Chicago children to chant Sita Ram

Chennai:

The voice of Chicago is set to haunt Chennai as 45 singers from Emmy Award winning Chicago Children’s Choir would perform here on Thursday.

Speaking to Express during a workshop here on Wednesday, president and artistic director of the choir Josephine Lee said that the choir would be performing three movements from ‘Sita Ram’, a modernized version of Ramayana.

Lee, who loves Ramayana, says, “Good and evil are within all of us. It is only choices which we all make.”

She says the visit is to strengthen the cultural ties between United States and India and this visit is to familiarize the children from Chicago with the culture of India.

Lee says the Hindu epic Ramayana was given a modern twist and the epic was being shown from the perspective of Hanuman. Interestingly, Lee says she was helped by Hema Rajagopalan of Natyakalalayam in this regard.

She said the choir currently serves 3,000 children, aged 8-18, through choirs in 51 schools as well as after school programmes in eight Chicago neighbourhoods and the internationally acclaimed concert choir. “Our mission is to create unity and peace in the world,” says Lee. Interestingly, this is the Choir’s first visit to India.

The choir, which has received a Emmy Award for the 2008 documentary ‘Songs on the Road to Freedom’  has performed throughout the United States, Canada, South Africa, Korea, Japan, South America and Europe.

Interestingly, the Choir will start the performance with national anthem and then perform few movements from the theatrical spectacle Sita Ram, which includes Siya Ram and Open Up Your Heart.