Panaji: The ruins of St Augustine Church at Old Goa will come alive as the Ketevan Music Festival takes centrestage on Feb 27 and 28. Beginning at 6.30pm on both evenings, the 2-day festival is being held in association with the ministry of culture of Georgia and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).The opening evening on Feb 27 will spotlight three performances. The festival begins with Eastern folk, featuring Bengal-based Baul duo Goutam Das Baul and Sanchita Choudhury from Shantiniketan. Next, audiences will be introduced to music from Georgia by Ensemble Sathanao, a choir dedicated to preserving Georgian traditional music and restoring ancient chants. Their work aligns with Georgia’s celebrated polyphonic singing tradition, recognised by Unesco. The ensemble is marking its first-ever performance in Goa.Concluding the evening is ‘Kathak Meets Jazz’, a bold cross-cultural collaboration presented by Labonee Mohanta from San Francisco. The performance unites the intricate footwork and expressiveness of kathak with the spontaneity and harmonic vibrancy of jazz.The second evening, Feb 28, continues the global journey with two major performances. String Concerto for Peace, an original composition by sitar maestro Imran Khan, blends Indian classical music with a Western string orchestra. The festival concludes with fado and world music by Nadia Rebelo, an award-winning Goan vocalist. Rebelo seamlessly weaves world music elements rooted in Goan, Konkani, and Portuguese folk heritage, offering a fitting tribute to Goa’s multicultural legacy.With free entry and a diverse line-up spanning folk, classical, choral, orchestral, and fusion genres, the festival is expected to draw music lovers, cultural enthusiasts, and tourists alike.
