A section of the audience cheering the performance of Sonu Nigam
Bollywood star Sonu Nigam rocked the National Stadium last Saturday night with his melodious voice, as he belted out songs his fans have come to know and love.
The audience was treated to over three hours of non-stop iconic music from the international super star.
Three-time All India National Award winner for best vocalist, Gunjan Singh, also gave the thousands of Guyanese gathered an outstanding performance.
The mega concert was the first event hosted by the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha in commemoration of the 174th anniversary of Indian arrival in Guyana and was also in aid of the construction of a shelter for abused children in Berbice.
The shelter’s building plan and design was unveiled on Friday evening by President Donald Ramotar and Nigam, along with the executive of the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha, when the sabha hosted a gala dinner at the Pegasus Hotel.
At the concert, Dr Vindhya Persaud, of the Dharmic Sabha, talked briefly about the shelter, which will be named “The Dharmic Sabha Bal Nivas”. Dr Vindhya said she was proud to say that with the proceeds from the concert, they can begin construction of the shelter as early as next month.
Sonu Nigam as he begins his performance at the National Stadium
President Ramotar gave a short speech commending the Dharmic Sabha for their effort in bringing relief to the disadvantaged children in our society.
“All of us, particularly those who are parents, we all have that protective instincts about us particularly as it relates to children, and I am, therefore, very happy, very proud to be associated with this event so that we can give our children a safe environment,” he said. Those who have been unfortunate, abused, they will have love given to them when the shelter is established, the president noted. There were a number of food stalls offering various Indian delicacies like sada rotis and chokhas, seven curry, and authentic Indian sweets such as gulab jamoon, jalabi, sweet rice and many more.
The concert began around 19:30h with a prayer after which there were two dances from the talented Dharmic Nritya Sangh troupe. Then Gunjan Singh entertained the audience with some beautiful renditions from yesteryear, prepping the capacity crowd for the eagerly anticipated performance of Nigam. Singh’s performance lasted less than an hour and just after, the crowd was in an uproar in anticipation of Nigam’s performance.
Nigam started singing from backstage, causing the crowd’s excitement to mount to a fever pitch as they awaited his presence.
He came out a few minutes later, sending the audience into a frenzied uproar. He sang some of the most beautiful classical romantic songs of Bollywood, and had the crowd reminiscing to the sound of his wonderful voice.
In a change of tempo, his upbeat music tunes then had the audience dancing, waving their hands, clapping and chanting to lyrics of the songs they loved.
In a virtuoso performance that showcased his range, Nigam sent the crowd wild.
He then performed songs from popular Indian movies such as: “Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham”, “Kal Ho Na Ho”, “Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna”, and “Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya”, as well as a few bhajans (religious songs).
Nigam also sang a few duets with Singh as they gave of their best to entertain the thousands in attendance.
Amidst the enjoyment, there were some hiccups relating to the VIP seating and persons in the general admissions section complaining that they could not see the stage clearly. But it was an inspiring show over all, as Guyanese were given an opportunity to witness the great talent of one of the world’s most renowned singing sensations.
They are bound to remember this mega event for years to come. The members of the Dharmic Sabha outdid themselves and should be applauded for bringing this mega star to Guyana.
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