Pakistan Cultural Festival in Roseville a Resounding Success
By Ras H. Siddiqui
The Pakistani American community residing in El Dorado Hills, Folsom, Granite Bay, Rocklin, Roseville, and parts of Sacramento County, California held their second annual cultural festival on Sunday, June 11, 2023. This was an attempt by them to share our heritage with the area non-Pakistani community and it was successful and executed beautifully.
Pakistan has a very rich and diverse culture as it is located at the border of South Asia and the Middle East. This is reflected in the food, clothing and the lifestyle of its people who reside in the geographical area, from KPK and Punjab in the north to Baluchistan, and Sindh in the south. Many onlookers were pleasantly surprised by what our community had to offer here.
The Mayor of Roseville, Bruce Houdesheldt, and the Vice Mayor City of Folsom, our Indian origin friend YK Chalamcherla were both present here along with Roseville City Councilmember Scott Alvord and Rocklin City Councilmember Bill Halldin. They spoke on stage and shared their appreciation of the effort and its outreach, and in the case of Mayor Houdesheldt also his fondness for the Kebabs being cooked and sold here (who does not like tasty Pakistani food?).
From the get-go event emcee Asif Haq handled the afternoon very effectively. And the biggest surprise of all was the wonderfully temperate and comfortable weather that we encountered on this day, a rarity in this area where temperatures easily reach triple digits by June. The place was also wonderfully decorated reflecting the hard work that went into putting the event together. So, to the group of approximately 30 people responsible for this festival, our hats off to you. And that includes the effort towards the great pre-event coverage that this event received in the local media.
The festival had several art pieces and handicrafts from Pakistan’s four provinces on display. There was also a section showcasing the sporting goods industry including soccer balls, cricket bats and other gear that is manufactured and exported from Pakistan. Handmade items like mirror work on cloth and metalware were also displayed. Additionally, there was a table displaying the efforts of Pakistani women, including Malala Yusufzai and Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy.
The food was a big hit here as the vendors ran out of some items as early as 2:30 pm. Local attendees really liked the Pakistani delicacies sold, and they were fresh, since many items were being cooked right there. Besides the BBQ, sweet Jalebis and Pakoras (fritters) were also being prepared on site. And one noticed that the Kashmiri Chai was also selling quite well along with desserts like Falooda, Kulfi ice cream. And the freshly squeezed sugar cane juice was also quite popular.
Before going into the entertainment an item which was really appreciated was a Rap (Spoken Word) performance by Zaki Syed (aka Zaki Bhai) who celebrated the Pakistani American identity in his own unique way. Zaki’s presentation expressed his Americanness and his life as a Pakistani and South Asian (Desi), plus with a Hispanic connection too. Syed who lives in Yuba City also highlighted his appreciation for the work that the Sikhs community does in the region including feeding people who could sure use a meal. Zaki is a spirited American of Pakistani descent, and his patriotism was well expressed during his performance.
There were two sessions of community entertainment which featured ethnic dances by children, youth, plus spectacular performances by our community ladies who danced to the beat of the four provinces of Pakistan. Well done sisters. The local community was full of appreciation for your effort and your ethnic attire was very well-received too. Pakistani - Baluchi, Pashto, Punjabi, and Sindhi music can rock any gathering!
On the instrumental side, kudos to Dr Nasiruddin for his fine musical performance on the Banjo. And Shaiq Chishty (flute) along with his daughters Ilham, Mahrukh and Shahrukh literally stole the show with their splendid command of classical music right out of the Mughal courts. They played the harmonium, tabla, and the sitar to perfection. The Chishty family is a community asset, and we hope to see more such fine performances from them in the years to come.
Last, but not least, an hour of Sufi music closed the event. Riffat Sultana Salamat and her brother Sukhawat Ali Khan, both children of the legendary Salamat Ali Khan, closed the event with rich Sufi music. They were accompanied on stage by Richard Michos and Shaikh Farhan on guitar plus the dazzling percussionist (on tabla and dhol), Gurdeep Hira. The Qawwali music was quite intoxicating, and it was not the Pakistanis but mostly the locals in the audience who closed the event with their enthusiastic dance moves.
To conclude, it was wonderful to see our community share its identity with their friends and neighbors in the American mainstream. This part of California possibly has the oldest “Pakistani” immigrant community in the United States. This country is now our home just like it is for others who came here from many other parts of the world. America remains a melting pot of identities and Pakistanis are a part of that melt and continue to contribute to this land daily. As doctors, engineers, IT experts, small business owners, we are also taxi drivers, cooks, and agricultural workers. One from within us even owns an NFL football team. We have a great deal to offer America and it is time we shared our values, culture, and identity with it.
