SOHARA

Indian Arts + American Youth

By Erica Rascón on Dec 28, 2016 in Giving, People

Rekha Rao, Co-Founder of SOHARA, was born and raised in India. She grew up surrounded by the country’s rich heritage of visual arts, classical music and dance, all of which shaped her perspectives and values and an ongoing involvement in the cultural arts. It’s a time in her life that she remembers fondly.

Rao relocated to America more than 40 years ago when her husband was finishing his Ph.D. in the United States. “We grew up in India and although now settled in the U.S., we go back often and continue to maintain strong ties to India,” says Rao. “Our children and now our grandchildren are born here and their ties to India are a little different than ours. We want all of them to be exposed to India’s rich arts and take pride in their heritage.”

That yearning sparked the birth of SOHARA. The root word, “sohar,” represents traditional songs that were sung at the birth of a baby in the Mithila region of ancient India, current day Bihar. “It was perfect. SOHARA is the birthing of a small non-profit organization. We were inspired by our children, to share our passions with them in a more formalized way. The name was perfect and, at the time, SOHARA website was available, too!”

Unfortunately, someone purchased the domain name shortly before the organization formed. (“I should have grabbed it when I had the chance,” laughs Rao.) Unfazed, the nonprofit marched forward with its mission.

“Our mission, basically, is to bring the best of India’s arts and traditions here as opportunities come our way and share them with the audiences locally especially the younger audiences. We look to collaborate with other organizations involved in cultural arts, whenever feasible,” says Rao.

To date, SOHARA has hosted events in Dallas and is partnering with SACHI in the San Francisco Bay area to present a classical concert this year. SOHARA is hoping for events in Santa Barbara and Austin in the coming years.

“Next year, we are excited to present talks, workshop and a small exhibition of India’s incredible textiles. We have invited a textile expert from Delhi who has done extensive work in the production of organic cotton and created fabulous traditional weaves from across the breadth and width of India. We will be partnering with Asia Center at University of Texas, Dallas, and get the students involved too,” Rao says.

The modest organization hosts two or three events each year. For Rao and the small team at SOHARA, every event is a labor of love.
“Last year, we presented India’s leading Kathak dancer and her troupe of six artists from India. We hosted them in the house ourselves,” beams Rao. “It was such a pleasure. They gave an out-of-this-world performance.”

The origins of Kathak date to more than 2,000 years ago. The traditional dance has evolved, taking on different cultural components of the Hindu and the Mogul periods. The result is an art form that represents a vast cross section of Indian history.

“We’ve got a Kathak school here. Surprising, yes, that there is a Kathak school here! We got the school involved and their senior students presented a 25-minute program at the concert. The students were very excited to be part of the concert with the renowned artists from Delhi. In turn, our guests from Delhi got to see the art of Kathak continuing in the U.S. This is the kind of exchange that really gets us excited,” says Rao.

Though Rao speaks fondly of the Kathak performance, she is hesitant to call it her favorite. “Everything we do is our personal favorite. We have to put a lot of work into it. If it isn’t our personal favorite, then it’s not going to happen,” she laughs.

“SOHARA is all about sharing our passions with the younger generation of Indian descent growing up in the U.S. and others who may not be able to experience India’s varied and incredible arts,” reflects Rao.

To learn more, visit the SOHARA Facebook page.