ward off evil spirits and welcome the arrival of the New Year filled with happiness and prosperity. Though the Tibetan New Year is celebrated on the first day of the first month of the Tibetan lunar calendar, the date varies each year. Celebrations include followers rising early and dress in their finest and new clothes. They make offerings to the household shrine to pay homage to the God.