Howdy, Modi: Houston sets stage with unique cultural programme for PM Narendra Modi

A unique cultural programme with close to 400 performers, 27 groups and two original songs. This is how Houston, Texas, is setting the stage to welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi with its 'Howdy, Modi!' event on Sunday (September 22) at its NRG Stadium. PM Modi will visit the US from the late afternoon of September 21 until the forenoon of September 27 and the two cities on his itinerary are Houston in Texas and then New York. PM Modi will leave for the US late on Friday night.

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The people attending the event will be in for a once in a lifetime cultural programme at the start of the event. They will get to see “Woven: The Indian-American Story”, a 90-minute cultural program that is a celebration of Indian-Americans and their contributions to the cultural, intellectual, and social landscape of the United States.

The over 50,000 attendees and those watching at home will experience the vibrant expressions of a people empowered by their identity and driven to enrich the communities around them. The program will start at 10 am before the PM's address to the stadium. Presented by the Texas India Forum, Woven is a piece of 90-minute music, dance, and multimedia show featuring close to 400 artists and community members from Texas and across the nation. There are 27 groups performing in a seamless live and multimedia experience that will showcase the diversity in the Indian-American community.

Two original songs have been written for the programme, which will trace the journey of Indian-American youth learning their roots to understanding how to put that together with the contemporary world. “A challenge that many second and third-generation Indian-Americans go through is navigating the complexity of having a hyphenated identity as an Indian and an American. Woven showcases the multiplicity of Indian-American experience. Our hope is that each person sees themselves in at least one form of expression and recognizes that whatever mix of Indian and American they are, it is just right,” said Heena Patel, CEO of MELA Arts Connect and co-producer of the programme.

The show will also shine a light on unsung heroes in the Indian-American community who have undertaken selfless acts benefiting the broader American community without any need of recognition. From the classical and folk traditions passed on in basements across America to the creative exchange between Eastern and Western arts and ideas, Woven illuminates the stories of generations of Indian-Americans and snapshots of home and builds on the theme of “Shared Dreams, Bright Futures” that is the foundation of the event.

“We really look forward to presenting this unique and interesting cultural show at the event, which will tell the story of our community in a way that’s never really been done before. We want all the attendees and those watching from home to connect with a program that shows the Indian-American community and understand what drives our community to be part of the larger American experience,” said Gitesh Desai, spokesperson for the event.