ASHLAND, MA—Boston physician and singer Meena Sundaram, Abhinaya Arts and Asha for Education Boston-MIT will present “Night Wind: An Evening of Enchanting Ghazals” with talented singers on Nov. 9 at Ashland High School in Ashland, MA. The event will raise fund for Snehalaya.
Featuring live music and an array of accomplished musicians from Boston and California, led by Dr. Sundaram, Night Wind will enthrall the music enthusiast with the delicate poetry, emotional nuances and timeless melody of this captivating genre.
“They will present a curated selection of ghazals to enthrall one and all! The event is scheduled on November 9th and all proceeds will be donated to Snehalaya in support of their various projects,” organizers said in a statement.
Dr. Sundaram said the program has been crafted to appeal to a broad audience of listeners.
“We hope to engage both people who are curious to learn about ghazals by presenting and enveloping them in the nuances and patterns of this genre and regaling die-hard ghazal fans with amazing poetry and masterful renditions,” said Dr Sundaram. “My own foray into the world of ghazals has been one of discovery and learning and I hope to share the delightful twists and turns with all of you as we walk together feeling the gentle Night Wind.”
Dilip Acharya, an accomplished musician and an eternal fan of Ustad Mehdi Hassan, said it is impossible to forget King of Ghazals Mehdi Hassan.
“As long as the world turns, his name will be associated with Ghazals, just as the moon dwells in the dark sky,” said Acharya who is one of the performers at the event. “His invaluable and unparalleled contribution to Ghazal singing has never been and will never be duplicated.”
Vijay Kumar, an educator at MIT and a singer said the moods and melodies of Ghazals have always been part of live.
“The magical mix of poetry and music has the power to transport us to worlds of love, longing, melancholy, joy.. even to a different time,” said Mr. Kumar. “Through our program Night Wind, we hope to take you on a beautiful journey of music and meaning by immersing you in a delectable selection of filmi and non-filmi Ghazals.”
Here are the event details:
Date: Saturday, November 9, 2019
Doors open: 3:30 PM
Show time: 4:30 PM
Venue: Ashland High School, 65 E Union Street, Ashland, MA 01721
Tickets: VIP $100. Premium $50, General $35 (Tea and snacks included) No children under 6 please
Ticketing website: https://boston.ashanet.org.ghazal/
Singers: Dilip Acharya, Muheet Bharti, Pankaj Shah, Sankar Gangaikondan, Vijay Kumar, Meesha Acharya, Umesh Rao, Pradeep Shukla and Meena Sundaram
Instrumentalists: Dilip Acharya: Harmonium, Nikhil Pendharkar: Keyboard, Muheet Bharti: Guitar, Rajesh Pai: Tabla, Shridhar Ganapuram: Octapad
Emcees: Syed Ali Rizvi and Sadia Chaghtai
Sound: Jawed Wahid
Stage Décor: Alankar
Lobby décor: The buddies
Stage Manager: Kumkum Pareek Malik
Backstage manager: Rekha Palriwala
Producer: Meena Sundaram
Special thanks to volunteers from Asha for Education, Snehalaya and the community
Abhinaya Arts created by Meena Sundaram with the support of local talent has a long track record of producing unique musical events to support charities that work in education and women/child health. Over the last decade, they have produced events like Mirabai – the Musical for Udavum Karangal, Sangam for Ekal Vidyalaya, Sahib Bibi and Guru Dutt for Snehalaya, Baaje Tori Paayaliya for Sankara Cancer Foundation and more recently Tere Sur Aur Mere Geet and Mujhe Rang De for Asha for Eduction-Boston Chapter.
Asha for Education is a fully volunteer-run 501(c)(3) non-profit whose mission is to catalyze socio-economic change through the education of underprivileged children. Last year thanks to the remarkable dedication of our ~ 1,000 volunteers across 40+ chapters and 3 continents, we disbursed over $4.2 million to 196 projects and touched the lives of over 240,000 children in India.
Snehalaya (www.snehalaya.org) is an NGO based in Ahmednagar Maharashtra, which has been bringing rescue, rights and rehabilitation to those adversely affected by the commercial sex industry and poverty. Snehalaya started rescuing trafficked and forced women and children from red light areas in 1989. Since then, it has been working to fight HIV/AIDS, reduce 2nd generation prostitution by 100% and ensuring there are no minors working in the sex industry in Ahmednagar district .
