Consulate General of India

Guangzhou

As part of commemoration of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (AKAM) and for the promotion of Indian Arts & Culture in South China, the Consulate General of India, Guangzhou organized the second ‘Bythak’- an evening of Indian Classical Dance & Music, under the theme ‘BollyJazz’ on 27 May 2022. A team of Indian, expat and local artists played popular Bollywood tunes in jazz fashion enthralling the audience. The event was attended by diplomats, members of the Indian diaspora, local artists and Indian music enthusiasts. 

2. Consul General Shri Shambhu Hakki welcomed the guests and addressed the gathering. In his address, Consul General highlighted the popularity of Indian music across different genres.

3. The featuring artist of the programme was Professor Benoit Stasiaczyk, an Indian arts enthusiast & a Jazz Professor in the Xinghai Conservatory of Music, Guangzhou. His wife Mrs Kandy Stasiaczyk, a piano and vocal teacher assisted him. They were joined by local artists Ms Chusui Wu, Percussionist and Mr Chenglin Peng, Guitarist. Indian diaspora member Ms Sridevi Zhang and Ms Maitreyee Ray supported the artists vocally. 

4. The programme opened up with astounding performance on ‘Babuji Dheere Chalna’ from the 1950 movie ‘Aar Paar’. This was followed by a splendid performance on ‘Kaisi Paheli Zindagani’ from the 2005 movie ‘Parineeta’, an adaptation of the 1914 Bengali novella of the same name by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay. The artists also ravishing performances on ‘Aiye Meherbaan’ from the 1958 thriller movie ‘Howrah Bridge’ and ‘Mohabbat Buri Bimari’ from the 2015 period crime thriller movie ‘Bombay Velevt’.

5. The event concluded with felicitation of the artists and supporter by Consul General, followed by a group photo of artists and supporter with Consul General Shri Shambhu Hakki and Mrs Suma Hakki.

6. The ‘Bythak’ is an initiative by the Consulate General of India, Guangzhou to commemorate the 75 years of India’s independence and for the promotion of Indian Arts & Culture in South China. The Bythaks will provide a platform for local artists to showcase their talents as also help the emerging artists to hone their skills. The Bythaks are a part of an initiative taken to promote Indian Culture & Arts in South China - “Manch”. The initiative is intended to connect all the artists spread across the seven provinces in South China with an aim to provide a platform for promoting Indian classical dance and classical music.