Sampad South Asian Arts & Heritage create digital event with Birmingham University

Sampad South Asian Arts & Heritage in association with the University of Birmingham India Institute,  created an exclusive digital concert. Based on the “Spirit of Diwali '' the concert was streamed online on Sampad’s YouTube channel from Wednesday 11 November and The University of Birmingham’s YouTube channel from 7pm on Saturday 14 November. The concert was narrated by Reena Tailor (Bollywood and Kathak dancer and Artistic Director of Bollywood Dreams Dance Academy), Vimal Korpal (stage, television and film actor and radio presenter) and Dharmesh Rajput (Lecturer in Media Production, Birmingham City University and Head of Cinema, Birmingham Indian Film Festival). Music director Amit Trivedi was also a part of the celebration. The concert brought together musicians and dancers across 60 international cities. More names include Ludhiana’s Kumar Sharma who teamed up with this year’s Russia’s Got Talent semi-finalist Svetlana Tulasi and the inimitable Kathak Rockers. Pune-based sisters Antara and Ankita Nandy performed songs in Assamese, Malayalam and Rajbongshi. Got Talent España semi-finalist dancer Sneha Mistri performed a duet with the acclaimed Mumbai choreographer and Bollywood dancer, Devesh Mirchandani. British born, internationally recognised Gujarati folk singer, Pritee Varsani and Asian Media Award winner Parle Patel performed their Gujarati song Ranjaniyu Reloaded. The Ananda Dancers – Amritha, Chiinthu, Sushmitha, Anaya Vasudha and Pranita – did a special piece illustrating how dance has filed their lives. Winner of the 2011 Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, dancer Tanusree Shankar presented her choreographed performance We the Living, based on a Sanskrit Hymn which celebrates life in harmony with nature. The concert included an invocation to the lord of dance Shiva Shambho, choreographed and performed by Swathi Isha and Sophia, as well as an Indian version of Ed Sheeran’s hit Shape of You, performed by Aditya Rao, Vinod Krishnan and Mahesh Raghavan.