The Israel Klezmer Orchestra (IKO) recently performed in Bangalore, the capital of India’s southern Karnataka state, for the first time. The visit of the six-member Klezmer band was arranged by the local Israeli consulate through the efforts of Deputy Chief of Mission, Ms. Limor Bletter.
Together with the prestigious Bangalore School of Music, Ms. Bletter was able to bring a taste of traditional Israeli and Jewish music to Bengaluru and create cooperation between the Israeli musicians and leading local Indian musicians. The result of the combination of both sounds, building on thousands of years of culture and heritage, was widely applauded and appreciated among music lovers and professional musicians.
While in Bengaluru, the band taught master classes at the Bangalore School of Music, performed for various audiences, including school children, and held a gala performance with the Indian flutist Tejasvi Raghunath and the percussionist Karthik Mani. During the joint performance, they played the national anthems of both Israel and India to the delight of the audience.
“We were very excited to host in Bengaluru for the first time the Israel Klezmer Orchestra” says Tammy Ben-Haim, the Israeli Consul General to South India, “It was just one of the consulate’s joint projects celebrating the thirty year anniversary of diplomatic ties between Israel and India and the tenth anniversary of the establishment of the Israeli Consulate to South India in Bangalore”.
Please find in attachment the photos of Israel Klezmer Orchestra’s collaboration with two Indian musicians - Tejasvi Raghunath and Karthik Mani on Israel’s Independence Day 2022 celebrations.