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This article was published in the December 2009 edition of the Charlotte, North Carolina, based Saathee (Saathee.com) Magazine
Bela Modi Rocks Triangle!
by Manzoor Cheema
The drum-beat for Bela Modi's debut concert in Durham grew slowly and then reached a crescendo on the night of November 6, 2009. The modest estimate of 150 people quickly burst as 250 attendees filled the "Seasons at Tandoor" hall eager to see Bela perform live in Durham. But many folks would be curious to know, "Who is Bela Modi?"
Born in Canada and raised in the Eastern USA, Bela Modi is a budding Indian American artist with stunning musical talents. She has received Indian classical music training and has sung with famous South Asian artists like Ustaad Ghulam Ali, Runa Laila, Falguni Pathak, Shehzad Roy, Munni Begum and Ustaad Hamid Ali Khan. Her musical repertoire includes Hindi, Urdu, Gujarati and Punjabi songs, including popular Bollywood songs. Bela Modi started the concert with the famous ghazal Aaj Janay Kee Zidd Na Karo, a ghazal immortalized in the voice of Habib Wali Mohammad and Farida Khanum. As the concert progressed, Bela displayed the rich diversity by singing Punjabi songs like Mussarat Nazeer's Mera Long Gawacha and Hindi film Omkara's song Beedi Jalai Lay - at which time participants simply hit the dance floor. Her songs were accompanied by tabla played by Nikhil Tikkekar, live Dhol by Jittender Jit Singh and bongo drums played by Prajesh Patel (popularly known as PJ).
The concert also served as a successful inaugural event for the brand new banquet hall "Seasons at Tandoor" owned by the Tandoor Indian Restaurant management in Durham, North Carolina. The concert on November 6th represented a microcosm of South Asian American participants with Sindhi, Punjabi, Gujarati, Bengali and other South Asian American ethnicities gathered under one roof, captivated by Bela Modi's performance.
Disclaimer: This article was written by the organizer of the Bela Modi concert.
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