Mela

Baby Naznin closed the show at the May 16 Mela, making the women roll their eyes and smile behind their hands at what she was singing.  This afternoon, at the Fifth Annual Bangladeshi Potho Mela Street Festival held on McDonald Avenue at Avenue C, she had the men hopping, waving their arms in the air, wagging their forefingers, body slamming, dancing, inching toward the stage.

Wearing a dark green sari with glittering highlights in gold and green, Baby Naznin lured the young men toward her as she stretched out to them in a call and response, saying often in English, “I love you.” It worked on Councilman Brad Lander too.  After he spoke, she serenaded him and got him to dance with her.

He arrived around 5:30 p.m., interrupting her set to present City Council Citations to Abdur Rob Chowdhury, the president of the Church-McDonald (Bangladeshi) Business Association, which sponsored today’s Mela; to other members of the business association; and to Abu Naser Khaliquzzaman, the Bangladeshi representative on Community Board 12.   Councilman Lander received an award in return. In his remarks, he promised he would work to make Eid a public- school holiday.

All afternoon the arrival of politicians interrupted the young dancers, singers, pantomime to a poem, and the back-up band of tabla, xylophone, keyboards, and four guitars. U.S. Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, 11th district, said she would fight to keep the Bangladeshis secure from Homeland Security.  Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz appeared briefly to receive an award.

Sobnum Mimi, a13-year-old student at M.S. 88, Park Slope, and an excellent singer herself, and Ishrat Ahey, her older sister and high-school student at FDR, were my guides to what I saw. They appeared indifferent to the dancers—and to their glitter, costumes and make-up.  Not true for me: 12-year-old soloist Fathema Islam, dressed in shimmery silver and maroon, performed what looked like classic Indian dance.  Meanwhile, the sun beat down so strongly that not being fully veiled left you at a serious disadvantage—and burnt.