NABC 2024

‘Baro Mase Tero Parbon’ at NABC 2024

     The annual Banga Sammelan by NABC brought the Bengali diaspora in Chicago together on July 4th to celebrate their rich cultural heritage through music and arts. This year event was themed around the Bengali tradition of "Baro Mashe Tero Parbon," with a stellar lineup of celebrities including Iman Chakraborty, Parambrata Chattopadhyay, Somlata, Koushik Chakraborty, Saikat Biswas, Rituparna Sengupta, Armaan Khan, Rakesh Chaurasia, and Purbayan Chatterjee. The event, expertly curated by the musician duo Sourendro-Soumyojit, showcased a wide array of performances.
     Adding a unique touch to the festivities was the Chicago Chamber Orchestra, led by Elizabeth Lucia Thomas, which featured an all-American, Bengali choir. Their collaboration with the visiting artists from Kolkata infused the event with a different flavour. A poignant tribute was paid to the late Ustad Rashid Khan, with his son Armaan Khan delivering a touching rendition of "Aaoge Jab Tum"
     A notable moment was the fusion performance by actor Parambrata Chattopadhyay and musician Iman Chakraborty, who combined Tagore’s music with excerpts from Swami Vivekananda’s historic speech in Chicago. Meanwhile, Somlata, Koushik Chakraborty, and Rituparna Sengupta heralded the upcoming Durga Puja with their lively performances. Nostalgic Bengali tunes were also performed, paying homage to the rich cultural history celebrated annually at the Kolkata International Film Festival each November.
     Mahua Chakraborty, choir coordinator from the committee, expressed her admiration for the event, noting, “The choir members of the Sourendro-Soumyojit ensemble came from all corners of the USA. Their renditions of 'Durgomogiri' or 'Ya Chandi' left the audience spellbound." Partho Ghatak, the cultural lead of the organizing committee, shared his gratitude, saying, "We began planning this event a year back, and I am immensely thankful to all who are greatly vested in this program, thanks to Sourendro-Soumyojit for helping us color beyond the lines."
     Jonai Singh, a key figure in the collaboration, reflected on the success of the event: "As a patron of Sourendro-Soumyojit's World Music Day celebration each year, I yearned to bring something similar to the US. When the first notes of 'Aha ki Anando' played on stage today, everything seemed well worth it."

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