by Kay Dan for Daijiworld.com in Muscat

Muscat, Aug 22: The city of Muscat will have an excited weekend with two Odissi dance performances and a concert by ace Indian rocker Remo Fernandes.

The Goan musician who is well known as the pioneer of Indi-pop will do a gig at a popular beach resort as part of a cultural extravaganza to celebrate India's Independence Day.

This cultural bash, on August 24, will also feature an Odissi performance by a student-teacher duo from Muscat. The student, who is a seventh grader in an Indian school in Muscat, hails from Mangalore.

Classical dance aficionados in Muscat will also have a chance to witness yet another Odissi performance on August 25 at a five star hotel in Muscat. This will feature eminent Odissi exponents from Orissa in India.

These two events on Thursday and Friday (which is the weekend in the Gulf region) will cap an exciting few days for Indian expatriates which began with the Independence Day celebrations on August 15.

Many Indians who love to party and have fun welcome any kind of entertainment in Muscat, which is considered to be staid, unlike Dubai, the neighbouring emirate.

Remo Fernandes will be performing at the Al Sawadi Beach Resort, a popular partying place situated around 100 kms north of Muscat, just an hour and half drive on the highway which leads to Dubai from the capital of Muscat.

Al Sawadi Beach Resort hosts many parties all the year round which include rain dances and invites renowned musical bands from all over the world.

Remo's concert will be preceded by Deepak Roy, a reputed Odissi dance maestro from Muscat, and his senior disciple Tejaswini Hegde who will be performing along with two other budding artistes.

Deepak's troupe will be performing Arvi Pallavi and Abinaya. They will conclude with Shanti Mantra, which is a message of peace.

Deepak, who is a reputed artiste in Muscat is a disciple of Padmavibushan Guru Kelucharan Mahapatra.

Deepak is a multifaceted personality with mastery over the art forms of Kathakali and Manipuri and is also a sculptor.

Tejaswini Hegde who is known for her striking spontaneity, is a student of Indian School in Muscat, and has given over 60 stage performances.

Tejaswini is a pupil of Deepak who has who has kept the lamp of Odissi dance burning bright in Muscat by austerely training students.

The other event which classical dance aficionados and connoisseurs in Muscat are looking forward to is an exotic evening of classical Odissi dance, with mesmerising lights, sound and rhythm at the Oman Auditorium of Al Bustan Palace Hotel on August 25.

The Al Bustan Palace Hotel is considered as the royal hotel where His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, the Sultan of Oman, comes for prestigious functions.

Indeed the Oman Auditorium, where the Odissi dance performance will be held, is a modern and stately auditorium decorated in crimson furnishings.

The Odissi dance performance here will feature eminent Guru Gangadhar Pradhan and his protegee Aruna Mohanty with five prominent dancers and musicians.

Gangadhar Pradhan is a teacher, performer, choreographer and mardal player of international eminence, who set up the Odissi Dance Academy at Bhubaneswar to popularise Odissi dance and music all over the world.

Aruna Mohanty had the privilege of working with Padmasree Guru Pankaj Charan Das, Padmabibhusan Guru Kelu Charan Mohapatra and Padmasree Sanjukta Panigrahi.

The evening will also be graced by the presence of Natasha Mahapatro, the reigning Miss Jr Teen America, 2005/06.