We are delighted to be hosting a ‘Sampad Take Over day’ as part of Birmingham Festival 2023. Read below to find out the exciting day of activity we’ve got planned. Looking at our ‘Home From Home’, this day-long programme features live music, dance and spoken word in celebration of the city of Birmingham.
Starting the day at 11am with a relaxed welcome and stretch, we will be leading early-risers through an hour of mindful movement accompanied by soothing South Asian melodies. Then, to help you build up an appetite for lunch, join all-female Dhol drumming & dance group Eternal Taal for an explosive start to the day – and learn a fun routine with Perry!
Following on from Eternal Taal, young poets Anam Hussain and Sana Rashid will read from My City, My Home. Published by Sampad in English, Urdu and Bangla, My City, My Home is a ground-breaking publication featuring 184 poems, short-stories and other prose from writers, and those new to writing, reflecting on the identity and the role of women in 21st century society. Then, for our Community Dance Hour, two local dance groups have been brought together to create a large-scale dance piece celebrating Indian and Bangladeshi dance and culture.
Leading us in to a dance break, expect fiery and compelling Qawwali music from CHAND ALI KHAN QAWWAL & PARTY, a local group with Pakistani origins. Experience music that resonates with their ancestral homeland and its Sufi soul.
Then at 3pm, celebrate regional Indian culture with Sandwell-based all female Bhangra group Vakhri-Tohr and Sonia’z Fusion, who will be presenting a mix of Indian classical, semi-classical, folk, fusion modern, and Bollywood dance styles. Following Sonia’z Fusion, renowned Opera singer Abigail Kelly will be performing the Jamaican Suite reimagined for voice and piano by Peter Ashbourne.
As we look towards the evening, award-winning saxophonist and MC Soweto Kinch is back in his home town to delight the people of Birmingham with his incredible catalogue of jazz and hip hop music. Carrying on the good vibes, star of The Voice Natasha Rose Seth will be singing popular English and Hindi songs.
At 5pm we’re getting the party started! Enjoy some Bharatanatyam, one of the most spectacular and ancient Indian Classical dance styles from Chitraleka Dance Academy followed by India Island Academy as they dance their way round an epic journey through South Asian film. Finishing the dance extravaganza,
Devika Rao and her dancers will perform Yakshagana, a story of good overpowering evil.
As a warm up for the final act, get your heart pumping as Parm from Ultimate Bhangra leads a bhangra workout for all and then it’s time for our finale, APACHE INDIAN. Apache Indian returns home to Brum from a worldwide tour to close Sampad’s Festival day. Expect pure ’90s magic while celebrating the 30th anniversary of his banging classic.
The Sampad Take Over Day is one of ten days of celebrations – you can check out the rest of the programme here.