Singer and dancer team up for UWI showBy SEETA PERSAD Thursday, June 11 2009
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Sandra Sookdeo ...
TWO talented women who trained in India in vocals and dance will team up for the first time at JFK Auditorium at UWI for a concert entitled, “Pavana -The Winds of Change” on July 11 at 5 pm.
Sandra Sookdeo and Shakuntala Janbahadoor are TT-based scholars trained in India before returning here to settle down. While the two have travelled around the world with their art, this is the first time they are coming together for a show with other local artistes. Among the other big names to appear in this show is Dr Sunil Buchoon, leader of the Impressions Orchestra of Sangre Grande and popular singers Raymond Ramnarine, Andy Singh, Ricky Khandoo, Jairaj Singh, and Girly Sahadeo. Dances will be done by Kala Mandir, the Shakti Devi Dance Company and by former Miss La Riene Rive Sarah Barran. Proceeds from this show will go towards the replacement of costumes lost in a fire for the Princes Town Theatre Workshop.
Sandra, the artistic director of the Kala Mandir in Cunupia, has been producing several ballets in the country. She is a devotional choreographer and tutor, as well as a performer. In 1987, Sandra was awarded a scholarship by the government of India. She studied various styles of Indian classical dances in New Delhi at the Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra, majoring in Odissi under the guidance of Guru Mayadhar Raut. She graduated in 1991 and returned home to do several show here and in other Caribbean islands.
While in India, she also completed a comprehensive study of the performing arts and various styles of folk dance. She is the author of the only dance textbook in the region which explores Indian dance and its development, Indian Dance for the Caribbean.
Sandra, who is currently employed with the Ministry of Education, has been working diligently toward promotion, propagation and preservation of classical art forms, especially Indian classical dance.
“There is morality in spirituality. I believe in exploring the art from a pure and unique source that is of godhead. This way I can deal with the pastime of Lord Vishnu and reveal his lessons through dance for the younger ones,” said Sandra, who will be doing a dance for Lord Ganesh and a popular folk item at the concert.
Undoubtedly one of the top vocalists in TT, Shakuntala delivers a combination of Hindustani, classical, film and western forms of music. She comes from a family that is deeply rooted in devotional music.
At the age of six she was introduced to the stage as an actress in a Ramayan play produced by her father. Her grandparents, who sang Ramayan and folk music, also contributed to nurturing Shakuntala’s talent.
Shakuntala has experienced and participated in numerous forms of music. At secondary school level, she was exposed to English and western music, along with Hindi songs, plays and paintings. These experiences have left her well rounded and artistically balanced. It was at secondary and university level, however, that this young artiste gained recognition.
At UWI where she attained her degree in History and Social Sciences, Shakuntala was nicknamed the “Nightingale”. She became the lead singer for SPIC. From then on there was no stopping her. She performed with outstanding success in many competitions and shows and has toured in Puerto Rico, New York, Miami and Japan for cultural performances.
In 1989, Shakuntala was awarded a scholarship to India by the Indian High Commission. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree with Honours in vocal music.
During her five years stay in India, Shakuntala performed in various programmes and was nicknamed “Khoyal” She did recordings with famous Indian music directors Salil Choudary and Anil Biswas and even participated in a tribute to Ravi Shankar.
She returned to Trinidad in 1994. She is a secondary school teacher and also conducts vocal classes in San Fernando and Penal.
“Through my experiences I was able to obtain self knowledge and moral and spiritual enlightenment,” she said.
