The Mela

"Mela" is a Sanskrit word which is now applied to any sort of "gathering" or "fair". And on Sunday people with roots in South Asia gathered to celebrate their heritage and welcome those of us who know little of their traditions.  

A clear, tuneful voice came floating on the breeze as I neared the main stage on Parker's Piece in Cambridge. It turned out to be the very talented indie-pop singer-songwriter Saachi Sen, who went to the trouble of spelling her name out for us. I had a lot more trouble catching the names of some of the other performers. Apologies to those whose names I didn't get.

Three ladies from an unknown dance-troupe who were happy to pose for me.

The DJ, SonnyJi, doing his thing up on the main stage.

Some of the children had done a huge painting of which they were very proud.

This was Claudia and the Braidy Bunch on the Alliance Française stage which operates throughout the weekend and is not part of the Mela. She played a happy blend of musical styles, ideal for a sunny Sunday afternoon.

I think these ladies were from the Natyanjali Dance School as are the other photos of dancers, though the Sanskruti School Of Dance were also present.

An unknown drummer in the Bangladesh Welfare And Cultural Association Stage. He was accompanying singers throughout the afternoon.

This is NASH of the Shayal Collective. A BBC Future Sounds Artist of 2018, playing Asian-Urban music. A very energetic performer, most of my photos are slightly out of focus as he danced back and forth across the stage.

The artistry of the henna painter.

The VP Entertainers bhangra dancers had the audience up and dancing, but not as well as they did it themselves.

Another singer and musicians on the Bangladesh Stage, the guy on the keyboards still proudly wearing his Bangladesh cricket team top despite their elimination from the Cricket World Cup. The team made a lot of friends here - as did the musicians at the Mela.

I'll include as many links as I can for the various acts at the end. But before you go I recommend to you the following video of Saachi Sen, where you'll not only hear a beautiful singer of her own composition, but will simultaneously enjoy the sight of Cambridge at sunset.

http://www.sanskruti.org.uk/ https://www.facebook.com/saachisen/ https://www.natyanjalidance.com/ https://www.facebook.com/VPBhangraUK/ https://sonnyji.com/ https://www.facebook.com/shayalofficial/ https://en-gb.facebook.com/Bangladesh-welfare-cultural-association-Cambridge-735153373224109/ Take care.