Published by the government of Zimbabwe
Peter Matambanadzo
13 March 2008
Harare — BHAJAN Group of Agnihotri Bandu, an Indian seven-member traditional outfit arrived in Zimbabwe last week for a series of shows in Harare and Bulawayo.
The group was brought into the country courtesy of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations and is touring Southern Africa.
Led by twin brothers Rakesh and Devesh Agnihotri, the group wowed the audience, predominantly from the Indian community at Gujarati School Hall, in Ridgeview over the weekend. The group, which recently performed in Mauritius, will perform in Bulawayo at the weekend before they leave for Lusaka, Zambia. They will also stage two shows in Johannesburg and Durban, South Africa.
The twin brothers have maintained the traditional vocals skills obtained from their mother -- Chandrakanti and octogenarian father Brij Narain Agnihotri, who was a reputed vocalist and composer in the 1930s and 1940s.
One has to hear them perform with their chiselled skills, which they have developed over time as they express themselves in devotional songs. They awaken the spirit through their bhajans, spiritualise their listeners and transport them to a transcendental ambience. Their enthralling traditional melodies create into ones mind, heart and soul an ethereal atmosphere of proximity with a supreme being. India's head of Charge de Affairs, Vijay Mehta, who also graced the occasion said the visit by the group would enhance cultural exchange between India and Southern African countries.
Mehta said the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, which sponsored the group, has assisted several other groups that have visited Zimbabwe and performed at the Harare International Festival of the Arts.
He said the cultural council also promotes exchange visits by scholars, academics, opinion makers, artists and writers.
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