Lalon festival in New York to honour Farida Parveen

A grand tribute to the late Lalon singer Farida Parveen will unfold in New York this October, as the "International Lalon Festival 2025" prepares to celebrate the timeless philosophy and music of Fakir Lalon Shah.

The festival will take place on October 19 at Queens Palace, running from 3 pm to 11 pm (local time). It will be inaugurated by celebrated baul singer Shafi Mondal, with New York State Senator Joseph P Addabbo Jr attending as the chief guest.

Photo: Collected

Organised by Lalon Parishad USA, in association with Bangladesh Club USA, the event will be held under the slogan "Manush bhojle shonar manush hobi" ("Revere humanity, and you will awaken the golden self within"). The day-long celebration will feature music, dance, poetry, and discussions on Lalon's philosophy of humanism and spirituality.

Performers include Rizia Parveen, Shahnaz Belly, Shwapnil Shojib, Kala Mia, Shimul Khan, Reshmi Mirza, Melal Shah, Karim Howlader, and Shahin Hossain, among others. Mithun Dance Academy and Fusion Dance Troupe USA will present special dance performances inspired by Lalon's verses.

The organisers said the festival is dedicated to Farida Parveen, often hailed as the "Queen of Lalon songs", in recognition of her lifelong devotion to preserving and popularising the mystic's music.

Speaking from the US, singer Shahnaz Belly shared her excitement: "This International Lalon Festival is deeply meaningful to me. I will sing in honour of Farida Parveen apa — with love, respect, and gratitude. Everyone's rehearsing hard, and it already feels like something special."

The organisers added that the festival aims to promote Lalon's songs as a universal treasure and spread his message of equality and humanity among global audiences. Early responses from the Bangladeshi diaspora have been overwhelmingly positive, with strong anticipation building across the community.

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