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Vaishnav Jan
Performed by: MIT Alumnae Singers (MITALS)
Vaishanava Jana, composed by Gujarat's poet saint Narsinh Mehta, describes a devotee as one who adheres to purity in thought and action, believes in equality for all and has compassion for others. These ideals, among others described in the hymn, resonated with those of Mahatma Gandhi during India's struggle for independence. Consequently, it was his favourite and sung at his evening prayer meetings across India.
Jathiswaram by MIT Natya
A "Jathiswaram" is a Bharathanatyam dance presentation. It is devoid of any abhinaya (emotions), and contains intricate sequences that are fused with repetitive musical notes. The dance deals with the execution of adavus (basic steps) and mudras (hand gestures), combined in definite groups. Jathis (rhythmic pieces danced to narrated syllables) are executed combining swara passages (musical scores) in a particular raga and tala.
Raagam: Abhogi Taalam: Adi
MIT Swara
A vocal rendition of "Kannodu" from Jeans
Bhaage Re Mann
Bhaage re mann is a melodious and beautiful song from the movie Chameli, originally rendered by Sunidhi Chauhan. An expression of the innocence of a young woman, this number is soothing and soulful with delightful music pieces.
Kajra Re song
Description of the performance - A modern day qawwali, this upbeat and peppy song is from the movie Bunty aur Babli. The biggest chart buster in 2005, Kajra re is a foot-tapping romantic number.
MIT Chamak
The dance pieces incorporate jazz and modern dance styles with classical Indian steps all with an emphasis on sharpness and extension. Watch as the dancers of Chamak show their ability to evoke emotion with their bodies, and of course, have a little fun too!
"Perfect "
It's a competition speech - Monologue called "Perfect", by Vikas Jhingran
Break
The New England Choristers
The New England Choristers have been performing in the Boston area for about six years. Their repertoire includes a wide variety of musical choices. They will be presenting choral arrangements of two songs.
1. Ekla Cholo, an arrangement of A R Rahman's rendition of 'Tanha rahi' from the movie 'Bose, A Forgotten Hero'. The song starts with the well-known lines written by Rabindranath Tagore in 1905, during the period when Bengal was to be partitioned. It says, 'If they answer not to thy call walk alone, if they are afraid and cower mutely facing the wall, O thou of evil luck, open thy mind and speak out alone.
2. An arrangement of 'Ruu-Ba-Ruu' from the movie 'Rang De Basanthi'.
Taranga
Taranga returns this year with even more energy, style and oomph to sweep you off your seats with an upbeat bollywood number from the new movie 'Bhool Bhulaiya'. Get ready for another wave of rhythm, rhyme and reverberations of Taranga's performance.
Instrumental Violin
Violin Concerto by W.A.Mozart presented by Malavika Gopal
Ghazal
'Dil mein ek leher si uthi hai abhi' by Ghulam Ali - song sung by Radhika Joshi
Jumka dance company
South Asian culture has expanded rapidly in the past two decades. The rhythms and sounds of the region can be heard these days blending and bleeding into western music in what is often referred to as fusion mixes. Whether it is a mix of Latin or reggae with classic dhol beats, or hip hop infused with a Bollywood background, the influence that these melodies have had in shaping western music is undeniable. This fusion is especially easy for second generation South Asians to relate to as it connects and ties our music with that of our parents'. This piece uses various dance styles ranging from Bollywood to hip hop in order to capture the essence of this fusion.
Momentrix
"Momentrix presents to you, our debut dance-drama performance entitled KOOTHU, meaning FUN in Tamil. The dance has been choreographed along the DABANKOOTHU style, which is a popular street dance practiced in the rural areas of South India, especially in Tamil Nadu. As the name signifies, our dance is full of energy, vibrant fast-paced beats and unlimited fun! Momentrix is directed and choreographed by Venkataramanan Soundararajan and Barghavi Govindarajan, who are graduate students of MIT and Tufts respectively. There are 7 guys and 7 girls in our team from different parts of the globe - New Zealand, Canada, USA, Pakistan and of course, India, all with a common love for South Indian Fusion Dance and Bollywood Songs. The dance music is from an eclectic mix of Tamil, Hindi and Punjabi songs. The story-line of Koothu is typically Bollywood-ish and revolves around a bunch of village-bred guys, who try different antics, from flowers to singing, to try and woo a group of sophisticated girls. The guys soon realize that, its only with their dancing skills, can they ever hope to impress the dames and hence follows song-after-song of laughter, fun and frolic. Do the guys succeed or do the dames lose interest - watch Koothu to know how things unfold. So now, get ready and get set, to experience the magical energy and mind-blowing beats of this Momentrix dance item."
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