KOCHI: It will be twin treat for city folks as Bharat Bhavan is hosting two grand events on January 17, Tuesday as part of its international cultural exchange programme. Tomomi Paromita from Japan will present a Baul evening at Semmankudi Smrithi Mandapam at 6 pm, to be followed by the Vietnam Fest that will start at Tagore Theatre at 6.45 pm.
Tomomi Paromita, a disciple of Parvathy Baul, came to Kerala smitten by the music cult of the Bauls. She is also proficient in linguistics, Sanskrit, martial arts and painting. Baul music is considered a sacred fusion of music, spirituality and yoga. The lyrics of Baul songs are written in ancient Bengali, Assamese, Oriya and Maithili languages.
There are fifty four ethnic minority groups living in Vietnam and with 54 different languages Vietnam has enough richness and diversity in its culture. Moreover, thousands of folk songs and hundreds of musical instruments are part of Vietnamese life, all preserved and passed down from generations through centuries. At the Vetnam Fest at Tagore the audience will get a taste of folk art forms of the land deeply connected to the Vietnamese culture. Entry is free for both the events.