And this weekend, two events, on either side of the East River that flows between Manhattan and Queens, kick off a flurry of Dashain and Tihar events in the New York area. [break]
Friday Night
“We formed a new Board two months ago,” explained Abhaya Shrestha, President of Help Nepal Network (HeNN), US.
“Dashain was coming up, and young Nepali professionals in New York were saying there wasn’t any light, informal and fun event in New York for Nepalis and friends of Nepal to get together during Dashain. So we thought we would organize one while promoting the cause of Help Nepal Network.”
The event, to be held at Sutton Bar in Manhattan, is free and guests will pay for their own drinks. But hosts will accept a suggested voluntary donation of US$25, and guests can speak to members of HeNN about other ways to get involved or contribute.
“We have seven runners in the U.S. running marathons, half marathons and 10-kilometer races this year to raise funds for Help Nepal Network,” Abhaya said.
On October 9, Kshitij Prasai and Anish Sharma are running the Westchester Half Marathon for HeNN, and on October 30, Sagun KC, Upama Khatri, and Pranita Pradhan are running the Marine Corps 10K Race in Washington, D.C. while Sourav Karki is running the Marine Corps Marathon, also in D.C. And finally, Upasana Mainali will be running the ING New York City Marathon on Nov. 6. (www.helpnepal.net/usa)
Saturday Night
On Saturday, Kutumba will make their much-anticipated debut performance in the New York boroughs at the Chian Federation Hall in Astoria, Queens.
The event is being hosted by Grassroots Movement in Nepal (GMIN), and at $35 per ticket, guests will be treated to the delightful combination of Kutumba’s music and Newar delicacies. (http://www.facebook.com/gminnyc)
“Kutumba, being a very socially conscious and culturally rich band, evokes the notion of nationalism amongst Nepalis,” said Girish Rajbhandari, Director and Co-Founder of GMIN. “We see this as a good opportunity to draw attention to and create awareness of GMIN’s works in rural Nepal with possibly the most popular Nepali group of this kind.”
It has indeed been a privilege for the Nepali community to have Kutumba touring the United States during this festive season. And the group itself, unsure of what to expect, has been overwhelmed with the support they have been getting so far.
Speaking from Niagara Falls in New York on Tuesday, Kutumba’s Pavit Maharjan recounted their first show in Madison, Wisconsin, where they performed at the 2011 Madison World Music Festival.
“The Nepali community didn’t know what to expect from us,” he said. “But later, they told us that once they saw our performance and especially to see non-Nepali audience enjoying the show, they felt a sense of pride.”
Kutumba has plenty to be proud of too– the work they have done for Nepali music is unique and praiseworthy. And it hardly comes as a surprise they are instantly finding new fans during each show. In Chicago, an outdoor performance serenaded passers-by, and many of them sat down for the performance.
In Indiana, an elderly lady, who initially complained about possible noise level during the sound check, ended her night dancing to Nepali music.
The group then found themselves around a campfire till two in the morning, speaking with locals and their American hosts.
The following day, they were given a unique American gastronomical experience at a local Amish restaurant.
“That was a relief, because everywhere people have been feeding us daal-bhat, but we want to try different things while we’re here,” the group shared. “But that ice-cream in Indiana was huge, we couldn’t even eat our meal later,” Pavit added, laughing. In Minnesota, students of music and general audience quickly filled up the venue.
Besides Kutumba’s performance, the GMIN event will also feature the ensemble’s collaborations with Diwas Gurung, the front man of New York-based rock group Ayurveda, as well as pop singer Raju Lama.
Project Art, a group of young New York-based artists that includes several Nepalis, have painted the backdrop for the event. Miss Nepal USA 2011 will perform a dance number, and a DJ set will close the event.
GMIN is hoping to raise at least US$5,000 and launch the Taplejung Earthquake Fund for schools destroyed by the recent earthquake in Nepal.
They are currently already renovating three schools in Dang’s Dubichaur, Khadda, and Tosh.
“Those are GMIN’s 8th, 9th and 10th school. The 11th school has been identified and work will commence in the near future,” Girish explained.
While guests at both events will be largely Nepalis, hosts are also expecting a non-Nepali presence, still relatively unique to Nepali events, especially those hosted in Queens.
Jami Saunders and Andrew Raible, cofounders of Kids Of Kathmandu, a New York-based non-profit that works to raise awareness about orphans in Kathmandu, are planning to attend both events.
“We would like to support other organizations working for the betterment of Nepal,” Jami said of their weekend plans. “I strongly believe that we’ll all be better off and the causes that we’re working for will benefit from the relationships that we build together here.
I’ve really enjoyed getting to know the people in the Nepali community I’ve met this year and feel it gives us at Kids of Kathmandu a more informed and connected existence.” (http://kidsofkathmandu.org/)
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