Detroit City hosts open-air Indian classical music soiree

DETROIT CITY: ‘Evenings in Paradise’, a musical evening, was held in downtown Detroit City in Michigan recently. This was the first time Great Lakes Aaradhana Committee collaborated with the reputed Carr Center Arts Academy to present ‘Carnatic Music Under the Stars’ envisaging ‘Singing strings: A confluence of Indian Instruments’.
The venue was one of the oldest performing parks in Detroit.The open-air concert was really open to everyone, and marked the acceptance and assimilation of the distinct styles of Indian classical music into American mainstream culture.

On the violin was Keerthana Sankar from Detroit, while, Arthi Nadhan played the Veena and the rhythmically charged Mridangam was played by Sanjay Subramaniam of Chicago, all of them making up a young and vibrant team, albeit thoroughly professional. The distinctive structure of a Carnatic music concert characterized by Kritis. However, the Tani-Avartanam, which could be called the crescendo, was the highlight. It built up energy despite the traffic around and elicited thunderous applause soon after conclusion.
The audience was a mix of Indian diaspora and Americans, mostly African-American. Just like Indians, African-American people nurture a special love for music. Their warm reception and genuine appreciation was no surprise.