An event not to be missed

NAAD FESTIVAL OF MUSIC AND DANCE – 2016

melodies * lyrics * dances * scenes * colors

One of Canada’s leading Indo-Canadian performing arts organization, NAAD FOUNDATION is holding its annual festival on 28 October 2016 in Surrey Arts Center, Surrey BC, starting 6:30 pm. The program will be emceed by popular social activist Meera Gill.  

The festival will present several items of semi-classical, popular and fusion music by well-known and accomplished Naad musicians: Amarjeet Singh (tabla), Gagandeep Singh (vocalist), Dr. Bruce Harding (flute), Surinder Khaira (drums), Coach Sandhu (guitar), Baljit Singh (Dilruba) and Nikki (Tanpura).

The highlight of the program will be dance performances by famous Kathak dancer Mangala Bhatt of Jaipur Gharana coming (from India) especially for this program.

This Year the festival will premiere a Poetry film Our Victory based on a poem written by poet-dramatist Ajmer Rode. The film is produced by multi-talented artist Gagandeep Singh and directed by photographer & up-and-coming director Gurleen Suri.

The festival will also release a new publication Punjab Paintings produced by famous Indo-Canadian artist Jarnail Singh. 

MG Vassanji coming to address the Dhahan Prize gala 2016

Dhahan Prize is the largest and most prestigious international Punjabi prize awarded annually for three best works of Punjabi fiction. The books written in Gurmukhi and Shahmukhi are considered for the prize, already being praised for creating fraternity among Punjabi authors across India-Pak border. So far the winning authors have been from India, Pakistan, UK and Canada. This year the top prize ($25,000) goes to Toronto based writer Jarnail Singh; the second prize ($5,000) winners are Zahid Hassan (Shahmukhi) and Simran Dhaliwal (Gurmukhi).

One of Canada’s most acclaimed novelists MG Vassanji is coming to deliver the keynote speech this year. Among his many prizes and honors are Gillar prize (twice) and a Governor-General’s prize; he was made a Member of the Order of Canada in 2005. His speech alone would be worth attending the gala, though, there would be much more, of course, including meeting the winning authors and Dhahan Prize founders and organizers. I urge all Punjabi language lovers, readers and writers not to miss the gala being held on 29 October 2016 at 6:30 pm at the Museum of Anthropology, UBC. For tickets go to galatickets@dhahanprize.com or get them at the door.