Garba (India) performed by Libana at C.N. Vidyalaya School (Gujarat, India) 2011

LIBANA: global music, connecting cultures
Learn more about Libana at www.libana.com/
During a February 2011 tour of North India, Libana performed for an audience of 1000 Gujarati students at C.N. Vidyalaya School (cnvidyavihar.or...) founded on Gandhi's ideology). We danced the Garba (a traditional Gujarati dance), to their astonishment and glee.
The beginning of spring and fall are important seasonal points in the wheel of the year in India, and are seen as sacred opportunities for the worship of the Divine Mother. During the nine nights of Navaratri (an autumnal festival) leading up to the full moon, communities all across Gujarat, as well as Gujarati communities worldwide, celebrate the Goddess Durga, the manifestation of the divine feminine in the form of Shakti, or energy/power. The Garba is traditionally danced in a circle by the women of the community. Libana learned these songs and dances with the generous help of Veena Teli and Shuchita Rao in the Boston area, and the dance was choreographed by Linda Ugelow. Dancers are Linda Ugelow and Allison Coleman. Performed on hammered dulcimer, dholak, frame drum, finger cymbals, and vocals (Cheryl Weber is soloing).
For blog entries and photos from our India tour:
Stories from the Rajasthani Road journals.worldn...