Folk dances and music of Assam

by Charith Perera

A performance of Folk Dances and Music from Assam, a culturally rich state in the North-East India, by celebrated film actress and danseuse Madhurima Choudhary and her group Raginee, will be held on August 15 at 6.20 pm at the Bishop's College Auditorium, Colombo 7 as part of the 67th Independence Day celebrations of India.

The troupe will showcase a variety of folk and classical dances from Assam, one of the most colourful, vibrant and melodious folk art forms of India.

Guru Madhurima Choudhury is a multifaceted genius proficient in Bihu and Sattriya dances and also an acclaimed singer of Borgeet, a collection of lyrical songs that are set to specific ragas.

Madhurima Choudhury is also a well-known film and television actress as well as a noted Director and has been successfully showcasing the cultural heritage of Assam in various parts of the world for the past 30 years. She was crowned as first Bihu Rani of Assam.

Bihu is a rare specimen of dance from the Assamese folk culture and tradition. The graceful combination of gestures of the hands and movements of the body and steps of the feet make the Bihu dance highly appealing. It consists of singing, dancing and instrumentation.

Bihu dance is basically the invitation of natural phenomena such as the blowing wind, flowing rivers, floating clouds and scotched cotton, swooping of birds in flight, the drooping of trees and butterflies and swimming in the rivers.

Bihu songs are one of the principal branches of Assamese folk music. These are sung either as solo on in accompaniment with musical instruments such as drum, cymbal, flute, hornpipe, clay pipe, harp, bamboo clappers or by clapping of hands in Bihu and Husori.

The group will also present other dance forms from Assam such as Bodo Dance, Rabha Dance (Hamjar Dance), Goalporiya (KushanNritya), Tiwa Dance (Barat Nritya), and perform the traditional drumming and music such as Oja Dhol, Badan Dhol, Pepa Badan and folk songs of Assam.

The troupe's visit is sponsored by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, New Delhi in association with the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and Arts.