Hip-hop performers make Kolkata groove

On a  sultry afternoon in the city when the rest of the Kolkatans were busy with their routine tasks, a small crowd cheered throughout the performance by hip- hop artists Next Level at the American Center.

The performers from the US entertained the audience along with local hip-hop enthusiasts and dancers. 

Next level programme is an initiative sponsored by the US Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs in association with the University of North Carolina's Department of Music.

Before landing in Kolkata, the artists conducted workshops and performed in the Indian city of Patna.

Ahead of the performance,  US Consul General Helen LaFave said: "The American Center is proud to bring you this afternoon's concert, a fusion of American music styles through hip-hop music and dance, demonstrating yet again our commitment towards shared values between India and the US."

Opening with a performance by DJ Lester Wallace, the other artists Ansley Jones, Sheikia Norris and Korin Wong-Horiuchi soon joined him in a musical extravaganza  which enthralled the mass.

Paul S Rockower of Levantine Public Diplomacy said: "The feedback of the performance in Kolkata was excellent."

(Reporting by Supriyo Hazra)