NITN | @notintownlive | 27 Oct 2026, 01:25 am
U.S. Navy band The Orient Express celebrates America’s 250th Independence Day at the Kolkata Centre for Creativity.
The U.S. Navy band The Orient Express performed in Kolkata earlier this month, brought by the U.S. Consulate General to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence.
The band played at the Calcutta School of Music, the Kolkata Centre for Creativity (KCC) and the consulate's National Day Reception between October 11 and 13, according to the organisers.
The consulate said the visit was meant to promote an exchange between contemporary American and Kolkata culture.
The eight-member band played rock, pop and jazz, including songs by Dolly Parton, Taylor Swift and Bruno Mars.
Its members are Katie Grace Stephenson, John Parris, Tinki Yu, Seth Burkhar, Adam Byars, Marcelo Carrion, Andrew Delnagro and Joshua Haney, all U.S. Navy music professionals.
Stephenson, the group's singer, led much of the show at KCC by involving the audience in the singing.
Students from schools and colleges across the city attended, along with working professionals and older couples, the organisers said.
The band regularly tours the region, using music to promote friendship, goodwill and people-to-people engagement, according to the organisers.
"It is absolutely very important for different cultures to interact," said John Parris, the band's bass player.
Parris said music is understood across cultures, whatever a listener's background.
He described the crowd at KCC as "amazing" and said the audience in Kolkata had been very accommodating.
- America’s 250th anniversary reaches Kolkata with U.S. Navy band’s pop and rock show
- Sweet Memory: How a Kolkata Durga Puja Is Retelling Bengal’s Love Affair With Mishti
- Kosha Mangsho Roll to Gurer Sandesh Flan: Starbucks Kolkata unveils special Pujo menu blending Bengali flavours with global favourites
- Ganesh Chaturthi in the Skies: What Air India Has in Store for Flyers in its Lounges
- US Envoy Sergio Gor gets a taste of Darjeeling, enjoys Toy Train ride, tea, and local culture
- 1000 Islands: Back to the Waters That Never Left Me
- Priority Pass finally passed the test at JFK: One card, one lounge, a small victory in New York
- Do Not Miss This Museum When You Are in Purulia Next
- Texas Barbecue Takes to the Skies as American Airlines Expands Pecan Lodge Partnership
- Want a Taste of Spain? Taj Taal Kutir Brings 'Spanish Merienda' to Kolkata
Lufthansa has launched a new nonstop service between Kuala Lumpur and Frankfurt, with the first flight operating on October 26. The route connects Malaysia’s capital with Frankfurt, one of Europe’s major aviation hubs.
Lufthansa Group is renaming its Green Fare as Impact Fare, placing greater emphasis on the contribution customers make to sustainability in aviation. The name change also reflects new regulatory requirements for environmental communication.
In an effort to revive the joy of handwritten communication in an increasingly digital world, the Department of Posts under the Ministry of Communications, in collaboration with IndiGo, organised a unique Digital Detox Campaign on October 12, observed as Philately Day during the ongoing National Postal Week celebrations from October 9 to 15.