**Bhubaneswar:** Successfully into Day 7, .FEST (Bhubaneswar City Festival) continued to draw audiences in thousands who were left amazed by the experiences at the festival. The second day of BhuFeSto – International Storytelling Festival also witnessed enthusiastic audiences who thronged the three parks for an engaging experience of curated storytelling sessions.
On Friday, the evening entertainment began with opening acts by popular stand-up comedians, Rohit Swain and Kumar Varun. They set the tone for a fun night as they took on the stage individually and left audiences in splits. Known for his trademark angry-rant styled humour, Biswa Kalyan Rath was at his best as he left the audiences chuckling for more. Covering topics about everyday experience with telephones, mathematics and many more, the comedian entertained the audiences for 45 minutes with his whacky rants that were clubbed with lots of fun and relatable contexts.
The second day of BhuFeSTo (International Storytelling Festival) beckoned audiences once again for a memorable storytelling experience. Hundreds of people ranging from young to old including a couple nearing the centenarian mark attended the session. Curated by Bakul Foundation for .FEST, the storytelling session brought together world-class storytellers from across the world like France, Kenya, Argentina and Thailand.
Wangari Grace, the most famous storyteller from Kenya and Africa, is known for themed performances and making her storytelling sessions personalized and interactive. At BuFeSto, Wangari brought to life jungle and animals who walk the jungle in her storytelling session. The message she tried to put forth through her stories was about being determined in life in all pursuits. She ended her session with a song in Swahili and the kids sang along like it was a very familiar language.
Paula Martin, renowned storyteller from Argentina narrated a tale of witches reunion and a woodcutter in her magical way. The clever use of audio with various Latin-American instruments such as the ukele, wind-horn and a high pitched witch cry had the audience jumping out of their skin.
Sabrina Arusam is a professional puppeteer from France presently settled in India. She is known for exploring the cultural connect between India and France in her stories and keeping it interactive. The audiences in Bhubaneswar were amazed as she blended art forms and stories through a puppet and Hindustani music.
Wajuppa Tossa from Thailand tells Thai/Lao folktales to revitalize their storytelling tradition. She has performed and taught all across the world sharing Thai/Lao, Southeast Asian and international folktales which is what she plans to do at BuFeSto. Her sessions begin from 08 December.
People in Bhubaneswar can attend BhuFeSto and watch these storytelling maestros at their best sessions being held at Indira Gandhi Park, Kharavela Park and Buddha Jayanti Park from 2.30 pm to 6.30 pm until 10 December. Audiences also continued to tuck into the delectable range of food at the International Street Food Festival that is a popular hit with one and all.
To complete Day 8 of .FEST on a high-note tomorrow, audiences are set to witness a star-studded performance by India’s renowned talent, Shreya Ghoshal. Get set to fall in love with the singer’s melodious voice at the festival tomorrow.
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