Unfortunately, (H)indi pop music is a thing of the past. And this is unfortunate simply because during the nineties, it was Hindi pop that ruled the charts. It was during this time some of the best artists were discovered by the music industry. One group that ruled during that time was Euphoria. The musicians came out with some big hits including Dhoom Pichuck and Maeri which the youth of the 90’s instantly gravitated to. Lead singer and doctor, believe it or not, Palash Sen became a youth icon as he led the group to success. And while we haven’t heard too much from the group on a more international level, Euphoria is still one of the most sought after bands in India.
On November 20th, the band will come to the Bay Area in California as they join hands with one of the most prestigious organizations in the vicinity, AID (Association for India’s Development). AID is the brainchild of Maryland resident Mr.Ravi Kuchimanchi and aims to provide education, health and improve livelihood amongst many other issues pertaining to rural India. Since 1991, AID has raise an immense amount of money for India and on average is said to donate 1 million dollars annually. Rated as four-star charity by the Charity Navigator, AID is considered one of the most dedicated Indian organizations in the U.S.
The organization and Euphoria will collaborate for a concert named Roobaroo, come mid November are sure the crowds will donate generously. “Euphoria is an immensely popular band in India. They are very famous for their fusion music. When we requested them to perform for our fund raiser they were very happy to do it. We are sure that the concert is going to be a huge success,” AID explains. Understanding that the youth is its target, bringing on Euphoria as a crowd drawer was almost a given. “There is a lot of buzz going around. Growing up we have all danced to the tunes of Euphoria and for various reasons like education or job opportunities we have all moved overseas. And Euphoria is performing in the Bay Area for the first time. For many of us it is a golden opportunity to see them live on stage after many years and reminisce about our school or college days.”
But what is it that AID hopes to achieve with this concert? “AID has always been very successful with our projects and the work we do. We have created a positive impact in the communities we work in. We want to build a brand here in the community we live in. We want to spread the message about our work and our unique but very effective philosophy “Interconnected problems have interconnected solutions”. We believe the Euphoria concert will do just that. We want to foster an environment where people can meet and create a difference a difference in the community where they came from. Being away from India by a several thousand miles, it is difficult for people to imagine that they can work for India’s development. But we want to change that and provide them the opportunity to do so.”
AID is determined to generate enough funds to fulfill all the plans they have for future projects which will target health care, education and agriculture. “AID will be involved in a lot more campaigns for social justice for policy level changes to promote just and inclusive socio-economic development. We firmly believe in Gandhiji’s method of passive resistance. So all our campaigns are peaceful and non-violent,” AID further enlightens. But for now, the entire team is excited for Roobaroo. “Euphoria is an immensely popular band in India. They are very famous for their fusion music. When we requested them to perform for our fund raiser they were very happy to do it. We are sure that the concert is going to be a huge success.”
The concert will take place on November 20th, 2010 at Chabot College Theater, Hayward, California. For more details, log onto http://www.roobaroo.org/.
