Spend your Culture Pass credits at six Kalaa Utsavam – Indian Festival of Arts shows
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Music ensemble SwaRhythm Singapore marks 10 years with Samudra - An Ocean Of Musical Traditions.
PHOTO: SWARHYTHM
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- Kalaa Utsavam, Esplanade's Indian arts festival, returns Nov 21-30, featuring over 12 productions and programmes.
- Six shows qualify for Culture Pass credits, including music, theatre and dance, with early-bird tickets on sale from Sept 29.
- The festival includes international acts like Javed Akhtar and Rabbit Mac, alongside workshops for children and foodies.
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SINGAPORE – Those looking to spend their Culture Pass credits can choose from six shows at the Esplanade’s Kalaa Utsavam – Indian Festival of Arts 2025.
The 24th edition returns from Nov 21 to 30 with more than 12 productions and ancillary programmes, from free shows to ticketed workshops. Early-bird tickets go on sale from Sept 29, 3pm, and are on sale till Oct 13.
Esplanade’s producer David Pandarakannu says the festival has always been about celebrating Indian arts and culture, and the team endeavours to curate a festival which balances excitement and artistic merit.
Over the past few editions, Kalaa Utsavam also expanded its aims to reach more people and do more. He adds: “We have consciously included programmes that have a larger youth presence, and the festival also serves as a platform for the next generation of Singaporean artists to build capabilities.”
Hence the co-productions and commissions for the six shows that qualify for Culture Pass credits, spanning music and theatre.
Opening the festival is SwaRhythm Singapore’s Samudra – An Ocean Of Musical Traditions. This Esplanade co-production marks the ensemble’s 10th anniversary. Conducted by Dedric Wong, the programme draws from musical influences across Indian, Chinese, Malay and Western genres in a celebration of Singapore’s multicultural heritage for SG60.
A more unusual musical offering comes in Cosmic Dissolution, home-grown Vedic metal band Rudra’s unexpected collaboration with classical outfit Resound Collective’s 56-strong orchestra. Expect a collision of cultures in music arranged by home-grown composer Chok Kerong for this Esplanade commission.
Vedic metal band Rudra challenges boundaries with a collaboration with classical music outfit Resound Collective for Kalaa Utsavam 2025.
PHOTO: LEE JIA WEN
Rounding up the music collaborations is Svara Y Ritmo: A Carnatic-Latin Odyssey, featuring the Carnatic and Latin jazz experimentations of Project RA: The Vibes Collective with vocals by celebrated Carnatic singer Varijashree Venugopal.
Festival regular Agam Theatre Lab returns with another ambitious production, Mission Malligapoo (Mission Jasmine Flower), scripted by Syed Ashratullah and Karthikeyan Somasundaram.
The original story featuring a multi-ethnic cast and multiple languages is set in Japanese-occupied Singapore and promises both comedy and drama in its tale of a band of misfit rebels.
Poet Pooja Nansi's We Make Spaces Divine inspires a spoken word-meets-club night event for Kalaa Utsavam – Indian Festival of Arts 2025.
PHOTO: SHAWN PAUL
Spoken-word devotees will want to grab tickets to We Make Spaces Divine ft Dey. Inspired by former Singapore Writers Festival director Pooja Nansi’s poetry collection, this spoken word-meets-club night event features the local poet alongside fellow writer Shivram Gopinath, guitarist Isuru Wijesoma and DJ Raaj.
Last but not least is the Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society’s dance presentation Shikhandi: The Warrior Within, inspired by the princess-turned-male warrior of the Mahabharata.
As expected, there are also overseas draws, the biggest of which is Bollywood powerhouse Javed Akhtar, who is making an in-person appearance after a virtual cameo in Kalaa Utsavam’s 2021 edition. The screenwriter-lyricist’s performance lecture will also feature singers Meiyang Chang and Jahnvi Shrimankar.
Circle Of Life is a non-verbal puppet show by Ranga Shankara’s AHA! Theatre for Children.
PHOTO: AHA! THEATRE FOR CHILDREN
Closer to home, Malaysian rapper Rabbit Mac is back in Singapore after five years. His show will feature a starry line-up of regional talent, including Singapore’s Stephen Zechariah and DJ Sathiya, Malaysia’s Havoc Brothers and Sasi The Don, as well as India’s ADK.
One of the festival’s biggest cross-community draws is its children’s shows. In this edition, Circle Of Life by Ranga Shankara’s AHA! Theatre for Children is a non-verbal puppet show for children aged between five and eight.
Families might also want to check out the Indian martial arts workshop conducted by The Kalari Academy, where parents and kids can learn kalaripayattu moves and silambam stick-fighting techniques.
Foodies will want to sign up for J. Jeyaseelan’s spice-mixing workshop. The third-generation owner of spice stall Jeya Spices has been a vocal advocate of spices, and participants can learn to make their own blends in this class.
Book it/Kalaa Utsavam – Indian Festival of Arts
Where: Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, 1 Esplanade Drive str.sg/B59Y
When: Nov 21 to 30, various timings
Admission: Free and ticketed. Tickets from $20 available at Sistic (go to sistic.com.sg or call 6348-5555)
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