Street Artists Raise Their Voice Through Author Navina Jafa In Lucknow At G20 Meeting.

Iyad Dakka - Director, International and Trade Policy, Canada

Promoting the brand Uttar Pradesh, the Yogi Adiyanath government presented to the high-level committee of G-20 at the farewell dinner on 15th Feb in Lucknow a cultural spectacle, titled 'Yamuna Ashtakam'. The performance touched on the health of water ecology, river pollution and the uniqueness was the participation of marginalised street performers - snake charmers and street magicians. The artistic presentation reflected the Chief Minister's vision of "Vasudaiv Kutumbkam" (One world, one family, one future), where multiple class performers from the state came together.

The cultural production based on the poem of Hindu seer Adi Shankaracharya about River Yamuna had kathak dancers from the Lucknow Gharana, an orchestra of snake charmers, street magicians and Uttar Pradesh folk dancers. The presentation by Dr Navina Jafa, a Specialist on Cultural Skills and Heritage, a Kathak Dancer, Scholar and Consultant on Heritage Tourism said, "Officers in the Uttar Pradesh government envisioned this unique program to be presented in Lucknow. So it was exciting to bring street performers to perform with classical dancers and celebrate India's living heritage capital."

The half an hour production had music and choreography by Pandit Ji Kishan Maharaj, the son of legendary Padma Vibhushan Pandit Birju Maharaj.