A few minutes before speaking to The Hindu, Amita Desai is on a music break, listening to one of her favourite songs — Jaane Kahaan Gaye Woh Din from Raj Kapoor’s Mera Naam Joker. “The song is full of meaning and doesn’t talk about a certain period of time. It can be yesterday, 10 or 50 years ago, but it connects to every listener,” says the founder-director of Goethe Zentrum Hyderabad.This celebration of music as a universal language that breaks barriers and resonates with diverse listeners is also the aim of Fete de la Musique — World Music Day celebrations in Hyderabad.Fête de la Musique, the free, open-air music festival that began in France in 1982 takes place on the same day every year in over 120 countries. The city’s 2026 edition is produced by Goethe-Zentrum Hyderabad and Alliance Française Hyderabad, in collaboration with Dark Vibe Society, George Hull Collective, and with EXT and NEXT Galleria mall and Mirage Media as venue and media partners.“Fete de la Musique originated in France 44 years ago, but the fact that Hyderabad has been doing it for over 20 years without a break, including online events during the pandemic is remarkable,” shares Amita.Bond with music
Amita Desai
