Top Pakistani Pop Singer Shehzad Roy and
Ashraf Malik Malkoo 'new Bhangra Sensation'
in Nashville

[Pictures]

May 23' 2004 - In our continued pursuit to celebrate cultural diversity in the Nashville and surrounding areas, Nashville Cricket Club hosted a musical concert on May 23, 2004 at the Holiday Inn Express Nashville Downtown which featured Mr. Shehzad Roy, winner of the PTV World Best Male Pop Singer for 1999.

The evening started with Dr. Aziz thanking the volunteers, and welcoming the audience. This event drew families from Nashville as well as Louisville, Knoxville, Clarksville, Birmingham and other towns.

We were all proud of our own local, Shahid Khan who sang Kishor songs. Then ‘Ashraf Malik’ Malkoo ‘the new Bhangra sensation’ from Lahore took over. Within moments he had captured the audience with his enthusiasm, and got the crowd rocking. His performance included Punjabi songs full of beat and he enthusiastically interacted with the crowd leading them to constant clapping, yelling and Bhangra for almost an hour!

On a more serious note, Dr. Amir then introduced the ‘Zindagi Trust’ the charity that Shehzad Roy is promoting on this tour which amongst many other things supports “I am Paid to Learn Schools” which allows children who must work to support their families the opportunity to earn money going to school. The audience watched a short video on the charity and appreciated the work that Shehzad is doing.

The highlight of the evening came as Shehzad made his presence on stage. He was phenomenal, and with his charm and performance, he mesmerized the audience. He finished his performance with ‘Karlo Pyar..’. Imran Akhoond who is accompanying Shehzad on the tour played electric guitar. Ubaid-ul-Haq and Bart provided sound engineering. Their musical expertise was greatly appreciated by all.

After the concert Shehzad was flocked by the female members of the audience. He was gracious enough to stay for autographs and pictures, and was very impressed by the hospitality of Nashville Pakistani community. In his own words he said 'I feel right at home!'. The stage setup and lighting provided a very cozy atmosphere with the front rows just 10 feet from the performers. Zahid had fixed a large screen where the images of the performers were projected.

It was a memorable and fun evening enjoyed by all who attended and Nashville Cricket Club appreciates the opportunity to share this special evening with many wonderful families. Pre-event press kits were either emailed of hand delivered to local newspapers and television stations to introduce them to this form of cultural music. A follow up press kit including pictures and cd will be sent as a follow up. NCC believes that a key step in breaking down cultural barriers is to provide others the opportunity to learn about different cultures, and thereby foster a feeling of respect for them. This will remain a key objective for Nashville Cricket Club in cricket, musical and community service activities. We look forward to your partnership in this effort to create a climate of love and peace amongst our neighbors.