A New American Town - Bentonville, Arkansas
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A New American Town - Bentonville, Arkansas
Indian Culture Deepening Its Roots in Bentonville, AR
Join Visit Bentonville and the Ra-Ve Cultural Foundation Executive Director, Srividya Venkatasubramanya, as we share the founding story, the importance of tradition, and building a bridge between cultures.
Whether you're a visitor or local, this episode is packed with heartwarming stories and reasons to plan a trip around one of Ra-Ve's next events.
Coming up quick! Come on over to see international Indian artists performing on September 19 at the Record. Learn more at ra-veculturalfoundation.org/
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Welcome back to A New American Town. I'm Natalie from Visit Bentonville. Today, we're joined by the Rave Cultural Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to promoting Indian performing arts in Northwest Arkansas From art workshops, music and more. They're focused on connecting community. I'm joined by the executive director, shravidya. We'll explore how Rave is building cultural bridges through music and storytelling, what's behind this transformation and how you can be a part of it. Whether you're a music lover looking to connect with Bentonville's rich culture or just looking for something unique, this episode is your guide. Let's get into it. Thanks for joining me today. So, starting with you, what brought you to Bentonville and how did you find your way to the Rave Cultural Foundation?
Speaker 2:Okay, so to be honest, I didn't even know there was a place called Bentonville. I didn't know there was a state called Arkansas. I knew Kansas thanks to Dorothy and the yellow big road, right, I mean, like all the way in India we have watched Wizard of Oz and we just love it and so, um, so I swear I didn't know there was a place called Arkansas. I mean, typically for the average Indian, you know, coming to the US, I think it's just New York and California and you know pretty much Maybe Texas, yeah, and I got married and came to the US in 2001 and went straight to Minneapolis.
Speaker 2:So I didn't even know there was a place called Minneapolis. You know, or that there is a middle part to America, or something I learned, you know, after I landed there. And what a beautiful place. I really enjoyed my time in Minnesota in spite of all the cold and everything, but really I think it pushed me into what America is really about. And then we moved here. My husband got a job here at Walmart and that's how he used to work for Northwest Airlines, which is now part of Delta.
Speaker 1:Okay, that makes so much sense.
Speaker 2:So that's why we ended up there. And then he got this job at Sam's Club and now he works in Walmart and yeah, that's the reason we moved here. Yeah, and when I moved here, the funny part was that we drove. You know, I'm talking 17 years ago. We were driving from the airport towards downtown Bentonville. Like this was the discovery meeting or whatever. You know that first meeting. They want the family to come and see what the place is like and everything. So me carrying an infant of six months and, you know, a four-year-old girl, and you know I'm like, okay, where are we going? What is this? And the first thing I see is cows. And I come from the airport, I see cows and I started laughing. I said I've grown up in cities with no cows. That's so funny. Yeah, I grew up like I'm a complete city girl. I was born in Chennai and then I grew up in Delhi, which is the capital city of India, and so I've like, grown up in these huge massive cities cosmopolitan cities country.
Speaker 2:You're like where am I, like this is like that's it like four streets and that this is bentonville, like what is this? Yeah, so, so, yeah, so that was like it was quite a shock, you know, when I first came. But yeah, 17 years, fast forward, 17 years, I think I'm, I'm glad to here, I'm happy the kids have grown up. Now we have a double graduation next year high school and college.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, I mean, bentonville is awesome. Bentonville has changed so much in 17 years.
Speaker 2:And I think I'm very grateful for that change, because if it had not changed in the past 17 years, we most probably wouldn't have continued being here.
Speaker 1:Well, and it set a great foundation for the Rave Cultural Foundation.
Speaker 2:Oh, the minute the museum opened we were like I was like, okay, we are staying, there's a museum in town, Cool yeah.
Speaker 1:So what sparked the idea for you to start Rave?
Speaker 2:So Rave came from. So when I moved here 17 years ago, my children were really young and I wanted my children to learn indian music and dance, because it's a very beautiful way to be in touch with your heritage. And I found people who were teaching Indian classical music and dance at that time here, and what I realized was that all the community events in the Indian community were based off Bollywood.
Speaker 2:Oh wow, see, for an immigrant group, right, popular culture is the easiest, the low-hanging fruit, it's the easiest to keep up with you know there's a latest bollywood hit, and you put it on and your kids are dancing for it and you dress up, you know, however, and and you're done. Yeah, but culture, tradition, takes a lot more investment and a lot more consistency, yeah, you know. So what I realized was there was a whole bunch of children I want to say about 100 plus kids total that were going to all these music and dance classes learning Indian traditional, like Bharatanatyam and Carnatic music and things like that, but when they performed on stage, like you know, when they came to these events, they would be doing like the latest Bollywood hip swing and you know, whatever. Yeah, not that I have anything against that, but there was no platform right for traditional, for the traditional culture of India which we, we, even today, you know, like. If you listen to some of our popular songs, you will hear a swara pattern in the middle.
