Georgetown: President Donald Ramotar and First Lady Deolatchmee Ramotar were among the thousands who last evening enjoyed the talent of renowned Bollywood playback singer Sonu Nigam along with a 25-member troupe from Mumbai, including a large selection of Bollywood’s best musicians at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.
The concert which also featured performance by upcoming Bollywood playback singer, Jonita Gandhi, was also the Guyana leg of Sonu Nigam’s 2014 World Concert tour titled “Klose to My Soul”, which featured tributes to Indian musical legends like Mohammed Rafi, Mukesh, Manna Dey, Lata Mangeshkar, RD Burman and Kishore Kumar.
The concert, organised by the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha, was held to commemorate the 176th Anniversary of Indian Arrival in Guyana and the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha’s 40th anniversary. The proceedings will go to the Sabha’s Bal Nivas home for vulnerable children.
The facility materialised after a series of massive fund-raising events including mega concerts featuring Bollywood’s singing sensations.
President Ramotar, who briefly addressed the thousands of supportive Guyanese at last evening’s concert applauded their support for a worthwhile cause and encouraged their support of other such ventures.
The President also hailed the concert as a fitting tribute to the Indian fore parents who came to Guyana and despite difficulties, managed to upkeep the Indian culture.
“Today, 176 years after, we have the top artistes of India coming to entertain us, that is a testimony of the fact that our fore parents managed in difficult and very harsh circumstances to maintain this culture and to give it also a specific Guyanese flavour,” he said.
On May 5, 1838, 233 men, five women and six children from India were the first batch of East Indian immigrants to arrive on board the Whitby at Highbury to supplement the multi-ethnic, multi-cultural society in which Guyana today prides itself.
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