Brinda Miller sees the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival as more than an annual celebration of the arts — it is a living cultural ecosystem that connects heritage with contemporary creativity. As the festival’s September 27 precursor, Rocks and Roots, brings folk singer Mame Khan to the Jamshed Bhabha Theatre, NCPA, Mumbai, Miller talks about the importance of music, preserving the Kala Ghoda heritage district and keeping audiences engaged with diverse cultural forms.
‘IT HAS BECOME A LANDMARK IN OUR ANNUAL CALENDAR’
For Brinda Miller, music is a natural way to build momentum towards the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival. The Mame Khan concert on September 27 marks the fourth year of the charity fundraiser, which supports the preservation of the Kala Ghoda heritage district.“It is always good to have a precursor to the main Kala Ghoda Arts Festival, and this year, on September 27, we have our big Mame Khan concert,” says Miller. “This is the fourth year that we are doing this kind of charity fundraiser, and over time it has become a little landmark in our annual calendar.”For her, the choice of artiste is equally important. “When we curate a concert like this, it has to bring together several things — strong music, audience appeal, cultural relevance and, of course, a performer who can connect with people. Mame Khan brings all of that together beautifully.”
‘IT IS ALSO ABOUT AWARENESS’
While the concert raises funds for the Kala Ghoda heritage district, Miller says its purpose goes beyond fundraising. “The funds raised through the concert also go towards preserving the heritage district of Kala Ghoda. But beyond fundraising, the evening is also about awareness,” she says.The concert, she adds, provides an opportunity to draw attention to the wider cultural significance of the precinct. “It gives us an opportunity to speak about art, culture, heritage and tourism, particularly in the Kala Ghoda and South Mumbai precinct.”
‘MAME KHAN IS EXACTLY THE RIGHT FIT’
Miller says her association with Mame Khan has deepened over the past couple of years, giving her a closer appreciation of both his music and his personality.“I have only got to know Mame Khan more closely over the last couple of years, and I have really come to appreciate not only his music, but also his temperament and the person he is,” she says. “His music brings together the popular, the traditional and the folk, and I think that makes him exactly the right fit for a programme like this.”
‘WE WANT PEOPLE TO REDISCOVER MAME KHAN’
For Miller, the concert is also an opportunity for Mumbai audiences to experience Khan in a different setting. “We want the audience to be surprised, mesmerised and, at the same time, appreciative of the work that Kala Ghoda Arts Festival continues to do,” she says.“We also want people to rediscover Mame Khan. He is already a very well-known name, but I genuinely feel Mumbai should have had many more opportunities to experience him in a concert format such as this.”
KEEPING THE CULTURAL SPECTRUM WIDE
Over the years, Kala Ghoda Arts Festival has deliberately embraced a broad range of musical traditions, introducing audiences to genres and artistes they may not otherwise encounter.“Over the years, Kala Ghoda Arts Festival has introduced audiences to so many different kinds of music,” says Miller. “People have come to be both educated and entertained by different genres — folk, tribal, classical, Western, Indian and popular music. We have always tried to keep that cultural spectrum wide.” The Mame Khan concert, she says, adds yet another dimension to that continuing journey.
