Back in September, Taz planned a Boston meetup that attracted dozens of Sepia supporters. It was the first meetup Ravi and I attended on behalf of the Mutiny and we were humbled by the warm reception Boston’s mutineers gave us. That night, we met a lot of people, including BROWNSTAR REVOLUTION, a spoken-word duo composed of Pushkar Sharma and Sathya Sridharan, who Taz later interviewed for a post. Now, more than six months later, BROWNSTAR needs our help. The duo is in the middle of planning UNIFICATION 2010, a joint celebration of Pakistani and Indian independence in New York City and you’re invited.
Who: Join spoken-word duo BROWNSTAR REVOLUTION, NYC’s DJ Rekha, Boston-based punk rock band The Kominas, Hari the Comic, brother-sister singers Fair and Kind and other talented South Asian artists in Manhattan for double the independence day fun.
Where: Joe’s Pub
When: Saturday, August 14 @11PM
Why: Pushkar says “In an effort to counter the hatred that was stoked during the Mumbai massacre we created UNIFICATION. We wanted to create a symbolically powerful event for people to rally and demonstrate for unity and peace. Another motivation for me was the fact that our family is Punjabi, from Lahore, and at Partition shifted to Amritsar. Like many of us living across Partition whether in Punjab or Bengal or Kashmir or wherever, being divided across these arbitrary ‘national’ borders had always confused me. It always seemed politically wrong to say that I was Pakistani, but also so short-sighted to say that I was simply Indian. The purpose of UNIFICATION was to create a space where these divisions were disarmed. Where no matter where we were ‘from’ we were all sisters and brothers, grieving and celebrating and honoring our common past and future together.”
Benefiting: Proceeds from the event benefit South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT).
Ticket Info: You can buy your tickets online. $20 in advance, $25 at the door.
BROWNSTAR is still looking for a) interns who can help with planning for the event, b) committed community partners to volunteer to be a part of the Steering/Host committees for UNIFICATION 2010, c) acts who may be interested in performing at the event, d) YOU to spread word of the event to your friends. For more information, please email Pushkar at NORTH.STAR@BROWNSTARREVOLUTION.COM. Hope to see you all there!
Gah!
Sucks to be a west-coaster.
a modest suggestion - unification isn't a term that most pakistanis will find acceptable - for them this conjures the image of kali-worshipping pagans sweeping out of the gangetic plain and forcing them to wear tilaks.
No, I am serious, its going to be an issue. This is a staple of all indo-pak discussions: the indians say we are same-same, lets all be one big market for bollywood; the pakis say oh, dear allah, this is the akhand bharat thing again, isnt it! - and get all weird.
Let me suggest the use of the term reconciliation instead, its more neutral and doesnt get people all anxious.
Nitpick: Hari the Comedian should probably read Hari the Comic. That's the address of his blog, and his Twitter.
Say what? Not only do Aziz Ansari, Mindy Kaling, and MIA all live in the LA region, the Brownstar boys are doing a summer tour where west coast will be fully reveling in their words. Keep posted.
Wore my Brownstar shirt to Disneyland today. Keepin it real.
Thanks, Kerala. Fixed.
The poster above is speaking of a contest of competing hegemonies in which none of the competing parties are.much different. Different than the aim one assumes of these organizers. Don't get it twisted.