KIMBERLY COLACO
The busy roads led to the beautiful and quaint village of Saligao, where, in a heritage house, cultures, ideas, art and creativity were nurtured, under the banner of LaLaLand.
From locals to tourists to families, and musicians and art lovers, over 2,000 enthusiasts participated in the 5th edition of the festival.
The festival was held over two days – December 9 and 10 – and connected communities across Goa and the world, through 25 amazing, live, national and international acts.
Actors Sameera Reddy and Ashwin Mushran were part of the festival. In a quick chat with Gomantak Times Digital, Sameera said, “It was really amazing to be at the festival, and my daughter participated in the ballet dance performance.”
“I’m very local, and at LaLaLand they are trying to bring the communities together and this is important,” she added.
The festival had a few live stalls set up which focused on a variety of cuisines.
“I had a great time here with some amazing performances by the kids. I tried some yummy cuisines as there were a lot of food options available; the kid’s corner was nice and the best part of the festival was the bar!” said Ashwin, as he winked and laughed.
Eric Costabir, from Saligao, had put up slacklines at the festival.
"When I stared in 2019, the format was a little different – workshops during the afternoon before the festival started. This year, I kept the lines up through the festival, and it entertained a lot of people and kids who tried this art form," explained Eric.
The festival highlighted the commonalities between India and the Netherlands, which serves as a dynamic platform for fostering unity in diversity.
Did you know, India and Netherlands has been home to the African Siddi and Surinam communities? LaLaLand paid tribute to the African Surinam community through a dance performance by Kula Skoro.
The festival curator and founder, Noreen Van Holstein, shared that, “The festival highlights commonalities between India and the Netherlands and serves as a dynamic platform for fostering unity in diversity.”
“With performances, art installations and culinary experiences, LalaLand not only celebrates shared values, but also opens avenues for economic collaboration, tourism and educational exchanges,” she continued.