Friends of South Asia in association with EKTA presents Suppressed Voices, an exploration in performance art.

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In the milieu of ethnic, religious, linguistic and cultural streaks of infinite shades that is South Asia, there are some voices that are heard, and many others that are either ignored or brutally suppressed. Suppressed Voices will bring to the fore, some of the most feeble, yet most expressive, of South Asian voices.

Using a variety of art-forms - theater, music, song and dance - and featuring works spanning centuries - from a kaafis by Guru Nanak, to the ecstatic sufi compositions of Bullhay Shah, to revolutionary poetry by Faiz Ahmed Faiz, and Dalit poetry, to name a few - the show weaves together a diverse narrative of voices living and breathing despite all odds.

THEMES AND FEATURED WORKS
The show, a series of skits tightly woven together, unfolds as a dramatic portrayal of voices rising up in the face of suppression, in various contexts in South Asia. Using satire, irony and sharp wit, and contexts we can all relate to, the show challenges us to ponder some of society's burning questions such as - What is identity? Why do we draw these boundaries around nationality, language, and ethnicity? Why does society still dictate what a woman can and can't do? Who determines what is "cultured" art and what is "uncultured" art?

The show derives its strength in large part from the amazing body of work it draws upon. Poets whose works are featured include Habib Jalib, Baba Bullhay Shah, Shah Hussain, Guru Nanak, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, and Venkanna, a Dalit poet/singer - who have all written eloquently about the burning issues of their (and our) times, and challenged authority in the face of dire consequences

Background

About the Artists

Ustad Surinder Mann (Tabla)
Ustad Surinder Mann is a disciple of the world-renowned tabla player Late Ustad Alla Rakha, and has been playing Tabla since the age of six. In addition to Tabla, he also has studied sitar and vocal, and has master's degrees in both. Currently Ustad Mann teaches tabla, sitar and vocal at the Mann Music Academy in Sunnyvale, CA.

SAWAAZ (Music)
Sawaaz is a bay-area based Pakistani-American music band.

CREDITS

Theatrical Performances By
bay-area artists

Directed By: Moazzam Sheikh
Born in Lahore, Moazzam Sheikh is a writer who currently makes his home in San Francisco. He is the editor of "A Letter from India: Contemporary Short Stories from Pakistan" [Penguin Books India] , which was published in January 2004.

Written by: Shikha Malaviya and Moazzam Sheikh
Shikha Malaviya is the publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Monsoon Magazine - an electronic journal and web-portal that is dedicated to the creation and sustenance of a vibrant dialogue between emerging and established South Asian practitioners of the creative arts, along with its supporters.

Produced by: Ijaz Syed
Ijaz Syed has been an activist right from his college days in Pakistan. He has continued that trend here in the bay area, and one is of the founding members of Friends of South Asia.

About Friends of South Asia

Founded in the Silicon Valley/San Francisco Bay Area, Friends of South Asia(FOSA) brings together people with roots in various parts of South Asia, as well as other well-wishers of the region. FOSA's mission is to achieve a peaceful, prosperous, and hate-free South Asia--most immediately working towards a demilitarized, nuclear-free South Asia and promoting respect for, and celebrating the diversity and plurality of South Asia.

Suppressed Voices
an exploration in performance art
presented by
Friends of South Asia in association with EKTA

when:

Saturday, December 18th @ 6pm

where:

Mehran Restaurant MAP 5774 Mowry School Road Newark shows:   for more information contact:   mail@friendsofsouthasia.org www.friendsofsouthasia.org/events/voices/ How do I pickup my tickets? If you purchase your tickets online, your name will be on a will call list at the theatre. How do I know it's not sold out? If you see a "buy tickets" link below the show, that means that tickets are still available for purchase. Once you select the number of tickets you'd like to purchase, we place those in a hold for you. All you'll need to do is complete the purchase, and those tickets are yours. Once we've sold out of a show's allotted seats, you'll see the words "sold out" below the show listing. Is there a service fee? manja.org does not charge a service fee, though the community organizations which use our service may elect to do so. What forms of payment do you accept? We use PayPal to process payment, so we can accept major credit cards and PayPal account transfers. Questions/Comments? Need more assistance? Have feedback? Interested in selling tickets online for your event?