Rebuild a Life…
A Cultural Show to Benefit Acid Victims
By: S awsan Eskander
I was a little apprehensive about the turn-out at our "rebuild a life" event co-organized by Drishtipat & SHEBI on the evening of Dec. 9 th , 2006 in Manhattan . But this apprehension was short-lived as I saw a steady stream of people entering and filling up the huge grand auditorium of the High School of Art & Design. Faces lit up as people started running into friends & family after what seemed like a long period of separation. By the end of the night, the venue also became a reunion ground for old friends & relatives.
The show started off with a fabulous performance by Amra Kojon, a group of music lovers and performers, which moved many in the audience. They presented Abdul Latif's freedom song called "Daam Die Kinechhi Bangla" or "We paid a price for my Bangla". Their piece was about the tremendous sacrifice borne by millions of Bangalis in their strife to achieve freedom of their language. It was quite a sight to see several spectators shed tears on being reminded of the struggle and oppression that Bangladeshis had faced in the hopes of achieving independence. Following Amra Kojon's stirring performance was a light-hearted folk dance choreographed by Ishrat Rakhi Hoque. The crowd cheered away at the six ethnically-dressed dancers, Labiba, Nadia, Selina, Devi, Faika, and Sawsan, as they gracefully moved to the famous song Bondhu Tin Din (It's been 3 days, my friend). Next was a recitation by Faruque Chowdhury of a powerful poem that depicted an important day in Bangladesh 's history, 7th March 1971 , when Bongobondhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman delivered an immortal speech. During the short break that followed, people bustled in the hallway conversing with others, buying food, and browsing music cds and clothes that were being sold.
The second half started with the most important element of the show - a presentation about Acid Violence by Shafaq Islam and Faika Farzana, which was geared to give the audience a better understanding of the cause behind the fundraiser event. The informative slide show presented facts and statistics about this hideous crime that still prevails in Bangladesh .
The comedic skit that followed helped lighten the atmosphere again. The skit was split into three acts, one for each of three couples: Sabik & Sawsan, Arefeen & Labiba, Itrat & Seefat, where each couple brought out a distinct interaction and challenge in their relationship. This humor-filled performance ended with a fun dance to the song "Amar Gorur Gari te". I must say that this piece had some of the audience in splits!
Following the skit was a very moving poem written and recited by Mushfik Nabi called "From New York to Dhaka ". The poem illustrated the obstacles faced by many young Bangladeshi Americans who struggle between focusing on their lives as responsible Americans and their responsibility to give back to Bangladesh . The audience was moved by Mushfik's sincere words inspired by his experiences as a socially and politically conscious Bangladeshi American. Then an a cappella duet known as Nova ( Mian Azmy and Kyle Mason) took the stage to perform a song called "Ready for Love" by India Arie, a piece about being ready to receive/give love. Kudos to Nova for delivering a heartfelt message to everyone in the audience!
The last set of performances started off with a mind-blowing dance by Ishrat Hoque (Rakhi) and Dina Denis. Their piece was an excerpt from their collaborative movement project called Stitch. The crowd was left speechless by the challenging moves that ranged from classical to modern dance routines. Following the dance were two modern and folk songs sung by Forhad and as people enjoyed these traditional songs, the show moved on to the last performance by the band Still Waters! The audience happily clapped as they sang the popular tracks Bryan Adams' "Summer of 69" and LRB's "Shei Tumi".
Throughout the show our emcees, Dia & Sayeed did a fabulous job of keeping the crowd entertained with their quirky sense of humor. Their conversations ranged from describing the cause and the participating organizations to dating amongst Bangladeshi people. Versatility at its best!
I was asked several times after the event, "How was it?" and I didn't really know how to answer this question. If we are measuring success by the funds raised for the acid victims, yes, undoubtedly it was quite an achievement as we exceeded our goal of raising $3,000. In terms of turn-out, it was as we had expected: a total of about 150 people. Regarding the content of the show, we got wide-ranging reviews about each performance, which is surely a good thing as it implies that there was something enjoyable for each person amongst the diverse audience. We had the honor of being covered by a few TV channels such as Stv, TV Asia, Channel I; also journalists from at least 2 local newspapers were there to provide press coverage.
Yes, I can finally say that the event was successful and was worth the effort put in by all the volunteers over the past few months since at the end of the day what really matters is that we are being able to make a difference in a few shattered lives. Bravo SHEBI & Drishtipat for your dedication to such a noble cause!
