Chaiti music festival has the unique distinction of hosting concerts in China which focuses entirely on Indian classical music. The festival works as an initiation of Indian classical music to the Chinese audience. The visitors to the festival are primarily Chinese audience and they get to experience unique instruments like “sarangi”, “sitar” “sarod”, “tabla” and a range of vocals from the Hindustani genre of music. During the tour, the artists also hold workshops in collaboration with noted Chinese music schools where they interact with faculty, students and master exponents of Chinese traditional music. An open exchange of dialogues between the visiting Indian artists and Chinese artists allows for an understanding of history and application of ragas and wide range of instruments being used in Indian classical music.
The annual festival is held under the banner of Indian Embassy and Consulate and is supported by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). The festival receives generous sponsorship from Indian companies based in China like TCS, Essar and Air India.
The festival is organized by Chaiti Arts Foundation, founded by Indians who have spent many years living in China. The idea to create a platform for Indian classical music originated from a strong will to promote Indian culture and heritage in China. The Foundation’s mission is to create understanding and extend the reach of Indian classical music through out Asia. The initiative started small by bringing in young and talented artists from India with solo performance in Shanghai. As the event grew in popularity and visibility among the Chinese audience, a formal entity was created with an yearly calendar and Beijing becoming a permanent fixture for the festival along with Shanghai.