Unfurling another talent: Ashwin the dancer

Concert group from Seyshelles: Grace Barbe

We went to a reggae concert last evening. It was a free outdoor summer concert organised by Melville City Council and the evening was fine and Ashwin was well rested after a good long nap.

Cotton clouds

We sat together and enjoyed the concert for a while over dinner. Ashwin then decided ht wanted to be closer to the action and went up to the front of the amphitheatre all by himself. He stayed there taking in the music and the scenes and only made a trip back to where we were seated to give me this lovely bouquet of leaves he plucked off the grass. And then went right back to his spot!

See that whirl of energy out there? That's mine!

My bouquet of leaves

Enjoying the concert all alone

My cute kid

Some kids (presumably children of the band members) took to the grass to do some dancing and soon the audience joined them. Guess who was a mandatory part of this dancing crowd??! He danced with wild abandon!

Kids having fun

See my little boy out there?

Soon it was time for the encore and the band invited the dancing kids to the stage for the last song. Guess who was the only boy up there? And the youngest? And the cutest? (OK ok, I may be biased...)

Look who's there??!

In his words, he did dancing "very high up" and the "sing lady" asked him what's his name. He said "Ashwin" and the "Sing lady said Ashwin on the mike and then everyone clapped!"

Everyone in the audience was fixated on him (as during Raghul's poonal when he was reciting mantras!) or looking at me to see the proudest face and the widest grin they would have possibly seen. Loads of people stopped by to tell Raghu and me that he was a good dancer and a good sport while we stood there stupidly beaming like the proudest parents we were. He was even given a complementary CD by the band, autographed no less.

It can never be said that my son does not know to enjoy life! And of that, I'm PROUD.

Grace Barbé

Grace Barbé is a Seychelloise singer/songwriter, whose music reflects and celebrates the diverse cultural influences of her Indian Ocean. The combination of afro-funk, roots and reggae create a mixing pot of danceable styles and powerful vocals.