BRICS Symphony played for leaders on folk instruments of member countries

NEW DELHI, September 12. /TASS/. A musical medley, combined with dance performances, formed the program of a gala concert held as part of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reception for high-ranking guests of the BRICS summit in New Delhi.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is currently on a visit, was among the event’s guests.

The BRICS Symphony was played using traditional musical instruments from all member countries, as well as several nations participating in the BRICS Outreach format.

Brazil was represented by the guitar and the pandeiro tambourine; China - by the erhu and guzheng string instruments; Egypt - by the ney and oud; Ethiopia - by the traditional masenqo lute; Indonesia - by the suling flute and angklung percussion, Iran by the santoor and daf, the UAE - by the qanun; and the South Africa by the Cape Town fiddle. The balalaika and the bayan accordion were responsible for the Russian element.

The ensemble also included traditional musical instruments from Belarus, Kazakhstan, Bolivia, Vietnam, Cuba, Malaysia, Niger, Thailand, Uganda and Uzbekistan. Indian folk instruments formed the backbone of the orchestra.

The concert was organized at the Bharat Mandapam exhibition hall, which also hosted the bilateral talks between Putin and Modi the day before, as well as other BRICS events. Bharat Mandapam ranks among the largest multipurpose venues both in India and globally.