The war-cry hit deafening decibels last week. We were wondering what was wrong with the country. Thankfully, amidst this din, some people were singing songs of peace and love too. Artists Unite is an artists collective based out of Delhi. They held a cultural event over the weekend at Red Fort and when we attended last evening, it was heartening to see posters with slogans like “Make Chai Not War”. Needless to say, we are fans of the event.

The lawns outside Lal Qila made the venue very symbolic and an anti-establishment feel to the proceedings. In fact the beautifully lit Fort made a dreamy setting for a music event. There were paintings and installations on the theme of peace and acceptance on the ground.

A host of artists – young talents as well as stars performed for the last two days. When we reached, Aditi Mangaldas and her troupe were in the midst of a mesmerizing Kathak performance. The dancers had their faces veiled as a mark of protest. Aditi in fact interspersed the piece with few lines on peace and acceptance. We are always humbled as to how, every time we see her, Aditi manages to take an Indian classical dance form to a total global ballet feel.

We also heard Sonam Kalra who sang Sufi numbers. Kudos to her spirit – she defied the organizers and sang that last Bulleh Shah poetry she thought was apt for the occasion.

Shubha Mudgal was among the last performers for the evening and she captivated the crowd through her strong voice renditions about break barriers based on caste, creed, and gender. No electronic instrument on stage, she was accompanied by only table and harmonium. It was here the maestro sing with such minimal support.

But the event was not really about the performances. It was the cause and the spirit. The diverse audience included regular art enthusiasts as well as visitors who had got interested and walked in.  Visibly it was students who dominated the gathering. But then there were people from all walks of life here. There was no chair in front of the stage. Everybody stood patiently while the artists did their thing. Some would occasionally walk down to the food area to refuel and then come back to the show. And we loved the show – the show of unity, of peace, or breaking stereotypes and barriers.

Kudos to Artists Unite; we at Delhi-Fun-Dos stand with you.

To watch the videos and more posts about this event check out our Instagram channel.