Dubai: Usha Uthup electrifies UAE with her Mesmerizing Performance
Emirates Paradela's 'The Picnic 2006' - a spectacular show
By Naveen Frank and Elaine Fernandes for Daijiworld.com
Pics by Sujay Bendur
Friday, 17 February 2006
The day could not have started better for THE PICNIC 2006 with beautiful sunshine and a colourful crowd. The scintillating voices of the comperes - Neville D’Souza and Suchita Moras dawned the advent of this great day. The UAE crowd could not have asked for a better venue than the Golden Tulip Al Jazira Hotel & Beach Resort, Gantoot, at the Dubai and Abu Dhabi border, UAE.
Organized by The Emirates Paradela Foundation Trust, the mega event started with a meaningful prayer, thanking the Lord and asking for His blessings for the success of this day.
Welcoming the gathering the President Mr Claude Pinto said that their main focus is on charity work. He specially highlighted their financial assistance plan out of which around 300 less fortunate children have benefited and others with medical problems are able live normal lives.
The well known band PH7 vibrated the air with an outburst of lovely music which made the young and old to sway and dance. With the popular numbers to please the young and the old, they attracted the crowd to the floor.
Everyone set into action, the group games of 12 groups of 12 members each were played in good spirit and was ably conducted by Jayant and team.
The entertainment consisted of Bollywood dances by Vinod Sequiera and team of OCEAN KIDS, Salsa dance by Abdullah and team and mimicry by Brijesh which reminded us of Govinda and Nana Patekar.
Usha Uthup, the legendary Bollywood singer was the hot favorite of the day. Behind the hep lady who has swept crowds with her singing all around the world, is a soft, loving and caring woman. Backstage, just before her performance, she quietly recited the Lord’s prayer. Also, she acknowledged all her friends, young and old, with a smile and a hand shake.
The non – conventional, but highly popular Usha sang from anything from the BoneyM to Beatles, John Denver, Hare Krishna Hare Ram, the Sri Lankan Baila and Konkani songs and her main theme being love and friendship. But she ended up saying , “ Who cares, who sings what ! Let’s be proud we are all Indians”.
A taste of Africa came in the form of the Africa Ethiopian Band which simply fascinated the crowd and left them spell-bound. The non-stop spot prizes, raffles, housie-housie really kept the crowd in top gear all the day.
Being a very distant place, special buses were arranged to transport from Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah.
This huge event was a great success due to the unstinted support of the Emirates Paradela Foundation well wishers
Main sponsors:
Al Mazroui & Clevy Auto Services LLC, Emirates Space Erectors LLC, System Engineering LLc Dubai, National Transport & Contracting Co. Abu Dhabi, Oasis Court Hotel Apartments, Dubai, New Medical Centre Hospital, Abu Dhabi, Seamark Shipping Dubai, Merit Freight LLC, Dubai,
Patrons: Halima Pipe co LLC , Dubai, Noble Marine Metals,Co LLC Abu Dhabi, Prestige Shipping, Dubai, Swiss Air ( Mrs Hazel Saldanha) Dubai, GMC Hospital Ajman, Canara Steel Works LLC Dubai, Delma Office Equipment Trading, Dubai, Hyssna International LLC Abu Dhabi, Super Engineering Industry LLC Abu Dhabi, Fabina Saloon, Assistance Auto Works, Dubai, Global Geo Services , Dubai, Mr & Mrs D’Souza, Sharjah and a host of other co-sponsors, donors, benefactors, volunteers and well wishers.
NMC Hospital Abu Dhabi provided an ambulance along with standby paramedics for any medical eventuality during the programme.
After the programme, a tired and exhausted president, but surely proud and elated said, “If not for my team who has worked as one family during the last one month to make sure that this was a perfect event. Even though the tickets were all sold out a week ago, the phone calls asking us for more and more made us feel so bad to refuse people”.
A special mention must be made of the colourful stage backdrop by Bennet D’Mello. Venue arrangements, transport, food and the like were perfect to the core.
www.daijiworld.com has been the official media for the entire event , who regularly updated with their reports in the past couple of months.
The lively day ended with a lively baila session – with practically everyone on the floor. No one wanted to leave the venue but just all good things come to an end so had the PICNIC 2006 The eventful programme ended with a vote of thanks.