Perform
The willow tree holds a special place in the culture and folklore of countries across the world. On Ancestors' Day in China, its branches are hung on doors to ward off evil spirits, while the Jews find their use during the synagogue service on Hoshana Rabbah. In English and Japanese folklore, the tree finds itself in the supernatural realm, acquiring a life of its own. But what remains constant is the age-old human connect with the droopy willow, cemented further through cultural references. When Delhi-based performance artiste Anant Dayal came across one such folktale from a Japanese collection of stories, he felt it could lend itself to a spoken word performance. Last summer, using the piano accordion "as a fellow storyteller", and to add rhythm and music to his narration, he created a 50-minute solo act, The Spirit of the Willow Tree, embellishing the story with details but keeping the essence intact. Throughout the act, Dayal remains blindfolded. After having travelled to cities in north India, the performance makes its debut in Mumbai tonight.

Anant Dayal incorporates the sonic and visual potential of the piano accordion in his work as a storyteller-musician