Thousands Supported Dallas Chin Food Aid Concert
26 October, 2009: The first in a series of Chin Food Aid Concerts scheduled in the US was held last Saturday with more than 1200 supporters in Dallas, the 8th largest city in the United States.
“We printed a total of 1200 tickets and they were sold out,” said Kevin Thang, of Chin Youth Organisation, an organising body for Chin Food Aid Concert in Dallas. The concert hall with 1200 seats arranged was filled up with more people standing at the rear.
The much-awaited concert was heated up by Burma’s famous Chin singer Sung Tin Par, first prize winner of Burma’s nationwide traditional singing competition Dawt Hlei Hniang, Chin rocker Solomon Menrihai, and Switzerland-based former ABC music band leader Salai Tawna, a Ph.D holder in Ethnomusicology. Chin youth singer based in Dallas, Ngun Thawng Chin, also appeared as a backing vocalist in the concert.
Amused and satisfied with the entertainment, one of the audience who came from Houston for the concert, commented: “We had been so excited about the concert and when we actually saw it, it went far greater than we expected. Yes, properly arranged and well-performed, I am so happy and pleased with the concert.”
When asked for his views on the concert, well-known Chin musician, composer, singer and guitarist Salai Tawna told Chinland Guardian: “The relationship between the singers and audience went so well and the timing was just perfect and harmonious. We, the singers, enjoyed very much and I believed the audience did enjoy the concert satisfactorily and meaningfully, too.”
The concert commenced with an opening speech on why the concert has been organised and Chin food crisis by Salai Bawi Lian Mang, which was followed by Salai Tawna’s amazing performance of Chin traditional songs and music played with mythan horns, typical Chin musical instruments commonly used in Mindat area.
Some of his traditional verses read:
Go tell our brethren in the native land
Who are suffering from this mautam
That the young generation of Chinland
Works hard in all corners of the world
To rescue you with their helping hand
Three Chin churches based in Dallas invited the singers on Sunday to their worship services where the quartette sang Christian songs to the congregation filling up the churches.
All proceeds gained from the concert will go towards helping the Chin victims of ongoing mautam food crisis in Burma’s Chin State.
The Dallas concert held on 22 October was organised by Chin Youth Organisation in partnership with Dallas-based three Chin churches, namely Dallas Chin Baptist Church, Chin Evangelical Baptist Church and Chin Revival Church.
A series of Chin Food Aid Concerts in the US with the first being recently held in Dallas is scheduled to take place on 31 October in Battle Creek, on 7 November in San Francisco, on November 14 in Los Angeles, on 20-21 November in Indianapolis and on November 27 in Washington DC.
