NORTHRIDGE,CA- India Friends Association (IFA) presented ‘Archana 2015- India , A Living Civilization’ at the imposing Valley Performing Arts Center in the San Fernando Valley. It was their 21 st Annual Fundraiser. The over three hour program was an extravaganza presented by more than 200 IFA members.
Vivid story telling of India‘s civilization and history through a documentary was an intensely absorbing feature of the evening. The program began with an Invocation by tiny tots and children singing and dancing joyfully. Exploding on to the stage were the dance segments performed by dynamic, enthusiastic participants which included Shakti Dance Company, Leela Institute of the Arts, the Padmalaya Dancers,and Natya Saraswathi Dance Center.
One of the highlights of the evening was the Choral group. Magical sounds from a variety of instruments backed by the lilting voices of the women was set off by the clarity and depth of the men’s perfectly pitched voices. Paying homage to the songs of the past, the group enchanted the audience, with many members who were participants for the past 20 years .
The Bollywood presentation brought the house down with perennial favorites from Bollywood films. One can only applaud the gleeful abandon with which the teenagers brought the music alive with their movements.
It was a virtual showcase of the diverse regions of India being represented by the stunning costumes, ebullient folk music and classical dances. These segments were performed by members of the IFA community. The dholak, drums, sarangi, and colorful costumes made a compelling backdrop to the evolving of the dance genre as migrants moved from one region of India to another.
Humor and poignancy marked the plays Mamta,Mahatma Gandhi, Sant Kabir and Guru Nanak.
A detailed booklet souvenir was presented to every member of the audience. Thanks to IFA, thousands of deprived, impoverished and victimized Indians from rural areas have triumphed over corruption, strengthened self governance, benefited from welfare schemes, participated in politics, organized nutrition programs, ensured payment of wages and fought for their right to information. These supported projects are all funded by Archana the evening’s program and donors .