Fiesta time in SoBo

South Mumbai is a precinct that, above property rates, is known to revive the spirit of Bombay every time one drops by. But honestly, as SoBo residents, we fail to appreciate the little nooks of history we have left, let alone celebrate it. Realising the lack of cultural events here, a group of Area Locality Management associations comprising Cuffe Parade Resident's Association, Association of Colaba & Cuffe Parade Residents, My Dream Colaba, Clean Mumbai Foundation and Nariman Point Association decided last month that they would organise SoBo Fest. "You already have events such as the Celebrate Bandra festival, but there is nothing that puts us on the map. So, we decided that we need a free and inclusive festival," says Anand Sheth, member of the CPRA.
ON: January 26, 1 pm onwards and January 27, 11 am onwards
AT: World Trade Centre, Cuffe Parade.
CALL 66387272

Sharon Prabhakar

Power-packed performances
With only one month of planning, the organisers were told that they wouldn't be able to pull off a full-fledged festival. But gradually, they got a balanced line-up of performers, with some offering to play for free.

Sunita Bhuyan

The event will feature Anushka Jagtiani, Sharon Prabhakar, and violist Sunita Bhuyan who will be performing alongside the band from the Victoria Memorial School for the Blind. There's also a Koli dance performance by women from Machhimar Nagar.

Cathedral and John Connon school choir

Student quotient
The organisers have invited student bands from The Cathedral and John Connon school, GD Somani Memorial, BD Somani International School and Bombay International School. In addition, popular city colleges like KC, Jai Hind and HR will also be participating.

Vision 2020
According to Sheth, the first edition of SoBo Fest is a pilot project. "We are aiming for something even bigger next year. This year we settled for local acts, but in 2020 we plan on getting bigger names. It would remain a self-funded event, but we have got external sponsors on board so that we can expand in the future," he tells us.

A slice of Indian history
It is crucial to understand the city's history in context of the larger picture. Indology is the study of Indian history, philosophy, literature and culture. At this workshop conducted by researchers at the Ananthacharya Indological Research Institute, participants will be introduced to the discipline.

One with health and nature
There's a reason the tagline of SoBo Fest is "a festival with a heart". The environment and health is at the centre of the event. In addition to medical camps, the food stalls will be selling healthy food from eateries like CRAVE and Easy Human Cafe.

There's also a paper bag-making workshop that will be conducted by students from GD Somani School.

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