Source: Imphal Free Press
Manipur Information Centre
New Delhi, Sept, 16: On the eve of the United Nations General Assembly Summit on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the United nations in India, in partnership with the European Union, Oxfam India, Save the Children, Asian Development Bank and Wada Na Todo Abhiyan, will organize a special concert entitled ‘Make Noise for the MDGs’ at the Purana Qila in New Delhi on September 18 from 6 p.m. onwards, to highlight urgent action on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
The concert at Purana Qila will showcase 100 indigenous percussionists and string artistes from all across India , and will be a spectacular symphony of sounds, culminating in a crescendo during which the audience will join in. Three composers – violinist Sharat Chandra Srivastava from Delhi , Pena balladeer Mayanglambam Mangangsana from Imphal and Mridangam artiste Shri Ganesh from Tamil Nadu — will conduct the orchestra for solo pieces that will finally merge together in a grand finale.
The concert is a part of the global campaign, Millenium Declaration, a commitment signed by 189 nations to have a peaceful and equitable world by 2015 through organising musical events and exhibitions across the world.
“The concert will open with Buddhist and Sufi chants followed by the individualistic sounds of the traditional bugle and the Bin. After this, the solo pieces of various regions will begin and then be merged with the sounds of different drums.
Incidentally, Pung Cholam, the acrobatic drum dance of Manipur will also be an integral part of the performance. It is extremely interesting to see that so many different instruments with completely different sound can come together and create something so magical,” says Mangangsana.
Mangangsana, the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar awardee for the year 2008 instituted by the National Sangeet Natak Akademi further stated that the composition of Hindustani Sangeet, Carnatic music and oriental music of India merging together was not an easy task but somehow it would be a beautiful piece of Indian music.
Twelve artistes namely W. Surajkumar , K. Ratankumar, Ng. Michael, S. Chandramani, E. Jayanta, O. Somen, N. Shyamananda, M. Nongan and A. Damu all percussionists and Nameirakpam Jilatombi, W. Dilip and Laishram Prithiviraj all string instrumentalists from Manipur, who are rehearsing at Bal Bhavan daily here, are among the 100 artistes to be performed at the grand event. Eight from Assam , three from Sikkim , two each from Mizoram, Tripura and Meghalaya and one from Nagaland will take part in the performance.
This marquee event will include a photo exhibition entitled “We can end poverty… working together to achieve the MDGs”, highlighting the efforts being made by various stakeholders to eradicate poverty, illiteracy and hunger across India .
The event will also be an occasion for civil society to promote a petition urging that the achievement of the MDGs form an important part of India ’s development plans for the next five years.
The event will also be endorsed by celebrity Ambassadors Preity Zinta and Rahul Bose.
As the world approaches the last five years of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the United Nations secretary –General has convened a Summit from 20-22 September to reinforce political will to accelerate progress towards achieving the MDGs. On the eve of this Summit , the United Nations and its partners in India are organizing a series of events to advocate for accelerated action to meet the MDGs.
The event will be one of thousands of strategic “Stand Up, Take Action, Make Noise” events around the world from 17-19 September, as part of a global campaign to urge governments to make good on the promises they made in the year 2000 at the United Nations where they signed the Millennium Declaration affirming their commitment to a peaceful, just and equitable world.
