Assam dhol exponent to perform in UK

GUWAHATI: The indigenous 'dhol', 'pepa', 'sutura' and 'gagana' will reverberate in Northern Ireland and North Wales next month. RanjitGogoi, a noted dhol exponent, will represent Assam at a cultural festival in North Wales and an Irish festival hosted by the Northern Irish government next month. Gogoi had also led a 16-member troupe that performed at the 'Brent Celebrates the Flame' event last year to celebrate the Olympic Torch Relay in London on July 25. "It is a great honour for me to represent Assam. My aim is to make a profound impression of Assamese culture and heritage on foreign shores. We will perform at the Irish festival at Belfast in Northern Ireland on June 23 and 24 and in North Wales on June 29," said Ranjit Gogoi. The dhol exponent will be performing in Northern Ireland and North Wales along with his Bihu team under the initiative of Rini Kakati, an Assamese based in London. Rini is actively involved in the propagation of Assamese culture and heritage in Europe. Rini said, "After the colourful performance at 'India Campaign for Olympic 2012' in London, Ranjit Gogoi's magical drum beats will be heard at the Irish festival that will commemorate 100 years of the Titanic on 23rd and 24th June in Northern Ireland. Following this, Ranjit Gogoi's Bihu team is also invited to perform at the cultural festival of North Wales."

Ulfa slams Assam award for Sharmila Tagore

A faction of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) has slammed the Tarun Gogoi government for conferring on film personality Sharmila Tagore the Srimanta Sankardev Award. President Pranab Mukherji gave away the award to Tagore in Guwahati on Monday for her “rich contribution to India’s cultural life”. “Selecting Hindi cinema’s bikini girl Begum Ayesha Sultana (Tagore) for the award is an insult to the 15th century Vaishnav saint-reformer of Assam in whose honour it was constituted,” said an emailed statement issued by Arunodoi Asom, publicity secretary of anti-talks Ulfa (independent) led by Paresh Barua. The statement added: “The government could have spared us this ignominy after New Delhi insulted the people of Assam by rejecting the state’s Republic Day tableau on Chaolung Sukapha.” The reason cited for the rejection was that Sukapha, founder of the Ahom dynasty, was an invader and thus did not merit the honour, the statement said. On April 18, the outfit warned Assam’s popular singer Zubeen Garg of serious consequences for disobeying their diktat ordering singers not to sing Hindi songs on stage at Rongali Bihu functions. However, Garg and organisers of Bihu functions had ignored the threat.

Hengulia Assamese music album by Tarali Sarma

Tarali Sarma, the Assamese singer who has won the National award for best female playback singer in the year 2000. Tarali is one of those singers who has taken the path less threaded and remained loyal to her classical training. Unlike many other good singers who have lent their voices to thousands of commercial numbers Tarali stuck to meaningful projects and its a known fact that her trained and rich-voice singlehandedly won her national accolades for her song Kakuti-Ghosa in Akashitorar Kothare(a film by Manju Borah) . Recently Tarali has released her latest Album Hengulia. The album was unveiled at Guwahati press club at the prsence of noted Assamese personalities like Retired Vice Chancellor and educationist Dr Kulendu Pathak, Novelist writer Atulananda Goswami, Dr Birendranath Dutta and GM Hyat Hospital Guwahati Mr Manoj Kumar Deka. Tarali's newest modern song album Hengulia is produced by Wind Choves. The music of Hengulia is composed and created by Tarali Sarma herself. Lyrics of Hengulia is given by Dilip Bora and Gautam Sarma.

Don't dare sing Hindi songs on Bihu: Assam singers warned

The Paresh Baruah faction of ULFA has warned Assam singers from singing Hindi songs in the upcoming Rongali Bihu functions and the organisers to desist from holding dances set to Bollywood songs. Click here! In an e-mail to PTI on Thursday, ULFA assistant publicity secretary Arunudoy Asom said "We urge the singers to keep away from singing Hindi songs and the dancers to also refrain from dancing to such songs. We have noticed that some singers first sing Hindi songs when the audience make requests for Bihu songs." "We will keep a strict watch on Bihu cultural shows. ULFA cadres will be compelled to protest at the functions hereafter of those singers, artistes and organisers disrespecting our appeal and Assam's culture influenced by India's [ Images ] culture". "The responsibility of an artiste or a cultural function organiser does not end in entertaining people with songs and dances. Their prime responsibility is to make the society alert and aware of its culture. "Our position announced earlier for keeping our culture alive still stands. We urge the artistes to perform the local ethnic communities' songs and dances at the Bihu functions", the ULFA leader said. Rongali Bihu, one of the three agrarian Bihu festivals of Assam celebrates the state's New Year in Mid-April with cultural festivals in both rural and urban areas

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