The EuroIndia Centre’s raison d’être and mission is to bring Europeans and Indians closer together again, as they were in the past centuries. Though the Forum’s primary focus is to leverage European expertise for the renewal of Indian cities, involving city leaders, business leaders, NGO’s and academicians, celebrating a cultural encounter of Europeans and Indians is equally important to us. The Centre’s aim is indeed to bring cities from both sides on a common platform to discuss ways and means of a cooperation to solve problems that they face everyday, while keeping in mind our cultural affinities and our humanistic approach. The Forum has endeavoured therefore to intersperse its technical debate with several custom-made cultural events with, this year, show a strong Indo-Portuguese slant which is called for considering that Goa is the venue of our first EuroIndia Forum and a good example of a unique Euro-Indian cross-fertilization model. . We shall show a gamut of activities highlighting our respective richness and bring European and Indian who are embody the Euro-Indian dialogue in all walks of creative work.
Thursday 8 February 2007
17.40-17.50: Audio-visual show by Joseph Saint Anne
“Revisiting the Golden Age of free trade between Indian and European cities”
The audiovisual intends to recall the Euro-Indian saga of the past centuries India and Europe would trade freely, in merchandises but also in ideas and concepts, before imperialism and nationalism came about,
18.30- 19.30: Singing recital by Ms Patricia Rozario, Soprano, accompanied by Charles Owen, pianist
Patricia Rozario will be singing a Euro-Indian repertoire. Her recital will include songs from Puccini, Strauss as well Goan folksongs.
Born In Bombay, Patricia Rozario studied in London at the Guildhall School of Music with Walther Gruner, winning the Gold Medal and the Maggie Teyte Prize. Since then her career has developed in opera, concert work, recording and broadcasting. Described as “the jewel in Goa’s crown’, Patricia Rozario has, through her achievements on the world stage, come to symbolise the perfect meeting between East and West. The Goa performance, when she sings in her native Goa before an international and Goan audience, will further reinforce that powerful symbol, a unique event for a very distinguished artist.
Charles Owen studied at the Yehudi Menuhin School, the Royal College of Music and later furthered his studies with Imogen Cooper. He has won numerous awards, including the Silver medal at the Scottish International Piano Competition (1995) and the 1997 Parkhouse Award with the violinist Katharine Gowers. His first solo disc for Somm, featuring the piano music of Leos Janacek is listed as a “key” recording in the 2004 edition of The Penguin Good CD Guide. His highly acclaimed disc of works by Poulenc was selected as Editor’s Choice in the June 2004 of Gramaphone and his most recent recording for EMI Classics for Pleasure, with Natalie Clein, of Cello and Piano sonatas by Brahms and Schubert won a Classical Brit Award in 2005.
“A Euro-Indian weaving of minds with a Web shuttle”
An exceptional artistic experience took place in the form of a dialogue between a Swiss and a Goan artist which demonstrates how goodwill and talent, in the absence of a common language and of identical references, can generate knowledge, understanding and respect between different cultures. This dialogue started as an informal conversation between two individuals meeting for the first time over the Web. Each artist wanted to talk about his country, his life vision and his inner feelings to his counterpart. To keep the spontaneity of a dialogue in spite of the distance gap, they chose to dialog through 40 A-4 size paintings and drawings exchanged by e-mail. After the EuroIndia forum, they will be exhibited in a Goa gallery and in Indian and European cities as a symbol of a EuroIndian meeting of minds.
About the artists
Luc Joly is a Swiss national from Geneva, born in 1933. From 1956 to 1998, he taught geometry and semiology at the Arts School in Geneva and many other cities in Europe and America. He organised innovative projects in art-posters with Meret Oppenheim, such as a dialogue with several artists in Buenos Aires in 1974. Over 70 artworks were created as a result of this experience and were exhibited at the Centro de Arte y Comunicacion under the direction of Jorge Giusberg. From 1985, Luc Joly and Michel Butor (an internationally known French author) also established dialogs “between texts and paintings”. By 2005, they had created over 300 common pieces of art.
