When Salsa meets Miyan ki Malhar

If you thought art walks were justu00a0about visitingu00a0galleries to catch a glimpse of a famous painting, think again. theu00a0Coho Art Walk this weekend includesu00a0poetry and book readings, plays, film screenings, musicAL performances and interactive mic sessions.

Does the mention of an art walk conjure up images of standing in front of a painting you don't get, trying to discover its meaning? You couldn't be further away from the truth. The real motive behind an art walk is to just amble along from gallery to gallery, enjoying musical and literary performances while sipping on some fine wine. After all, art does also encompass literature and music.

Origin: American journalist and author Janet Fine started the first Coho Art Walk in Colaba more than a decade ago. The art hub has more than a dozen art galleries located in the vicinity. Janet felt that art galleries, which offer space in a cramped city, can be a platform to showcase new talent. Having stayed in New York, which boasts of a vibrant cultural scene and famous art walks like Soho, she decided to start an art walk in South Bombay. Being an expat herself, she hoped this would draw the expat community's attention, garner funding for varied artists, and also aid artists network with fellow artists and the common public. The art walks came to an abrupt halt in 2007 when she passed away. Sangeeta Wadhwani, who was a close friend of Janet's, revived the walk in May this year.

Art Walk line-up: The art walk kicks off at Gallery Beyond which is showcasing a group exhibition featuring works by artists such as Bose Krishnamachari. An initial tour of the gallery will be followed with a book reading by Paramesh Shahani from Gay Bombay and the screening of a documentary directed by him. Actor Gary Richardson and his troupe will then present a play about a jawan who loses his leg to a landmine blast and is fitted with a Jaipur foot, that he decides to put to a dangerous test. Indo-Brazilian singer and Salsa dancer Carlyta Mouhini will pay a musical tribute to Michael Jackson while Madhusudhan Kumar will perform Miyan ki Malhar on the sitar, which invokes the rain gods. You can also catch Dr Nilay Shah, a chiropractor turned Salsa and Mirengue instructor, present two forms of Latin dance. The venue will then shift to the Artists Centre where management consultant and blogger-turned-novelist, Jvalant Sampat will read from his debut novel set in pre-Partition India, Europe and Asia. Sangeeta Wadhwani will read a chapter from her book Bollywood on the Bend , which will be accompanied by a dance interpretation by a Bharatnatyam dancer. There will be a fusion between Gopal Prasad (flautist), Carlyta Mouhini (vocals) and Kumar Madhusudan (sitar). Professor Aroon Tikekar, former editor of Loksatta, will speak on his book Mumbai De-Intellectualised: Rise and Decline of a Culture of Thinking. The event will end with an open mic session, where people can ask questions, read impromptu poems and sing songs.

What happened last time: The previous art walk was on May 30 and was held at Sakshi Art Gallery and Strand Art Room. It had an interesting play which was a take-off on Macbeth and an enthralling folk musical fusion between Madhusudan Kumar (sitar) and Carlyta Mouhini (vocals). Bachi Karkaria's unpublished humorous prose got the audiences laughing while excerpts from author Mimi Batliwala's biography Inner Vision moved the crowds. The show stealer was Avais Mohammad, who performed rap poetry.

At:u00a0Gallery Beyond, 130/132, Great Western Building, first floor, SBS Marg, near Lion Gate.
Call: 22837345
On: July 18, from 3.30 pm to 6 pm
Entry: Free