A troupe from Mauritius to revive a folk dance that originated in Konkan

Samartha Sena in a Jhakri performance in MauritiusBack in the nineteenth century over 35 million Indians were shipped off to various colonies of the European powers as labour on sugarcane fields These included a few workmen from the Konkan region who migrated to Mauritius the island in the southeast coast of Africa famous for its pearly white beaches and turquoise sea In an attempt to keep their tradition alive they would perform Jhakri a folk dance originating in the coastal belt of MaharashtraSeven women and 11 male members of the Vacoasbased group will present a Jhakri performance tonightUnfortunately while Jhakri has almost become extinct here it thrives within the Marathi community on the island thatrsquos passed it on via generationsThe dance is traditionally performed during the Ganesh festivalOne such group is Samartha Sena the youth wing of Shri Marathi Dharmic Sabha a Marathi temple located in Vacoas ldquoThe group was created in 2008 to bring together youngsters in the neighbourhood to preserve Marathi cultural heritage our forefathers brought to Mauritiusrdquo says group member Dinkar Sonoo Currently on a multicity tour the troupe makes its debut in Mumbai tonight with a performance at NCPA presented by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations ICCRWhat is JhakriTraditionally performed during Ganpati the group dance involves both men and women singing live and performing in a circle ldquoWe dance around a dholak player and artists who play instruments like jhal hand cymbals and chimta tongsrdquo informs Sonoo The performance features seven women and 11 men aged between 17 and 58 decked in traditional garbs of kashtis nineyard saris and kurtas respectivelyChoreographed by group member Ooma Deojee the dancers will perform an original composition Deva Tujha penned by local artistes Pritibye Raggoo Jesica Raggoo and Ritabye Balloo Along with Jhakri the dancers will also perform Maharashtrian folk dances like Lavani and KoliSway to SegaThe troupe will also perform a medley thatrsquos a fusion of Bhojpuri lyrics and Sega beats ldquoIndian immigrants have brought their own styles of music and dance Mauritiusbased Bhojpuri music has always been popular with people of Indian descent but it is now gaining mainstream appealrdquo he adds Meanwhile Sega is a dance that originated from the ritual music of Madagascar and the mainland of Africa usually sung in Creole the mother tongue of Mauritians