Melaa! A Celebration of Nepali Culture in Union Square

Somerville is quickly becoming the “new Nepal” as more and more Nepalis settle down within our city. As a result, local Nepali culture is thriving. “Melaa!” (a word that means festival or celebration) will feature numerous aspects of this vibrant culture including food, music, dance and film.

Union Square will be transformed for one evening into little Nepal, beginning with the impressive sounds of Suseli, a local Nepalese band that is a favorite among local Nepalis! While you enjoy their music you can puruse local Nepali vendors like MO:MO Nation T-Shirts or Himilayan Art and Goods and enjoy eating one of several traditional Nepali dishes. There will be Goat Curry, Chana Masala, Momo’s (Dumplings), Chicken Tikke Masala and more sold by area restaurants Himalyana Bistro (West Roxbury) and Chutney’s (Arlington). Also look forward to traditional Nepali dancing from organizations like the Greater Boston Nepali Community (http://www.gbnc.org) and a Memory Blanket craft in which children will draw pictures of what they know about Nepal to create a community narrative.
Stay until 6PM and discover the growing Nepalese hiphop culture that exists right in Somerville! The Boston record label, Nepop (http://nepoprecords.com) will be at Melaa! with several short performances from various artists on their label.

The event will close with a collage of films and videos that showcase the country of Nepal and local Nepali culture including “Damphu Saanj Boston Remix” by Shiva Mishra, Gordon Nelson and Bijaya Tamang. Damphu Saanj means “evening of merriment and joy” and Boston’s annual party is among the best in the USA. In addition to showcasing the talents of local Nepali singers and dancers, the video will weave breathtaking scenery gathered from Nepal between performances.