Assam 2007, a get-together of Assamese people in North America, was organized by a group of people from Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. We were called on to take up this special mission and make the event a memorable one. I personally was to not ready at the beginning to take the role of the Chairman of the Cultural Committee, wondering if I can fulfill the high expectations of the vibrant and talented North American Assamese community.
Deciding on an appropriate guest artist who is going to enthrall the attendees of Assam 2007 was the great challenge for all of us. Some wanted to invite a new face from Assam and others preferred to have someone who is already famous. While discussions were going on, I talked to Zubeen whom I have known as a friend for more than 15 years, and he graciously agreed to attend the Assam 2007 celebrations. Even after we had decided on Zubeen, there was some confusion and uncertainty among some of us: will Zubeen really come and perform in Assam 2007? He is famous not only in Assam, but all over India and around the world now; will he have the time for the Assamese community in North America? From the very beginning, I was a strong advocate for Zubeen; I was sure that he will come and will perform in our get-together without any of his professional fees.
I followed up with Zubeen and his manager on a regular basis to keep the pot boiling. Even though Zubeen had agreed to come to Assam 2007 without any charge, still I faced tremendous pressure to develop a backup plan. I was also asked by some members of the committee to have a written confirmation from Zubeen; I actually got one from him. After the confirmation was received, the riddle of sponsorship needed to be solved: who will sponsor Zubeen so that he will get the visa without problems? Niranjan Brahma was a real optimist and he agreed to sponsor Zubeen. As the Chairman of Assam 2007, he wholeheartedly supported me on my decision to invite Zubeen.
I continued to court Zubeen even more aggressively as time passed. We bought electronic tickets and sent them to Zubeen. Finally on June 30th Zubeen arrived along with his wife Garima Garg. And on July 1st we all experienced his great show on the second night of Assam 2007. Zubeen rocked! Many of the Assamese individuals who had come to Assam 2007 had never danced as they did on July 1st. Many have told me that they had a wonderful time and that they had never experienced so much of fun in last 25 years. I finally feel vindicated and feel that I have successfully accomplished my mission.
The cultural program was held over two days during the evenings of June 30th and July 1st. Whole evening was filled with attractive songs and dances performed by invited local artists. We witnessed some great children’s talent expressed in songs and dances. We had the opportunity to listen to Rabin Goswami and Sankumoni Sarma. Both kept the audience fully involved and highly entertained. In addition, the evenings presented great classical dance performances the were greatly appreciated, by Bonmyuri Kalita, Amrita Baruah, Nilaskhi Thakuria, Sangeeta Dutta and Suravi Kalita. I want to thank Niraj Borbara for organizing the Husori. We also thoroughly enjoyed the great performance of young Assamese talents such as Rick Bhuyan and Nick Bhuyan, Mridu Brahma and Marshilla Brahma. I would like to thank the entire set of highly talented artists for their great performance.
The feedback from everyone has been overwhelmingly positive. I realize that if we can support each other, we can do even better in the future; we need to build upon the trust we have with each other, and we need to recognize the potential in each other. It will make our small community even stronger. I also would like to mention that I was very happy to see our first generation Assamese born in this country in Assam 2007. I was happy that they fully participated in the program and enjoyed it. Our Honorable Chief Minister Mr. Tarun Gogoi also made the long trip from Assam to join us for this special occasion. He even appreciated our Husori and Bihu performances; I hope we can continue working on to perform more quality Husori and Bihu in coming years.
I would like to thank every my cultural team for his/her support and understanding. Without their support this would not have been possible. I would like to mention that my teammates gave me enough freedom to work with Zubeen and gave me the space. My teammates took care of most of my other responsibilities so that I can have enough time to follow up with Zubeen’s needs. This is real good teamwork. I am sure we can be better in future.
By Utpal Borah, Glenmoore, PA
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