The ?Summer Festival?
SAFA?s Sawan Mela returns to Stanley Park The South Asian Family Association (SAFA) will be hosting its cultural extravaganza, the 8th Annual Sawan Mela (Summer Festival) on Saturday June 12 and Sunday June 13 at Lumberman?s Arch in Stanley Park. A shuttle service will operate from Burrard Station during festival hours which are from 2 ? 11:30 on Saturday and noon to 6pm on Sunday.
SAFA started the Sawan Mela 7 years ago with a mandate to highlight positive South Asian images, role models and provide a platform for young South Asians to promote their talent. Furthermore, it was created to foster cross-cultural harmony and tolerance. “By sharing cultural practices with a purpose to educate and inform, giving the public and opportunity to learn about each other, we can only increase understanding,” says Suki Grewal, President of the society. The effort has been driven by a dedicated team of volunteers since its inception and their hard work has paid off. Attendance at the 2009 Sawan Mela topped 15,000 visitors and in 2010, the team hopes that this number will only be higher. A 10,000 sq foot tent will be erected to accommodate both the weather and the crowds.
SAFA is honoured to be joined by the Squamish Nation Eagle Song Dancers who will open the event on Saturday at 2:00pm. The celebration will begin by honouring the land with aboriginal storytelling and dance. Squamish Chief Bill Williams, one of the four Vancouver Games host nation chiefs, attended in 2009 and the Squamish have lived and utilized this area for over 10,000 years, having history traced back to the Great Flood and an ice age.
The rest of the weekend is full of wonderful entertainment from various community groups and artists. The show includes Bhangra, Giddha, Bollywood and classical Indian dances such as Bharat Natyam, Orissi and Kathak. There will also be Japanese Taiko drummers, Latin Ballroom, Chinese dancers, hip-hop performances as well as other world dance items. “So You Think You Can Dance” finalist Arrassey Reyes will be teaching a free salsa class and a portion of the event will be dedicated to creating awareness around the turban or “dastaar”. Attendees will be encouraged to join in on friendly competitions such as the infamous roti-making contest, Kara (Water Pot) race and danceoffs.
Local hip-hoppers and producers, A-Slam, return to Sawan Mela after a year holiday. The group has just returned from tour dates in Malaysia and they recently performed as part of the Vancouver games celebrations. Bollywood Shenanigens, hot off the trail of their sold-out run, has been commissioned to produce a special skit. The talented writers are known for their SNL style humour which pushes cultural envelopes. Munish Sharma and Leena Manro will be crafting a 10-minute abridged version of 1998’s Bollywood classic, “ Kuch Kuch Hota Hai” (KKHH, translation: Something Happens…)
KKHH was a multiple Lux Zee Cine and Filmfare award winner. It stars Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol and Rani Mukherji. Its 177 minutes will be shown in its entirety with English subtitles on the big screen at 7:30 pm on Saturday evening when the Bollywood Under the Stars event commences under the Sawan Mela tent. Packed with its catchy soundtrack, unforgettable characters and novel but simple love story, this romantic comedy remains one of the top 20 Bollywood films of all time.
Headlining the Sawan Mela are Juno award-winner Kiran Ahluwalia and her musicians; who will be performing their own musical arrangements of ancient Persian and Punjabi ghazals on Sunday at 4:30pm. The singer was born in India and immigrated to Canada as a child. After completing her MBA, rather than heading into the world of high finance, Ahluwalia opted to return to India to begin her formal training as a musician. Upon her return to Canada, she released her first album in 2001: “Kashish – Attraction”, which went on to be nominated for a Juno in 2002. Her big Juno win occurred with her 2003 album “Beyond Boundaries” which was re-released in 2005 as a self-titled work. In 2008, she released “Wanderlust” and her troupe has just recorded a new album in Europe which will feature some interesting collaborations. Ahluwalia promises a special sneak preview from this new album (inspired by the late, great Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan) for the attendees at the Sawan Mela. The group was last in Vancouver in 2008 as part of the International Jazz festival.
The Sawan Mela takes place on Saturday June 12 from 2:00 to 7:30pm. Bollywood Under the Stars III: Kuch Kuch Hota Hai will begin at 7:30. The festival reopens on Sunday at noon from 6:00pm. More information can be found at www.safa.ca.
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