The Show

Performers

Everyone should know by now that I hold a special place in my heart for India. No matter how many times I get thrown off that horse - due to strange behavior displayed by some so-called “close Bombay friends”, or mishaps during one of my multiple trips there - I get right back on it again. I could never stop my journey towards trying to discover the complete beauty of the country, along with the absolutely magnetic charm of its people and the undeniable spice of its cinema, fashion and, of course, food.

But there is one person in this world who puts my passion for India and all things Desi to shame: William Dalrymple. He’s been all around the great land, north and south, east to west, has studied the religions, the languages, the monuments and the leaders and has written about it all, making even history and geography seem fascinating and utterly mystifying in the process. His brilliant enthusiasm puts my own addiction, to the country and its people, to shame. And my unfaltering devotion seems as intense as the attention span of a fruit fly, not worthy of a true aficionada, should it ever dare to be compared to his commitment.

Thankfully, William Dalrymple is bringing one of his most fascinating projects to the Asia Society in NYC. This coming Friday and Saturday - June 18th and 19th - he’ll be presenting his multi-cultural and many-layered project ‘Nine Lives - In Search of the Sacred in Modern India’ to those of us lucky enough to live in or around the Big Apple. Tickets are going fast, but there are still some seats available for both evenings. Just click here for the Asia Society Box Office.

Having seen the performance in Jaipur, during the Jaipur Literature Festival, I can highly recommend it as a fascinating evening of music, written word and culture. It features Dalrymple - as a spiritual ring leader of sorts and poetic master of ceremonies - as well as Paban Das Baul & the Bauls Of Bengal, Shah Jo Raag Fakir, Susheela Raman and the Chandu Pannicker Theyyam Dance Group. If some of the names sound familiar, well Paban Das Baul is one of the most renowned Baul musician, who is BTW also featured in the last story of ‘Nine Lives’ - the book - and Susheela Raman sings ‘Yeh Mera Divanapan Hai’, from the soundtrack of Mira Nair’s film ‘The Namesake’. Yup, THAT song, the catchy one!

The evenings mark the US release of William Dalrymple’s latest book, a collection of stories titled - you guessed it - ‘Nine Lives - In Search of the Sacred in Modern India’, published here by Random House. I picked up my copy in Jaipur and everyone in my close circle who has read it has loved it, yours truly included. It’s a discovery journey into the mystical India, but also the practical way in which religion fits into everyday life in a country where people need spirituality to survive. An absolute must-read, just as the performance - presented by the Indo-American Arts Council - is a definite must-see. You can pick up your copy of the book from Amazon, or at the Asia Society gift shop, the night of the event.

Following the performance, there will also be a lovely reception inside the Asia Society and Mr. Dalrymple will sign copies of his book. See you there!

Images courtesy of Random House