Benefit features classical music, dance of India
7/23/2004Titled Ragalahari (that is, "a wave of ragas"), the four-hour program features vocal and instrumental music as well as bharatanatyam dance.
The event is sponsored by UT's Indian Students Cultural Association and supports Asha for Education, a world-wide nonprofit organization that funds education projects for India's underprivileged children.
"We receive project proposals from trusts all across India," said University of Toledo graduate student Srivatsan Kannan, a volunteer for Asha's Toledo chapter.
"Volunteers research each request. Once approved, money is sent in installments and the projects are closely monitored," he said.
Tomorrow's program features a diverse set of entertainers, all of whom perform as an avocation.
Troy, Mich.-based vocalist Mrinalini Arkatkar is a medical sonographer by profession and a music disciple of M.V. Patwardhan. She has sung across North American and India.
Detroit-based flutist, harmonica, tabla, and harmonium player Ramesh Mangrulkar is a retired electronic engineer from the Ford Motor Co. He has taught classical Indian music for the past 28 years.
The dance program includes Shailabala Tungtur, who is currently a graduate student in bio-informatics at BGSU, and children from Nrityalasa, a Toledo-based dance school.
Asha for Education was founded in 1991. Today there are 66 Asha organizations worldwide, with 45 in the United States. Asha Toledo was started in January 2003 by University of Toledo's Indian Students Cultural Organization.
Ragalahari, a program of classical Indian music and dance, is presented from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. tomorrow in the University of Toledo Center for Performing Arts Recital Hall. Tickets for the event are $5 each or five for $20 and are available from Asha for Education volunteers and UT Indian Students Cultural Organization members; Krishna Groceries, 3301 North Holland Sylvania Rd.; Reddy Food n' Spices, 341 East Lincoln St., and the Hindu Temple, 4420 King Rd., Sylvania. Information: 419-320-3423.
Contact Steven Cornelius at:
scornelius@theblade.com
or 419-724-6152