KSHETRA Academy of Malaysia recently conducted its annual NRITHYOTSAV concert. The concert was held on June 9, 2006, at the Securities Commission Auditorium, Kuala Lumpur.

Entitled ‘VANAMAALA’, this year’s edition was a tribute to the rich and varied folk dance traditions of India. Among the items were the Kurati dance, Kummi and Kaikotti kalli.

As the guru of the Academy, the biggest problem I faced during the preparation was the music. Most of the music available these days lack authenticity thanks mainly to the ubiquitous synthesizer keyboards. Luckily I chanced upon a rare album of authentic folk music selections released way back in the 1960s by HMV.

Though most of the tracks were badly scratched, a number of them were salvaged which formed the core music used for this concert.

All the students of the Academy gave a splendid account of themselves. For the younger members of the audience, the concert was like a breath of fresh air as folk items are rarely performed these days. For the senior members, on the other hand, some of the items were like a flashback to popular dance items of yesteryears. Overall, the concert was a big success and thoroughly enjoyed by people at the packed hall.