It was the Manna Dey concert that brought an auditorium filled with people to open their hearts and their wallets for the underprivileged children in India. Dey, an outstanding singer, is known to be a legend in his own time. Being a man in his 80’s, he bedazzled the audience with his energetic passion for music and his extremely powerful voice. “I’d like to thank you all for coming here for a noble cause,” he said, “I am privileged to be here today.”

Dey has been singing for several decades and has won the Padameshri Award. He can sing in a variety of different South Asian languages, and he has earned the label of a role model for young artists.

To start off the concert, Dey sang a few of his favorites and a few classics. Accompanying him on stage were musicians from New York, and Zafreen Oning, an exceptional female vocalist. During intermission, Andy’s Indian Grill sponsored cocktails and entrées.

The second half of the show took an unexpected turn. First, Malani Jewelers provided a beautiful gold set that was raffled off. Then, Dey took requests and sang songs of demand. He also asked renowned Kumud Savla, a local Kathak instructor, to dance to his “Jhanak Jhanak Tore Baaje Paayalya”. As his farewell, Dey sang is very popular and very widely requested “Laaga Chundri Me Daag” followed by a heart warming patriotic song.

“Why do we do shows like this?” Raina asked. “They allow us to bring rich Asian culture out while raising money.” “Children have no religion,” he said as he explained our duty as human beings to help those in need. It was a consensus among the audience that the show was a stellar success, and was created for a righteous and much needed cause. It is a foundation that Dey called, “Robin’s ultimate service to mankind.”