Stir Cheat Sheet: 5 highlights of the 2024 Monsoon Festival of Performing Arts

From a qawwali performance by multipiece band RAAHI & Co to free Bollywood dance lessons, the fest is a vibrant celebration of South Asian arts and culture

By gail johnson

RAAHI Mehfil.

The South Asian Arts Society presents Monsoon Festival of Performing Arts from August 10 to 18 at various venues

LIVE MUSIC, DANCE lessons, a writing workshop, and a panel discussion on a new immersive theatre production: Monsoon Festival of Performing Arts is roaring back for its ninth year, running from August 10 to 18. Although perhaps smaller in scale than in previous years, the celebration of South Asian culture still has community at its very heart.

“The main goal is to make the festival accessible and offer a variety of different types of programming for the community, whether it’s a ticketed show or no-cost workshops,” Gurpreet Sian, executive director of South Asian Arts Society and Monsoon Festival producer, says in an interview with Stir. “We’re still offering all of those things to support artists in the community. It’s literally and figuratively a platform for artists, a space and a stage for artists to present their work.

“It’s for the community at large,” Sian adds. “Without community, what do we have? The dialogues that happen, the learning that takes place are so important to build community. Having a community that gets along with one another and understands one another is so important for everyday life.”

Here’s a look at what’s on offer at this year’s Monsoon Festival.

RAAHI Mehfil.

#1

RAAHI Mehfil

August 10 from 8:30 pm to 10:30 pm at Sapphire Estate, Delta

 RAAHI & Co is the name of a multipiece band from Toronto, and mehfil is the Punjabi word for an informal cultural gathering. At the heart of the show is the qawwali music that was made famous by the late, globally renowned singer Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. The style is a form of Sufi devotional music and is characterized by simple melodies, powerful rhythms, and, according to Britannica, “energetic improvisations that encourage a state of euphoria in the listener”. The spirit of qawwali has been compared to that of American gospel music. The evening will also feature South Asian folk and semi-classical tunes. Chai and snacks will be available for purchase.

“Qawwali music is very interactive and very lively, and it’s usually quite intimate,” Sian says. “That’s the vibe we’re going for with this show.”

Karima Essa.

#2

Sunday Funday Dance Lesson: Bollywood Dance with Karima Essa

August 11 from 10 am to 11:30 am at South Asian Arts Studio, Unit 114 – 12827 76 Avenue, Surrey

Three-time Canadian National Dance champion Karima Essa has performed at festivals, theatres, and schools all across Canada. A two-time finalist on Omni TV’s reality show Bollywood Star, she is focused on bringing the body positivity movement to Bollywood dance among young people in educational settings. Bollywood dance has evolved over the decades to blend in influences as diverse as hip-hop, salsa, and contemporary dance, while its essence remains the same: it’s storytelling through movement.

Preeti Kaur Dhaliwal.

#3

Workshop—Lens and Legacy: Writing Histories Through Photos

August 14 from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm at The Cultch – Jim Green House Studio

This community writing workshop will be led by Preeti Kaur Dhaliwal, a critical-race feminist, writer, former lawyer, educator, and facilitator. No prior writing experience is necessary. Participants are asked to bring a photo—old or recent—that holds meaning for them, whether it’s of themselves, their family, a childhood home, or cherished land. Dhaliwal will help people explore their histories through their photos with a series of guided exercises.

Giddha Melna Da.

#4

Sunday Funday: Giddha Dance with Giddha Melna Da

August 18 from 10 am to 11:30 am at South Asian Arts Studio, Unit 114 – 12827 76 Ave, Surrey

Giddha Melna Da is the dance company leading this creative movement workshop. Giddha is a traditional folk dance traditionally performed by women of Punjab, India, and Pakistan at festival times and during the harvest. Patterned on a circle, it is characterized by graceful motions of the arms and hands and is typically accompanied by a delightful melody. It’s elegant, while at the same time as energetic as bhangra.

Paneet Singh.

#5

The Anandpur Experience—Panel Discussion

August 18 from 2 pm to 4 pm at the Cultch—Jim Green House Studio

The Anandpur Experience (working title) is a new interactive theatre production by playwright and director Paneet Singh that is currently in the development process. A panel of artists from the Sikh, Punjabi, and South Asian communities, who will have spent three days together in a closed-door development process, will come together in this session to discuss the importance of storytelling in their work. The vision for the show is to transport audiences to 18th-century Punjab where the Sikh kingdom was coming alive despite the increasingly confrontational Mughal rule. Singh’s work is deeply inspired and informed by Sikh and South Asian culture and history. He is best known for his two stage plays, The Undocumented Trial of William C. Hopkinson and A Vancouver Guldasta. 

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