Mary Milben to perform at I-Day: Meet US singer famed for rendition of 'Jana Gana Mana'
Mary Milben to perform at I-Day: Meet US singer famed for rendition of 'Jana Gana Mana'
US singer Mary Millben will travel to India and perform at the 75th Independence Day event on 15 August.
Representing the US as a cultural ambassador at the event, Millben, an African-American, is known for her renditions of Om Jai Jagdish Hare and Jana Gana Mana.
Milben previously performed via video conference at India’s 74th Independence Day as well as at the 2020 Diwali celebrations where she performed Om Jai Jagdish Hare.
The singer will be in Delhi from 9 to 16 August. She will also be travelling to Uttar Pradesh and Mumbai and remain in India till 22 August.
The 40-year-old singer is the first American artist invited to India by the Ministry of External Affairs and Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).
Let’s take a closer look at Mary Millben and some of her previous works:
Who is Mary Millben?
A daughter of Pentecostal/Baptist ministers, Millben began her career as a White House presidential appointee to former president George W Bush.
She got her Bachelors in Fine Arts from University of Oklahama's Weitzenhoffer Department of Musical Theatre. She made her debut as an actor at the Westchester Broadway Theatre starring in Ray Roderick’s Gershwin musical S Wonderful.
As per her website, Millben is a global ambassador for Education Africa, and an advocate for the ideals of freedom. As an ambassador, she created opportunities for marginalised communities and worked for the empowerment of women across the world, the website states.
She has performed at the White House, the United States Congress, the National Football League (NFL) and 2016 Rio Olympic Ceremony.
In 2020, she was named to Ideagen's Power 10 list alongside personalities such as Oscar Award-winning actress Viola Davis, Melinda Gates and others.
Work for cultural diplomacy, interfaith dialogue
As per the US state department, Milben has been formally recognised as a cultural envoy owing to her successful leadership in cultural 'diplomacy and interfaith dialogue.'
A former White House Presidential Appointee to George W Bush, Millben has performed for world leaders and three US presidents – Barack Obama and Donald Trump.
The singer has used her music as a tool to promote peace and friendship globally.
According to ANI, Millben has studied Hindi under Dr Moxraj, a cultural diplomat at the Indian Embassy in Washington DC.
Dr Moxraj told ANI, “Mary is deeply influenced by the great culture of India and as her teacher of the Hindi language, I am pleased to know about her passion and love for India.”
What does her trip to India look like?
The Indiaspora founder MR Rajaswami has invited Millben to perform with international piano prodigy Lydian Nadhaswaram, a teenage musician from Tamil Nadu on 10 August.
Millben will be singing India’s national anthem following which two musicians will join her at the same event.
Millben will perform, for the first time, at the Indiaspora Global Forum at a celebration of India’s 75th Independence Day and also the 10th year of Indiaspora.
She will be accompanied by the co-founder of NFT global company Abris.io, Priya Samant.
‘Thrilled to perform in India’
The artist expressed her gratitude for being invited to the event. “Following in the footsteps of Dr Martin Luther King Jr and his pilgrimage to India in 1959, I am honoured to represent the United States as a cultural ambassador for the 75th Anniversary celebration of India’s Independence,” she was quoted as saying to by The Hindu.
Excited to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of India’s Independence in #India, joined by @prisocent! Thank you @iccr_hq, @MEAIndia, @StateDept, @Delta, @airfrance, @IndiainNewYork, @IndianEmbassyUS, @IndiasporaForum.#HarGharTiranga #AmritMahotsav #AzadiKaAmritMahotsav #IndiaAt75 pic.twitter.com/lstToD0hUa
— Mary Millben (@MaryMillben) August 7, 2022
In a videoposted on Twitter, Millben extended her wishes to the newly-elected President Dropadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Indian ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu and the Government of India.
She further said, “I am thrilled to finally experience this treasured motherland, celebrate my meaningful relationship with India and Indian communities across the world, and highlight the important democratic alliance between the United States and India during this important observance of India’s Independence.”
With inputs from agencies
Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,
India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
What's Your Reaction?
