Umm Kulthum’s songs have inspired Debapriya’s new work
| Photo Credit: Getty Images
Five decades after her passing, Egyptian singer Umm Kulthum’s music continues to be studied, performed and cherished across the the Arab world and beyond. Her legacy now finds expression in an upcoming dance theatre production — ‘To burn to bloom’by Bengaluru-based Debapriya Das and her dance ensemble, Nrityakosh. The 60-minute presentation brings to stage some of her iconic works.
The genesis of ‘To burn to bloom’ was Debapriya’s own journey of studying Egyptian dance alongside classical Egyptian music. “Umm Kulthum was one of the stalwarts of Egyptian classical music, and her repertoire has been central to my journey. Her music has an extraordinary ability to hold complex emotional states — love, longing, heartbreak, desire and surrender. These emotions exist vividly in her music, and they unfold over time rather than being expressed in a single moment. As a dancer, that gives you enormous scope to work with,” says Debapriya, founder, Nrityakosh.
‘To burn to bloom’ grew out of her desire to explore it, while also introducing Bengaluru audiences to Umm Kulthum and the extraordinary world of classical Egyptian music and dance.
Debapriya Das hopes the performance provides the audience a glimpse of the Egyptian cultural heritage
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Special Arrangement
According to Debapriya, the production does not simplify Kulthum’s music for the Indian audience. “Instead, we have tried to respond to it honestly through movement, theatre and visual storytelling. Umm Kulthum’s music has a remarkable ability to transcend language barriers. Even when the words are unfamiliar, the emotion in her voice, the poetry of the music and the way it unfolds still resonate. That is the space we wanted our work to inhabit,” she adds.
The production deliberately avoids being a biography and instead is more of a personal tribute. “Through ‘To burn to bloom’, I have curated a repertoire of Umm Kulthum’s songs, each representing a different moment in her life. Together, they tell a story, not necessarily of her life, but of her artistic journey.”
The production brings together Egyptian dance, music, text, visuals and contemporary theatre.Debapriya thrives in this hybrid space. “When I started as a practitioner of Egyptian dance, popularly known as belly dance, I knew that I wanted to make the form more accessible to the contemporary Indian audience without changing its spirit,” shares Debapriya.
The Nrityakosh dance ensemble.
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Courtesy: The Nrityakosh Company
The production recreates aspects of mid-20th-century Cairo through costumes, lighting and archival-inspired visuals. The songs chosen are those that became popular between 1930s and 1970s. “So we needed to recreate the city, its people and the cultural atmosphere. that went on to make Kulthum what she was.”
Debapriya hopes ‘To burn to bloom’ will offer a glimpse into the world of Egyptian culture, which, in many ways, seems familiar to Indians. “I think audiences will find many points of connection even while encountering a culture that is geographically and historically different from our own,” believes Debapriya.
‘To burn to bloom’ will be staged on September 20, 6 p.m., atAlliance Française, Bengaluru. Tickets BookMyShow.
Published – September 15, 2026 06:00 pm IST
