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Thursday, October 2, 2008

Durga Puja in San Francisco Bay Area USA


Bay Area Prabasi cordially invites you and your family to attend the two days of Durga Puja 2008 at Chabot College, Hayward on Saturday, Sep 27 and Sunday Sep 28, 2008.
We encourage all our patrons to become members of Prabasi as it helps us provide you quality programs throughout the year.
As usual, this year we have an array of fine cultural programs from talented local artists as well as professional artists from India.

Here is the tentative schedule of programs for Durga Puja 2008. Please check the schedule before attending event during the Puja days for any changes.
Members can attend all the professional programs for FREE. If you are not a member, you can also enjoy these programs by purchasing tickets. There is no ticket for attending Puja or other cultural programs.


Usha Uthup or Didi as she is fondly referred to, was born in independent India of parents who came from the traditionally rich states of Madras and Kerala and was raised in the bustling metropolis of Mumbai. Although Usha had never learnt music formally, her passion for music was present right from the moment she uttered her first words!

Persistence and conviction drove Usha to pursue a professional singing career in 1969. This move later went on to prove vital in removing the stigma attached to singing in night clubs in India.

With her gifted, velvet, smooth voice she was the only artist to have recorded six albums in English with HMV/EMI. Today she sings in more than thirteen Indian and eight foreign languages. This is an achievement by itself.

If there is a legend bridging the East and the West, it is Usha. With her music and charm, she has transcended the barriers of caste, creed, language and nationality. Accolades have come from all over the world and she has sung for Prime Ministers and Presidents alike. Indira Gandhi, Jomo Kenyatta, Daniel Arap Moi and more recently Nelson Mandela have all been her ardent admirers. Her endearing charm and powerful vocal chords have given Usha fans of all ages, from all over the country.

With her trademark passion and a speed of delivery that would wear out wannabes a third her age, Usha has just completed a brand new studio album and is all set to release it during the course of the year. A gift her fans eagerly await. The original Diva of Indian pop music celebrates three decades in the entertainment business, and while her contemporaries might be thinking of gentle retirement, Usha will be back in the thick of what she does best - singing.

Mahalaya

Just like in previous years, this year also Mahalaya will be featured as a live show by our local talents on Sep 27th at 7:45 pm. As usual, the quality of the program is expected to be of a very high standard. It will remind you of the days when the enchanting voice of Birendra Krishna Bhadra and the unique devotional songs by famous singers filled up the pre-dawn hours of the day as Kolkata radio presented Mahalaya. Prabasi has continued to entertain our Bengali Community by organizing this special feature that has now become a highlight in the Bay Area. Mahalaya is being directed by Sonali Bhattacharya. The vocal singers are Sonali Bhattacharya, Banani Banerjee, Sangeeta Choudhury, Indrani Bhattacharya, Manidipa Bhattacharya, Sumita Chakravorty, Sudip Nag, Nilanjan Sarkar and Prasenjit Biswas. Chandi Path by Aloke Chatterjee. Notable musicians include Anoop Bhattacharjya on tabla, Wallace Harvey on violin, Brinda Govindan on flute, Ben Kunin on sarod and Subhas Khasnabis on Keyboard.


Durga Puja in 2008 will be celebrated at Chabot College, Hayward.
Venue: Performing Arts Center
Chabot College
25555 Hesperian Blvd.
Hayward, CA 94545
Chabot College Performing Arts Center is centrally located in the San Francisco East Bay Area south of Oakland (in Hayward) near the intersection of Hwy. 880 and Hwy 92 West (San Mateo Bridge).
for more details visit: http://www.prabasi.org

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