Subodh Kerkar, born in Goa in 1959, received his initial art education from his artist father, Mr. Chandrakant Kerkar. By the time he was 15 years old, Subodh could paint masterly watercolour landscapes, which he exhibited in local galleries in Goa. Subodh was student of merit throughout his high school education and took admission at the medical school at the age of 18. As a student, he was a regular illustrator and cartoonist for local and national newspapers. After completing his medical studies in 1983, Subodh ran his own hospital for six years in Goa before giving up his medical profession for his passion, visual art. For the last 20 years, Subodh Kerkar has been a full-time practicing artists experimenting with different media. He lives and works in Goa and is a founder and director of the Kerkar Art Complex, founded in 1992.
13.00-14.45: The European lunch prepared by the Taj Exotica
Cultural feast: European and Goan food, vegetarian and non-vegetarian will be served during the dinner. We have asked the chef of the Taj to show us how culture can be perceived through cuisine. (Awaiting write-up from chef)
20.30- 21.00: Fashion show by Wendell Rodrick
Residing in the remote village of Colvale in Goa, designer Wendell Rodricks has successfully managed to remain in the main stream of the fashion industry creating new looks each season, which inspire and influence Indian fashion. The first Indian designer invited to display his garments at the world’s largest garment fair in the world at IGEDO, Dusseldorf, the designer has been actively involved in all areas of fashion. Wendell Rodricks began his career in fashion after a successful tenure in hotel management. Trained in Los Angeles and Paris, he returned to India in 1988. After a brief span of two years, designing and styling for reputed companies such as Garden Vareli, cosmetic giant Lakme and diamond corporate De Beers, Wendell Rodricks established his own label in 1990. The Wendell Rodricks signature style is unique in India, blending ancient Indian geometry with a relaxed Goan attitude. Emphasis is on concrete themes, experimental colour combinations, exotic fibre weaves, structural simplicity based on geometric Indian shapes and hand-painted details.
22.15-23.30: Oliver Sean’s band
By their Goan - Portuguese music and lyrics, Goan bands bring together European and Indian culture. “They are at their musical best at weddings and on feast days, when they delight the crowds, at the chapel on the hill with their traditional renditions of Schubert, Souza’s marches and Strauss Waltzes” (Mario Miranda).
About the artist
Oliver Sean burst into the International Music Industry in 2003 with his self- produced debut album "I Like It" (Times Music/WOA Records) - A blend of Adult Contemporary & World Music where he fuses mainstream pop/rock with Indian Tablas. At the age of 8, Oliver mastered the Guitar and was writing and composing by 11. Two years later Oliver mastered various other instruments and was awarded the Scholarship for "Most Outstanding Student in Music", the first of his many musical achievements. Recently, The Oliver Sean Band has been extensively touring and promoting his music around the World. The Band consists of a Lead Guitarist, Bassist, Drummer, Backup Female Vocalists, Tablas, Sitar and Oliver Sean on Guitars and Vocals.
22.30-23.30: Nightcap with Mrs Aurora Couto, author of “Goa, a daughter’s story”
“Goa: A Daughter’s Story”, is a unique blend of biography, memoir and social history, which brings us the Goa behind the beaches and booze culture that is projected for the tourist. The narrative goes back and forth in time to examine the fundamental transformations in Goa society from 1510, when Afonso de Albuquerque conquered Goa, up to the present. Maria Aurora Couto reveals how Goa, which combines the best of traditional and cosmopolitan lifestyles, has evolved into India’s twenty -first- century model of economic development and communal harmony.
About the author
Maria Aurora Couto is the author of Graham Greene: On the Frontier: Politics and Religion in the Novels. She has taught English literature in India, and contributed to periodicals in India and England on issues of social and cultural relevance. She is currently on the panel, which represents India at the India-UK Round Table Conference.
Saturday 10 February 2007
12.15-14.00: The Goan lunch prepared by the Taj Exotica
19.30-22.00: Festive “Goan carnival” dinner hosted by the Taj Group of hotels
The Goan carnival is an event of cultural mixture. “ Four days of masquerade balls, dancing in the streets and riotous revelry as Goans go Ga-Ga before the advent of the Lenten season.” (Mario Miranda) As Goans would say: “VIVA O CARNAVAL”.
Sunday 11 February 2007
Optional full day activities:
9 and 10 February: Spouses’ programme
Optional half day sightseeing: