Rishta

Step into a living archive of expression at Rishta, a vibrant, outdoor closing to the Indian Summer Festival in the heart of Punjabi Market, curated by Ruby Singh. Rishta invites audiences into an afternoon where poetry, qawwali, memory, and community entwine through sound and word.

Anchored by an ecstatic qawwali performance from the ten-piece ensemble Naqsh, the event unfolds in dynamic dialogue: poets respond in real time to the emotional and spiritual currents of the qawaals, creating a call-and-response across forms. Featuring Anjalica Solomon, Phinder Dulai, Preeti Kaur Dhaliwal, Satwinder Bains, and Balkaran Singh, poetic responses move fluidly between languages, with English interpretations opening pathways into the depth and texture of the Punjabi qawaals.

Voices from across generations will gather to celebrate the vibrant relationship between poetry and music in Punjabi culture. Rishta is a space of relation, so come gather, listen, and be carried by the rhythms that bind us to one another.

Rishta is free and does not require advance registration.

• Co-presented with Punjabi Market Collective
• Event Supporting Partner: BCCIE
• Music Series Partner: CreativeBC