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The first South Asia Calling Festival debuts at Toronto's Harbourfront Centre from Aug. 8 to 10.

South Asia Calling is a new free festival showcasing the diversity of South Asian culture through music, film, dance, food and visual arts. As a part of the World Routes series presented by RBC, South Asia Calling will focus on the masters, teachers and innovators of ancient cultural traditions, and the festival will place a bright spotlight on high-profile artists from India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Tibet alongside internationally recognized domestic artists.

Here's a look at a few festival highlights connected with this year's festival.

The weekend premieres the debut collaboration of Autorickshaw and Bollywood and Beyond. This convergence finds the acclaimed Toronto group performing with a string quartet and the Hannaford Street Silver Band.

Concert-goers will experience a dizzying display of Indian classical music and vintage Bollywood hits merging with jazz, electronica and folk. Also launching Friday evening's festivities are performances from students of Brampton's respected The Tabla House school and Toronto's Skyline group, which combine and contrast Sri Lankan with western percussion styles.

Saturday night will showcase the Canadian premiere of U.S.-based trio Tirtha (pianist Vijay Iyer, guitarist Prasanna Ramaswamy, tabla player Nitin Mitta) playing traditional and contemporary instruments.

The evening will also showcase the duet performance of Aashish Khan and Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri, two of India's most influential music artists.

Khan's family has a musical lineage extending back to the 16th century and he began playing publicly with his family in the 1950s. Khan quickly built an international reputation as a sarode master, which expanded when he cofounded the groups Shanti and The Third Eye, pioneering east and west musical collaborations. He has collaborated with George Harrison, Ringo Starr and Eric Clapton and was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1996.

Chaudhuri is regarded as one of the finest tabla players of his generation and he has won many international awards.

Film also plays a prominent role in the festival, as a celebration of the dynamic South Asian film industry takes place within the 'Ollywood' film series. Showcasing films from Sri Lanka, Bangledesh and Pakistan, audiences will be inspired by films from Bollywood (based in Mumbai, formerly Bombay), Lollywood (based in Lahore), Tollywood (based in Telugu) and Kariwood (based in Karachi).

Featured titles include two screenings of the Canadian premiere of In the Name of God by director Shoaib Mansoor, which examines the struggles of Muslim Pakistanis in the post 9-11 world.

The South Asia Calling Festival will also host the Toronto premiere of Fisherman's Daughter by director Salinda Perera, with an informational forum held after the screening.

The festival displays the beauty of South Asian visual arts through presentations developed by Toronto's South Asian Visual Arts Centre. Throughout the weekend, the centre's juried member's exhibition RE-GENERATION will feature mixed media works examining the social, political and cultural contexts within South Asia. Re-generation responds to the complex and changing nature of the contemporary South Asian experience.

The initial South Asia Calling Festival seems marked for great public reception and continued success. Visit www.harbourfrontcentre.com for details.

 

Jon Sarpong is a diversity and multiculturalism specialist. He provides independent diversity consultation for various organizations. Contact Jon by e-mailing jsarpong@hotmail.com.