The Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair is making history on the worldwide rodeo circuit with the introduction of a first-of-its kind South Asian festival, designed to celebrate the unique and multicultural makeup of the City of Surrey.
The Rodeo, is British Columbia’s most popular May Long Weekend event, occurring May 21 to 24, 2010.
The Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair will present Desi Mela – which translates to “Rural/Country Folk Fair” on Sunday, May 23rd.
The South Asian festival will incorporate a variety of Indo-Canadian music, dance and culture designed to appeal to families from all cultural backgrounds. Some of India’s most popular A-List performers will converge on Cloverdale to provide unparalleled entertainment that truly reflects the City of Surrey, where 27 per cent of the population is comprised of South Asian individuals and families.
“As a community-focused event, we really identify with the strong importance of family within the Indo-Canadian culture and we wanted to find a way to better welcome all members of our community to our event in the spirit of celebrating diversity and multiculturalism,” said Cloverdale Rodeo and Exhibition Association President Shannon Claypool.
“We’re extremely pleased to be the first rodeo in the world to broaden our scope in the name of reflecting our community.”
The Desi Mela was made possible through support from the Marquee Tourism Events Program, one of several tourism-related programs announced in Canada’s Economic Action Plan.
While South Asian entertainment is woven throughout the entire Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair, Sunday features the main lineup, with a schedule packed with traditional folk music performances, Bhangra-infused dance music and even some comedy.
Taranampreet Kauris a Punjabi folk singer well known for her distinct vocal style and sound. Her lyrics speak to peace, love and understanding, which has brought her popularity around the world while providing the opportunity to perform with some of the biggest Bollywood and Punjab stars.
A well trained musical artist with experience in semi classical, Punjabi folk, Sufi and Qwali signing, Sukhdev Raj aka Prince Sukhdev has spent the last 15 years developing a broad range of skills as a music composer, director and vocalist. He is expected to emerge as a Sufi star in the Punjab music industry following this introduction to North America.
If 4Lee Firoiz Shah looks a little familiar, well, there’s good reason, as he crafted his comedic style in the likeness of his idol, Charlie Chaplin. 4Lee is extremely popular in his home country of India appearing at many festivals. He recently starred in his first comedy lead role in a film entitled “4Lee’s Funny Family,” a production set for release this summer.
Manak-E is known for his flashy videos and Bhangra-inspired dance songs that have earned him a string of hit singles in the UK, which he now calls home.  Currently on a global tour in support of his latest album “dHoot” Manak-E is guaranteed to get everyone on the dance floor.
A Punjabi folk singer from the U.S. currently living in India, Gurminder Guri has gained popularity as a gifted singer and strong lyricist who writes songs related to social, cultural and religious issues. His popularity is evident by many followers on YouTube and Facebook.
For more information visit www.cloverdalerodeo.com.