CHICAGO: The Punjabi Cultural Society of Chicago (PCS) presented their flagship annual event “Rangla Punjab 2016” to celebrate Vaisakhi festival on Saturday, April 23 at Meadows Club Banquet Hall in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. More than 200 participants rendered 30 spectacular variety acts in a talent show attended by more than 1,000.
Punjabi Cultural Society of Chicago (PCS) has been organizing this traditional Punjabi cultural program titled “Rangla Punjab” for more than two decades. This is the single largest annual Punjabi cultural variety event in Chicago area that show cases the Punjabi performing arts, develops and promotes the local community talent.
The program was divided into four segments included dazzling performances of Bhangra and Gidha dances, delightful Punjabi songs, and melodious music, by local and guest artists from Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana and Michigan.
Artists of all ages, teenage boys and girls, college students, and adults, dressed in a variety of Punjabi colorful costumes and performed their best on stage. Young children were trained by PCS volunteer instructors who were practicing since January for this event.
The Gidha dance moves by the ladies from “Milwaukee Gidha” Team, “Shaunkanna Chicago Diyan” and “Chicago Gidha,” and “Nachdiyaan Mutiyaraan” were nostalgic reminders of rural Punjab and won the hearts of the audience with their fast beat music, stellar acts and colorful costumes.
There were many other excellent Bhangra, Gidha, and dance items presented by the local community children and adult artists. It was really a festival of Punjabi culture and a delightful treat.
PCS Vice President Surinder Singh Sangha welcomed the audience. The program opened with singing of a prayer “shabad” by a group of young children from Palatine Gurdwara Gurmat School.
The variety program was emceed by Jaslin Kaur Nanua and Harmanjit Kaur Dhillon; Mona Bhalla; Guru Dhaliwal and Surinder Singh Sangha; Raskirth Singh and Rajinder Singh Mago..
Rajinder Singh Mago assisted by Raibrinder Singh Ghotra, Bikram S Chohan, Gagandeep Singh Multani, Pardeep Singh Deol, Parvinder Singh Nanua and Sundeep Singh managed the backstage coordination.
A variety of Punjabi songs delighted the audience. Kanchan, a versatile singer, rendered a melodious song “Aej Jindari Sari Sari;” Mona Bhalla and daughters moved the audience with the song “Kudi Bindaas;” Mahijit Singh Virdi, a veteran singer and TV artist, sang “Dil chori sada ho gaya”; Mandeep Singh Saini sang “Tankhah”; Vijay Rajput sang “Punjabi Boliyaan”; Siobhan Kaur Henegan along with her siblings sang a melodious song “Challa” with live music.
P.C.S. also recognized its Board of Governors and Board of Advisors: Harkewal Singh Lally (Honorary Chairman), Gurmit Singh Dhillon (President), Surinder Singh Sangha (Vice President), Bikram Singh Chohan (Executive Secretary), Parvinder Singh Nanua (Finance Secretary), Surinder Singh Palia (Sports Director), Manjeet Singh Bhalla and Kulbir Singh Bagri (Inter-Community Directors), Gagandeep Singh Multani and Raibrinder Singh Ghotra (Youth Directors).
Ronny Kular conducted the awards and recognition ceremonies in cooperation with Sunny Kular. Outgoing PCS president Vick Singh was awarded a plaque for his excellent services during his term. Outgoing PCS Honorary Chairman Amritpal Singh Sangha was also honored with a plaque.
THE Punjabi Cultural Society of Chicago is an all-volunteer, not-for-profit community service organization devoted to promoting Punjabi culture, language, performing arts, education, good citizenship, healthy lifestyle, and sports in the metropolitan Chicago area and beyond. For further information contact:
Punjabi Cultural Society of Chicago,
P.O. Box 1244 , Palatine , IL 60078
Ph: 847-359-5727, Fax: (206) 495-6532
e-mail to info@PCSChicago.org
PCS website http://www.pcschicago.org/
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