Attended by more than 400 music lovers, the live performance by Rajesh Payal Rai, was nothing like the city has seen before. Known for the energy he brings to his live family-friendly shows, Mr Rai, was in supreme form, when he sang his most popular Nepali songs including maile mayale diyeko chino, nisthurilai Maya gari, baiguni raichhau mayalu.
Akash Drukpa, Chairman of the Bhutanese Society of Christchurch New Zealand Inc., which organised the concert to mark the 10th resettlement anniversary of the Bhutanese community in New Zealand after spending 18-20 years in refugee camps in Nepal, added, “The crowd went crazy when Rai sang songs from his latest album Darshan Namaste 3. Overall, I would say that the concert titled Rai is King was a stupendous success.”
Giving some limelight to local talent as well, the Bhutanese Society of Nelson also performed at the stage, led by the group's lead vocalist Samrit Rai.
On how far the Bhutanese community has come in New Zealand, Mr Drupka, who himself came to Christchurch from Nepal in 2010, noted, “The first intake of four families arrived here in March 2008 from refugee camps in Nepal. Then others joined them. I myself came two years later. It was a massive transition for all of us. Not just because we migrated to another country, but because we migrated from refugee camps. It was a painful life, in a limbo, full of frustrations, with our identity taken away from us. But being resettled here changed that. Some call it going from hell to heaven. We have had our struggles here but we are growing, we are adapting and most of us live a good life, and can finally say that we belong to a country – for the first time for many like me who were born in the refugee camps.
He said some 350 Bhutanese have been resettled in Christchurch since 2008, though some moved to Palmerston North and Feilding following the 2010/2011 earthquakes.
The event was attended by Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel, City Councillor Raf Manji, and Labour MPs Poto Williams, Ruth Dyson and Duncan Webb.
The Mayor in her speech thanked the Bhutanese community for their part in making Christchurch a diverse-multicultural city.
Mr Drupka also appreciated the welcome Bhutanese refugees have received in Christchurch and concluded, “We are attached to this city, and have been through a lot here, including the earthquakes. The City Council, along with other agencies, has been immensely supportive of us. We wanted to invite the Mayor and the MPs and show them how much we appreciate what they do for us. Most of the politicians in Christchurch have been very supportive of the refugees. Special mention is for City Councillor Raf Manzi, who used to volunteer for a family from our community back in 2009 before he got elected to be a councillor.”
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