When Bollywood music rocked Cairo

Cairo, April 18 (IANS) Indian music and dance won many Egyptian hearts when a Bollywood fusion show rocked the Cairo Opera House here earlier this week.

In a first of its kind in Egypt, the Embassy of India and Teamwork productions in collaboration with the soloists of the Cairo Opera Ballet Company presented "Bollywood Music and Dance Fusion" at the Opera House main hall between April 14-15.

The shows ran to full houses on both days and received an enthusiastic support from the audience, an Indian embassy release said.

Bollywood Fusion was a whirlwind of colourful dancing, singing and performances by Indian singers Mukesh Tomar, Parul Mishra, and choreographed by Gilles Chuyen with dancers from the Cairo Opera Ballet Company.

The show wove together melodic music, vibrant costumes, amazing lighting and great dancing into a colourful spectacle.

Egyptian actor Hisham Abbas, the chief guest on the launch of the premiere show Monday, sprang a surprise by singing his popular song 'Nare Nare' along with Parul Mishra.

The second day witnessed a performance by Egyptian actress Leila Elwi and the presence of several dignitaries of Egyptian government and notable members of society.

The festival was presented by TCI Sanmar chemicals SAE, the largest Indian investor in Egypt. The main sponsors of the event were the Kirloskars, the Aditya Birla Group and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations.

Also, a Bollywood workshop preceding the performance was conducted by Gilles Chuyen at the Al Sawy Culture Wheel cultural centre Saturday.

Trained in France in folk, modern Jazz, ballet and contemporary dance styles, Gilles Chuyen, has been teaching Bollywood dance style in India, Britain and South Africa.

Speaking at the conclusion of the second show, Indian Ambassador to Egypt Navdeep Suri said: "I am deeply impressed by the skill, enthusiasm and energy of the young dancers of the Cairo Opera Ballet Company."

"They have learnt complex dance steps within a matter of days and have delivered a joyful performance that had the packed house cheering and clapping."