Oxford Tabla supported this wonderful yearly festival as part of the Oxford Hindu Temple and Community Centre Project. Please enjoy our kaleidoscopic view. The programme was packed with so many events to be enjoyed by so many and from so many walks of life. Oxford Tabla very much enjoyed the Christian Handbell Ringers and also the hand henna painting just outside the Green Room. The lovely participants for “a taste of China” were all dressed in fire flame swirling colours. This coincided with Chinese New Year – this year being the year of the DRAGON. A forerunner for the Indian HOLI celebrations was a magnificent enactment of the victory of good over evil where king Hiranyakashyap was killed by Narasimha, the half-male and half-lion incarnation of Lord Vishnu and so saved Prahlada who was his devotee.
Of special interest to Oxford Tabla was the “Rumi Music Time” – led by the poet Jay Rumi and also the “Classical Indian Music” which was later on in the same gallery - the performers were – Prayag Kotecha and Nihal Singh – Nihal Singh presented the Jori-Pakhawaj and played a solo on this before supporting Prayag Kotecha with tabla. Prayag Kotecha on the Indian flute, bansuri, touchingly dedicated this - his first live performance to his teacher Clive Bell -
Clive Bell died in December and was very well known to Oxford Tabla and Oxford Tabla would like here to express condolences to his family and his musical family – his last words to us in May 2023 being “Lockdown? Wonderful opportunity to practice! Loved it!”
