Taste of home for US Bengalis

KOLKATA: It's that time of the year again when the cultures of India, Bangladesh and the US fuse to create a harmonious blend. The time when Rabindrasangeet and Bangla band waft in the air with Western pop and jazz; when Bengalis in the US get a whiff of their homeland and a taste of things they have left behind. Singers, musicians, artists and performers from India and Bangladesh will come together for the 12th Bangamela presented by the Mid America Bengali Association (MABA) in association with The Times of India at Nashville in Tennessee, from July 2 to 4.
To be held at the Sheraton Music Hotel, Bangamela 2010 is a celebration of Bengal's artistic, cultural and literary heritage. The theme for this year's Bangamela is Aa Mori Bangla Bhasha'. In line with it, various cultural programmes and other activities will be held to promote cultural and business exchanges between North America, India and Bangladesh during these three days.
Leading musicians like classical sitar player Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan will perform with Subhajyoti Guha on tabla. Others include distinguished classical vocalist Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty, Rabindrasangeet singer Ashish Bhattacharjee and Shreyashi Mitra, Bangla band Chandrabindoo and singer Rupankar.
Theatre group Gandhar will present Kachher Manush based on a play directed by filmmaker Gautam Halder with Debshankar Halder and Bijaylakhsmi Barman leading the cast. Also performing will be singers Parnava Banerjee, Sreyashi Mitra and Alak Roy Chowdhury.
From Bangladesh, there will be dance group Nrityanchal of Shibli Mohammad and Shamim Ara Nipa and renowned Rabindra Sangeet singer Adity Mohsin. Upcoming artiste from Bangladesh, Rajashree Acharjee, is also taking part.
Also to be celebrated are the 150th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore and the 100th year of the publication of Gitanjali. News channel 24 Ghanta will cover the event. There will also be a number of competitions poster-making, art and poetry competitions, social activities and programmes for the youth to involve them with Bengali culture and heritage.
The theme for this year's youth programme is A Bridge Between Two Lands. The best aspects of both Bengali and American culture will be blended. Bengal's rich culture will be highlighted through dance, art, music literature, language, history, and science with an interactive seminar.
The sponsors for the meet are CREDAI Bengal, Ambuja Realty, Urbana, Calcutta Riverside, Shrachi, NK Realtors, JIS Group, Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals, KKN Group, Weavers Studio, State Bank of India, Vibgyor Group, NSHM and iMUSTI.