Alliance Française’s all-night cultural festival in Chennai promises cabaret, gaana, and an Indo-France fusion

Chennai’s late night scene is no longer relegated to the food streets of Anna Nagar alone. On October 11, the Alliance Française of Madras brings back the third edition of La Nuit Blanche (The White Night), an all-night cultural fete, with a performance slate that includes an interweaving of French and Tamil artistes and their traditions — think cabaret, gaana, ancient Tamil instruments, hip-hop, and fashion — fusing French and Indian cultures with the pomp of theatre.

This year, the festival is modelled on Moulin Rouge!, the musical set in the bohemian mecca of Montmartre in Paris, France, at the turn of the 20th Century. Patricia Théry Hart, director, Alliance Française of Madras, says that hosting an all-night cultural event in Chennai brings with it, a thrill like no other. “Local talent and French decor come together at this event. Last year, when the fashion show happened at the event, it felt like a couture runway. Let’s just pray it does not rain this year though,” she says.

At The White Night, expect to see performances of the French can can, a fast-paced dance form by Sabitha Srinath starting from 5pm. This is besides a screening of Moulin Rouge, a show by Wild Wild Women Rappers, a Tamil and hip-hop street-style collaboration, Bommallatam, a puppet show, by TS Murugan and his team, and Office Gaana, the band.

The Red Dream (Le Rêve Rouge), a visual experience by Cursorama, a media artist and designer working with generative art and immersive installations, will be working with Roy Dipankar of Omnivoid Labs on setting up an exhibit with visuals from Moulin Rouge. The visuals will react to sounds by artistes from bands like No Latency and The Objects besides two artistes including Kushboo and Raj Kanwar Sodi. Expect to hear jazz riffs with low guitar sounds, dub step, drum and bass, dub techno, besides electronica, ambient and intelligent dance music. The show begins at 5pm and will go on till 2am. Roy says that they hope people will interact with their audio-reactive cube that brings forth different kinds of sounds and different textures. Their show begins at 5pm.

 Contemporary dancer Preethi Athreya
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

“Cabaret in the 1980s was a mix of espionage and a story told through strong characters who would not back down. Helen, for instance, is one,” says Preethi Athreya, contemporary dancer. After a year of research into the field of Indian cabaret at Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris, Preethi is set to bring her show Rubber Girl to the audience from her hometown at 8pm. “Cabaret asks many questions. You know whose bodies you are selling? What attitudes are you selling? There are many interesting aspects of capitalism versus democracy versus colonialism versus post colonialism that are discussed here,” she says.

Patricia, the director, says that since the fusion of French and Indian, particularly Tamil culture is an important aspect of the event, performances of villupaatu, bommalattam, Carnatic fusion and a concert of ancient Tamil instruments will be organised. Thanganila Palsuvai Kalikuzhu will be bringing karagattam, thappattam and poikkal kuthirai performances to the venue.

Artist Si Su, part of Uru Pannar, says that their show, will have ancient Tamil instruments dating back to the 4th Century being played. One such instrument is the yaal, reconstructed by Tharun Sekar, a musician and instrument-maker. Much of their eight-piece band will play sounds and hope to revive the music from the Sangam ages. “But we do not play music that is an ancient, unrelatable language. It is music with a modern twist,” Si Su says. Their show begins at 9.15pm.

For details about the event at Alliance Française of Madras, Nungambakkam, visit @afmadras on Instagram.