Alchemy at the South Bank Centre until 21 April

The South Bank Centre on the Thames in London is currently presenting the festival Alchemy with music, dance, literature, design and debate from India, the UK and South Asia and this year it is running from Wednesday 10 April until Sunday 21 April.

The festival celebrates the meeting between South Asian and British cultures. As you would expect I have scoured the programme for anything related to Bengali! I couldn’t find all that much. Sam Mills, the husband of Susheela Raman (who both performed at the opening on 10 April, she singing and he on guitar) speaks Bangla and has worked with Paban Das Baul. The Alchemy Food Market (SouthBank Centre Square, Monday-Friday noon-8.00 p.m., Saturdays 11-8 and Sundays 12-6) may or may not have Bengali street food. (I would love to go and find out but I’m not up in London during this period although I did catch the opening night.) Anoushka Shankar is Bengali and performed on Saturday 13 April from her album Traveller. Khiyo was performing last night (16 April)- it is a London-based band mixing Bengali heritage music with a modern acoustic sound. Having generated word-for-mouth acclaim for their version of Tagore’s Amar Shonor Bangla they performed a special concert at Alchemy. There is still plenty else on, interesting if not much to do with Bengali – take a look at the programme!