CHENNAI, MAY 3
After two weeks and performances in four cities across India (Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Goa), American hip-hop group THE INV!S!BLES completed their tour of India with a musical extravaganza hosted at Loyola College’s Quadrangle Open Air Stage in Chennai, the cultural capital of India, on Monday.
The Chennai leg of the all-India tour was presented by the US Consulate General in Chennai, in association with nonprofit American Voices, and produced by Teamwork Arts.
Monday’s Bridging Cultures Through Hip-Hop featured internationally acclaimed American hip-hop artists Carl “DJ Invisible” Hollier (@dj_invisible), beatboxer Richie “Robot” Steighner (@richardrobot), professional dancer and choreographer Hans Pierre (@rememberhans), emcee and rapper Khary Kimani Turner (@kharykimani), and the only female member of the crew lyricist and rapper Miz Korona (@mizkorona).
Showcasing the incredible diversity and inclusion of Hip-Hop, THE INV!S!BLES crew performed a fusion with talented students trained in the Indian hip-hop style and South Indian traditional folk art forms like parai, oyilattam, karagam, silambam, marakkal, silaa, and vedarattam. As a fitting tribute to commemorate 75 years of US-India relations, THE INV!S!BLES shared the stage with Indian hip-hop artists selected through a competition, illustrating the cultural richness of American and Indian dance on a single platform.
Speaking at the group’s final performance in India, Scott Hartmann, Cultural Affairs Officer, US Consulate General in Chennai, said, “We are absolutely delighted to once again be able to bring performing arts groups like THE INV!S!BLES back to Chennai after nearly a two-year break due to the pandemic. Tonight’s performance is about so many things – a tribute to 75 years of friendship between India and the United States, the celebration of cultural exchange, and a tribute to creativity, and cultural expression that we hope will inspire the next generation of young artists to use their voices and their art to advance equality, diversity, and inclusion.”
The US Mission in India will continue its 75th Anniversary celebrations with a range of events across the country throughout this year.
