Five things to do in Singapore over the weekend of November 22-24

This weekend, from Amit Trivedi to a speical collaboration between Carnatic rockers AGAM and hindustani classical vocalist Kaushiki Chakraborty, Kalaa Utsavam brings a lot to be excited about. 

As you head to Esplanade to watch these headliners, Connected to India highlights some of the free programmes you wouldn't want to miss as well: 

1. The Vasantham Boyz

Photo courtesy: Esplanade
Photo courtesy: Esplanade

Raffee, Bashir, Noor, Daniel and guest artist Sesatre present a concert with a world-ethno-fusion instrumental approach to their original album songs.

The band fuses Indian ragas with music inspirations drawn from around the world, presenting a showcase of many different forms of ethic music flavoured with pop, funk, Latin, jazz and EDM styles.

When: Nov 22
Where: Esplanade Outdoor Theatre
Entry: Free

2. Raaga Rhapsody

Photo courtesy: Esplanade
Photo courtesy: Esplanade

Get ready to groove with Raaga Rhapsody as they present some amazing raga-based fusions and medleys. Prepare to be transported down memory lane, with Nilesh on bass, Murale on drums, Hari on keys and Darshna and Suma on vocals.

Join them and relive the spectacular melodies of Ilayaraja, ARR, Yuvan, Harris, Anirudh, Imman, Shankar Mahadevan, Salim & Sulaiman, Vishal & Shekhar, and many more acclaimed Indian composers.

When: Nov 22
Where: Esplanade Concourse
Entry: Free

3. When Chai Met Toast

Photo courtesy: Esplanade
Photo courtesy: Esplanade

When Chai Met Toast is a four-piece band from Kerala, and considered one of the most refreshing sounds to have originated from the country in the recent past.

With a unique mix of English-folk-influenced instrumentals and multilingual lyrics, the band has defined a genre of their own, popular for creating soul-stirring tunes and sing-alongs that elates the listener. With a  fast-growing fan base around India and the world, WCMT has released two EPs Joy of Little Things and Believe, and have toured extensively, headlining multiple festival stages in India.

When: Nov 23
Where: Esplanade Concourse
Entry: Free

4. History of Tamil Theatre in Singapore

Photo courtesy: Esplanade
Photo courtesy: Esplanade

Tamil-language theatre practitioner Subramaniam Ganesh shares about the formative years of Tamil theatre in Singapore. Get to see the posters and pamphlets created for Tamil theatre productions in the 1950s as Subramaniam Ganesh unveils a selection from the Digital Archive of Singapore Tamil Theatre (DASTT), a research project he initiated that now holds over 100 scripts and over 3,000 documents.

When: Nov 23
Where: library@esplanade
Entry: Free

5. Deepavali Stories (Storytelling)

Photo courtesy: Tan Ngiap Heng
Photo courtesy: Tan Ngiap Heng

As the center celebrates Kalaa Utsavam – an Indian festival of Arts, Grace Kalaiselvi will present stories related to the experience of Deepavali in Singapore at PIP’s PLAYbox. She will entrance you with textures of the saree, the unique tinkling of bangles and many other sights and sounds associated with the festival of light.

When: Nov 23-24
Where: PIP's PLAYbox
Entry: Free