WORLI FESTIVAL 5.0 CELEBRATES MUSIC CULTURE AND LIFE
by Shrutee K/DNS
Mumbai: With the end of January drawing
near, one of the city’s most anticipated cultural extravaganzas was back with a
bang at Worli Festival 5.0. Held over the 26th and 27th
of January, this year saw the event mark its fifth anniversary with a ‘Worli
Life’ theme, celebrating the vibrant cultural and social fabric that makes
Worli special. Supported by the Shree Sankalp Pratishthan charitable trust
helmed by Sangeeta and Sachin Ahir and organised by the Oaks Management
Consultancy Pvt. Ltd (OMCPL), the two-day festival was a celebration of life,
art, and music. Worli’s iconic sea-face promenade was transformed for the
weekend, with two stages set up for musical performances, in addition to art
installations, food zones, live games, and a flea market.
The first day of the event kicked off in
the presence of Sangeeta and Sachin Ahir, and Rahul Gomes, Managing Director of
OMCPL. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Sangeeta, a leading Bollywood film
producer, said, “It’s fantastic to see all of Mumbai’s energy congregating at
this iconic city landmark. What makes this occasion even more special is that
it’s Republic Day, and we’re thrilled to see so many people here to honour this
highlight in our nation’s calendar.”
A host of performers subsequently took to
the stage, with variety enough to keep everyone in the crowd happy and moving
to the music. The classical stylings of percussionist Omkar Salunkhe melded
poetry with his music, while flutist and composer Milind Date had listeners
swaying to a selection of ragas. Renowned Bollywood playback singer Hrishikesh
Chury serenaded the crowd with a song in honour of Republic Day, as beatboxers
Euphony and vocalist CharuSemwal, finalist in season 3 of Indian Idol, looked
to the future. The night was capped off by a spirited performance from Angrezee
Biryani, who made sure the crowd left on a high. In the midst of the music, the
children weren’t forgotten as the mascots of ImagicaAdlabs were on hand to meet
their fans and groove to the tunes.
Day two kicked off at dawn with Morning
Ragas, a show featuring Hindustani classical singerPandit Ratan Mohan Sharma,
which served as a moving tribute and commemoration to the nation’s soldiers and
veterans. The event subsequently kicked the energy up a notch with a Zumba
session, with enthusiasts young and old coming together to dance their way to
fitness. They were accompanied by music from the day’s performers, led by the
upbeat tunes of The Dual Core Band, playing everything from classic hits such
as ‘Beedi Jalaile’ and ‘Tare Gin Gin’ to the latest hits like Gully Boy's ‘Apna
Time Aayega’.
This was followed by the melodious Sufi-western blend of fusion singer
Shibani Kashyap, who delighted the audience with a tease of an unreleased song,
a cover of ‘Chandni Raatein’, and the poppy hits of India’s first aptly named
boy band, A Band Of Boys, with their unique blend of Indipop. After a weekend
of music, food, and fun by the sea, the crowds headed home, with lighter hearts
and a deeper love for the city they call home. The idea for the Worli Festival arose when
a group of like-minded, culture-loving residents came together in 2013 with a
common purpose – to celebrate the neighbourhood and city that they loved.
To highlight and share the growth and
glory of Worli, and all that it symbolises: its rich cultural heritage,
encompassing the old and new of the city; its potpourri of residents, from timelessKoli
fishermen to the inhabitants of billionaires’ row; its unmatched location and
stunning vistas of the Arabian Sea; and perhaps most importantly, the special
place it holds in the heart of every resident of the city. And so it was that
theWorli Festival came to be.
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