Awaken the Konkani in You experience:
(A report courtesy Shri Muralidhar Kamath, Konkani Sammelan)
The Santa Clara Convention Center was buzzing with Konkani chatter for three days. 1307 delegates from all parts of the world attended the convention. Most cherished was this opportunity to meet friends and relatives. The Panchadik Lounge with backdrops from Mangalore, Goa & Kumata was a perfect place for socializing.
The classical music performance on July 3rd evening by Mahesh Kale captivated the audience. His “Natya Sangeet†kept the listeners enthralled every second. He even sang a Goan Konkani song composed by his guru, Pt. Jitendra Abisheki.
On July 4th, as the clock struck nine, the Opening ceremony started with the Ganesha Vandana. The melodious Konkani songs & lilting music that were woven together with the cultural theme still keep ringing in our ears
.
Our chief guest Prakash Padukone, youth keynote speaker Dr. Sumeeth Bhat and keynote speakers K V Kamath & Jaya Row inspired the audience with their speeches. Seminar topics were educational and well attended.
On July 5th, Konkani youth had a blast with the “Konkani Idol†competition. Karaoke singing, held during the happy hour on July 3rd & July 4th in the Dhingdo Lounge was quite a popular and successful event. The plays, skits and dances in the regional programs were greatly appreciated. The day’s programs culminated with the Closing ceremony which presented various skits, dances and the “Bailatta†which reiterated the theme and tried to “Awaken our Inner Konkaniâ€. The executive committee was presented in quite a unique fashion. They waltzed on the stage to a customized tune in dark suits and swirling ball gowns.
Dining hall arrangements were another highlight of this convention. All delegates
enjoyed delicious and authentic Konkani food in one seating during each meal. The festivities finally ended with a banquet & joyous dancing on July 5th. Konkani people of all ages moved across the dance floor to popular Hindi tunes
The Organizing Committee feels quite gratified that the Sammelan met the expectations of the attending delegates. We really appreciate and acknowledge the incredible sacrifices and efforts of the volunteer teams over the past two years, the open hearted generosity of the many donors and sponsors, the talented performers who entertained the gathering, the professional Convention Center staff & vendors and most of all, “You†– the enthusiastic Konkani delegates who came from far and wide to attend the Sammelan.
See you all in Chicago for the Sammelan 2010!
-Article courtesy – Shri Muralidhar Kamath, Konkani Sammelan
This was my first Konkani Sammelan and I was always looking for a reason to go to one as my perception (from what I read and heard about the previous sammelans) was that one would only get a lot of konkani food(which I sure do not lack thanks to a lot of Konkani friends in the bay area) and the patent pending Konkani Panchadik. Due to some un-referencible(I know its not a word in the english dictionary – am sure you get the point) reasons, I attended the 2008 sammelan and I am delighted that I did.
The top positives of the sammelan were the top-class entertainment, punctuality (absolutely no IST standards customarily followed by most desi events) and superlative management (ofcourse free booze 😉 which am sure will not be an attraction to many).
The entertainment programs were mind blowing, very creative and designed to perfection. The food was yummy and there was absolutely no wait at the buffet tables. And at the end of the event, 100s of people were unwilling to desert the Dance Floor even past the midnight. It was also good to see Mr.K.V.Kamath and president Mr.Ramesh Kamath being on the dance floor till the shutdown.
The 3 days of sammelan flew past and we had no clue how fast they went by.
Now I am indeed looking forward the 2010 one at Chicago; I am sure there would be every attempt to surpass the high standard laid out in Santa Clara.
It is nice to see the event getting reported in radio idli. The report was vivid and comprehensive. Though physically away, I was mentally there during the Sammelan. Glad to share that a few of my relatives also could participate and enjoy the event. Let many such gatherings occur and bloom ! Jai Konkani, Jai Samaj !!
Best regards
Ramesh Pai
After reading the report on “Konkani Sammelan 2008.Snta Clara, California” I made an attempt to read through the Responses to “Awaken the Konkani in You – Konkani Sammelan Report†I am surprised that there are only 2 responses; may be because there is lack of information/ awareness to the public. Hence I request radioidli managers to send emails to all persons whose email ID is with you, so that many Konkani people would be aware of important KONKANI FUNCTIONS in advance.