Indian Cultural Centre

Embassy of India, Seoul

Hariprasad Chaurasia

 
Hariprasad Chaurasia is the most appreciated Indian Bansuri player. Born in 1938, Uttar Pradesh, when his father wanted him to become a wrestler, Chaurasia secretly started to learn music. 

Hariprasad received guidance from Annapurna Devi, a renowned Sitar player. He also made his mark as a music director for Indian films along with Shivkumar Sharma, forming a group called Shiv-Hari. 

He played on 'The Beatles' 1968 B-Side 'The Inner Ligh', which was written by George Harrison. He has also served as the artistic director of the World Music Department at the Rotterdam Music Conservatory in the Netherlands.

He was honored by the Dutch Royal Family and conferred with the title Officer in the Order of Orange-Nassau in 2008, and was also honored by the ministry of culture of the Republic of France and appointed as Knight in the Order of Arts and Letter in 2009. 

In 2013, he was named 'the 25 Greatest Global Living Legends in India' by NDTV.

Vishwa Mohan Bhatt

Vishwa Mohan Bhatt is Grammy-winning Hindustani classical music instrumentalist who plays the Mohan Veena. Mohan Veena is a modified Hawaiian guitar created by V.M. Bhatt himself. 

Bhatt is best known for his Grammy award winning album 'A Meeting by the River' with Ry Cooder. This album has ranked 4th place on Billboard Top World Music Album chart, and was awarded 'Best World Music Album' on 36th Grammy Award. He was awarded 'Padma Shri' in 2002, and 'Padma Bhushan' in 2017. 

Astad Deboo

Astad Deboo is an Indian contemporary dancer who employs his training in Indian classical dance forms of Kathak as well as Kathakali to create a unique dance form. He is widely acknowledged as a pioneer of modern dance in India. 

Astad Deboo has established the Astad Deboo Dance Foundation to create awareness about contemporary dance and also help sustain the efforts of non-government organisations to educate and create a platform for street and deaf children to realise their potential. His productions use world music, movement and alternative theatre forms like puppets and masks, as well as poetry. Astad Deboo’s dance has been described by dance critics as Poetry in Motion. He has performed in 70 countries, to date. He was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1996 and the Padma Shri in 2007, by the Government of India.

Rattle and Hum Music Society

Rattle and Hum Music Society is the music society which is based on Nagaland. Through 'Handshake Concert', Rattle and Hum Music Society celebrates friendship and culture, and promote goodwill through music. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt is the Global Brand Ambassador for the ‘Handshake Concert’. Rattle and Hum Music Society had successfully organized ‘Handshake Concert’ last year at Gwangju Asia Culture Center, Korea, and would like to showcase its unique traditional and regional music again to the audience in Korea. 

Purulia Chhau

 
Chhau dance is a semi-classical Indian dance with martial, tribal, and folk origins. Originated from the eastern Indian states of Odisha, Jharkhand, and West Bengal, it is found in three styles named after the location where they are performed. At Sarang - Festival of India, Chhau dance from West Bengal, which is Purulia Chhau, will be performed. 

Purulia Chhau uses extensive masks shaped in the form of the character being played; these maksa are crafted by potters who make clay images of Hindu gods and goddesses. In 2010, the Chhau dance was inscribed in the UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.