Indian Navy Band Mesmerises Public at National Museum

VICTORIA, Seychelles, The Indian Navy Band, currently in Seychelles as part of the multi-national exercise Cutlass Express, mesmerised the public and passersby with their performance on the grounds of the National Museum yesterday afternoon. The open-air concert drew a large crowd that gathered on the lawn to watch the visiting musicians play a mix of Indian and Western pieces for about an hour. Children danced near the front while families sat on the grass to enjoy the show in the late afternoon sun.

The Indian Navy Band is made up of 13 crew members on board INS Tir, the lead ship of the First Training Squadron, which is in Seychelles for the multinational exercise Cutlass Express. The band is led by Hari Kunwar, Petty Officer Music, and the visit marks one of several cultural activities planned alongside the at-sea training that runs until early March. The musicians performed a varied programme that included classical Indian pieces, well-known film tunes and a few popular Western numbers.

The audience thoroughly enjoyed the one-hour show, cheering enthusiastically throughout the performance. Organisers said the turnout showed the strong cultural ties between Seychelles and India, and noted that the event was arranged at short notice to give the local community a chance to engage with the visiting sailors while they were in port. The setting at the National Museum was chosen to allow easy public access and to draw in families and tourists visiting the area.

The show in Seychelles symbolises cultural harmony and the strengthening of friendship between the two countries, organisers said. Officials from the Indian High Commission and the Seychelles government attended the performance, along with sailors from other vessels participating in Cutlass Express. The visit is the latest in a series of cultural exchanges that have accompanied Indian Navy port calls to Victoria over the years.

The First Training Squadron is expected to remain in Seychelles waters for the duration of the exercise, with further cultural and community events planned. Local schools and music groups have been invited to attend parts of the programme, and the public has been encouraged to visit the harbour area to see the participating vessels during their port stay. The Indian Navy Band performance is one of the highlights of the squadron current deployment in the Western Indian Ocean region.