What to do this weekend in Delhi and Mumbai

Some recommendations to enliven your weekend

MUMBAI

Music

Summer symphony: The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, touring in partnership with the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland & the British Council, will be performing for the first time ever in three Indian cities. The programme includes Mendelssohn: Hebrides Overture, Mozart’s Violin Concerto No 5 and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No 4. James MacMillan will conduct and Nicola Benedetti, one of the best violinists of the generation, will be the featured soloist.
Where: NCPA, Nariman Point, Mumbai
When: April 5, 11.30 am and April 6, 7.30 pm
Info: Tickets priced at Rs 800-2,000

Godfather of fusion: Guitarist John McLaughlin, a major influence for several fusion guitarists, is returning to Asia for a performance after a gap of five years. The Englishman, who has worked with Miles Davis on several albums, will be touring with his present band, The 4th Dimension. The members of the band include Etienne M' Bappe on the bass guitar, Ranjit Barot on vocals and the drums and Gary Husband on the keyboards and drums.
Where: St. Andrews Auditorium, Bandra, Mumbai
When: April 5, 8 pm onwards
Info: Tickets priced at Rs 1,500-5,000

Art

Indian Portraits: The Face of a People documents 250 years of Indian portraiture. The exhibition includes 20 portraits and is accompanied by a book that records over 400 works by about 150 artists such as Raja Ravi Varma, who was entirely self-taught, and other celebrated Indian portraitists M V Dhurandhar, N R Sardesai and J P Gangooly, who came from art schools. The showcase reveals how photography influenced painted portraits, especially in the manner in which it treated the subject.
Where: Delhi Art Gallery, Kala Ghoda, Mumbai
When: Till June 30, 11 am and 7 pm

Purely drawings: Taking the Line for a Walk is an exhibition of 45 rare drawings by prominent artists such as FN Souza, Tyeb Mehta, Akbar Padamsee, Vasudev Gaitonde, Sudhir Patwardhan and MF Husain. The show’s title comes from a quote made popular by artist Paul Klee: “A line is a dot that goes for a walk.” Also on display is a copy of Husain’s book, Sansad’s Upanishads, which takes a look at the histrionics at Rajya Sabha, of which the artist was once a member, through drawings.
Where: Jehangir Nicholson Art Foundation, CSMVS, Mumbai
When: Till August 30, 10 am - 5 pm

Rich folk art of Gujarat in pictures: Artist Jyoti Bhatt started recording the folk and tribal culture of rural India in the summer of 1967. An exhibition of Bhatt’s large, but relatively unexplored, body of photographic work will trace his travels across rural India, which had a deep influence on him as an artist. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan had invited him to participate in a seminar on the folk arts of Gujarat and this allowed him to travel widely, visiting villages and tribal regions.
Where: Tasveer Art Gallery, Mumbai
When: Till April 29

DELHI

Art

An ode to the art from the soil of India: The Lalit Kala Akademi is currently hosting the National Tribal Art Conclave which is bringing together 100 artists from all across the country to represent art traditions such as Gond, Warli, Rathwa, Muria, Gaud, Tiba, Manjuli, Mizo and Mishing. The conclave is an attempt to acknowledge the roots of a great artistic tradition established by communities that have been consistently kept outside established art history. As part of the event, traditional and contemporary artists will create art forms to narrativise their landscape.
Where: Rabindra Bhavan, The Lalit Kala Akademi, Copernicus Marg
When: Till April 6

Body of art: The critically acclaimed exhibition, The Body in Indian Art, features 220 plus objects -- from the prehistoric to modern -- showcases the body not just as a subject but also as a medium for understanding the socio-cultural complexities of the times. Now you can embark on a curator’s walk with noted academic and art historian Naman Ahuja to understand the finer nuances of the objects that span nearly 4,000 years of history and have been sourced from 36 museums, archaeological institutes and private collections.
Where: First floor, National Museum, Janpath
When: April 5, 4.30 pm

A peek into Goan culture: Dhoomimal Art Gallery presents Balcao, an exhibition that traces the Portuguese influence on Goan art and culture. The event, curated by Subodh Kerkar, will feature select works by Goan artists, with special focus on FN Souza.
Where: Dhoomimal Gallery, G42, Connaught Circus, New Delhi: 110001
When: Till April 15, 11 am to 7 pm

Dance and theatre
From the Banks of Brahmaputra: Impresario India is presenting a festival of arts showcasing traditional dance performances such as bihu, bagurumba and compositions in Sattriya choreographed by Bhubananda Bharbayan and group.
Where: Habitat World, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, New Delhi
When: April 8, 7 pm

Comedy Night at Bakheda: Said-ul-ajaib’s alt performance venue is known for curating interesting events, such as hosting a brass ensemble from France or a collective of writers, photographers, musicians to talk about the art of shit, each with a dash of entertainment. This weekend, they are presenting a comedy night featuring some of Delhi’s foremost comedians including Rajneesh Kapoor, among others.
Where: Bakheda, Said-ul-SAjaib, New Delhi
When: April 5, 7 pm
Info: Entry is priced at Rs 200

Music

Sounds of Peace: After Sounds of Freedom two weeks ago, comes the Global Sounds of Peace concert, and one can only hope for Delhi Police to let it proceed without a lot of chaos. Organised by popular singer Aadesh Shrivastava and hosted by Shekhar Kapur, Divya Dutta and Ronit Roy., the concert will feature live performances by a host of artists such as Kailash Kher, Shaan, Shafqat Amanat Ali, Alka Yagnik, Kavita Krishnamurthy and Raga Symphony. The Bollywood fans will be treated to a classical singing performance by Amitabh Bachchan.
Where: Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Lodhi Road
When: April 6, 7 pm
Info: Tickets priced at Rs 1,000-10,000


Jazz Up: Adil Manuel from Delhi’s foremost jazz duo, Adil and

Vasundhara, is hosting a jazz night featuring the very talented Takar Nabam from the Takar Nabam Ensemble and Abhinav Khokhar at Delhi’s second-in-line Hipster Central. Traditional Bihari cuisine and live jazz music can make for a very interesting dinner conversation.
Where: The Potbelly Rooftop Café, Shahpur Jat
When: April 5, 8.30 pm