Speaker 2:It is, it's just part of who you are. You know. You may find new uh expressions for it. You know modern expressions for it. There was a latest. I saw one girl, you know she's part of some, uh, some kind of a rock band or something. She's playing the guitar and she was doing conical. Conical is like the verbal, um the verbal, um. What do you call it?
Speaker 1:like, uh, russian of rhythm you know like yeah, that makes sense, yeah say it.
Speaker 2:You know it's like a rap and they'll say it before they play it, okay, you know. So that's called conical and she was doing that. She was wearing this, like you know. I mean, I didn't even know that she was of indian origin or anything. You know, I would have just taken her as any band, you know, latest band, whatever and she had this short hair and this and she's got this big guitar in her hand and then she's doing conical. I was like, and the drummer was responding he's a white guy, you know, on the drums and that guy is like responding to her, conical. I was just blown. I said and that's it. You know that that's the point. That's what I wanted to see. You know, I wanted these children to understand that there is a place for who they are. You know the identity, because when you're an immigrant, you know you try to cater to the broader culture. You know, because you want to become a part, you don't want to stand out, you don't want to fit in, want to make connections, want to meet new people.
Speaker 1:You've grown a community here of your own, and that was my intention.
Speaker 2:You know there's no need for an Indian to feel bad about their past or their culture or anything. Yeah, I mean you know you eat certain things, we eat certain things, that's it you know I would like to eat what you're eating and I hope you like to eat what I eat?
Speaker 2:yeah, I do we have some good Indian restaurants. So that's that's kind of where we started. You know, we started with trying to create that platform. We were doing, my friend and I, nandini and I we did an annual event called Sargam, which was just one event a year where we tried to bring in, you know, all the local artists and sometimes we invited artists from outside. You know, know that were upcoming or things like that, and we just it would be pure like traditional music and things like that. And then we did that for I think about seven, eight years or something like that. And then the two of us got burnt out. We were like, okay, something needs to give our kids were growing.
Speaker 2:I mean it's just a crazy time, you know. And then life happened, my, I lost my parents suddenly, you know, like just out of the blue, within six months, in 2016-2017, like I lost both of them, and the worst part was they were in India. I was here, you know, so I wasn't even there with them and it was just sudden, and so at that point of time, I just had this moment, you know, like an epiphany. You know, like, what am I really like? What is this life all about? Right, I mean, what am I really trying to do here? What am I going to do with whatever money I'm earning, or you know what? What am I leaving behind for my kids? Very selfish, you know, I was not thinking community, nothing. I was just like, okay, you know, will my children? Because my daughter, you know, because my daughter, you know, she went she's, she went to preschool here and she also graduated from BHS, okay, and so throughout those 13 years, 14 years of schooling, you know, she came to me. Like, even at the beginning, she had some trouble. And then, at the end of, you know, on the eve of her graduation, she told me, she said, mom, you know, I go and I, you know, if I sit with my white friends they're cool, like you know. They'll give me a spot, we'll chat everything, but if I'm sitting with my Desii friends, then my white friend won't join me, and that's something she noticed and felt bad about. Yeah, you know, this is not something I asked her or anything, it's just a comment she made, you know, and that really struck me. I said why? Why is that? You know, why are we still seeing these differences? Right, I mean, we are in 2025. Why are we still seeing? Because there is no difference in that sense.
Speaker 2:So Rave came from that. It came from that need. Yes to just so that we can learn more about each other. I think, and for me personally, it was just as important that we Indians learn about you know the Ozark culture, or you know the Southern culture or American culture overall, as that's as important as you know others learning about you know what Indian music is about or dance, and these are just easier conversations to have than you know straight away to pounce into religion or politics or something like that, more complicated like that. So that's why we just stick to you know the music? Yeah, exactly, we do the everybody. Come, let's eat samosas. I think I've influenced quite a few community events in the area to have yeah.
Speaker 1:I know that's what I wanted to talk about. I wanted to talk about all the fun festivals and community events. I feel like every year, you guys have got your hands and feet in everything and it's so great, you guys? Yeah, what do you want to talk about? You guys just worked with downtown Bentonville for the first Friday Festival of Nations, which has come a long way, and I feel like you have a lot to do with that. So I would love to know how you influence.
Speaker 2:This was, I think, before COVID, right, I mean, I think I want to say because we started in 2018. That's when I established the you know.
Speaker 1:After, like the yearly event, you were like this is going to be different Because, like I said, I lost my parents and then I was like, okay, what do I do?
Speaker 2:I want to do something and I just was not. I run the Kumon you know math and reading center in Rogers and I was just not, somehow I was not comfortable starting another business like, yeah, that was somehow, I tried, but I just didn't feel happy about it. And then I kind of came back to this annual event that I'd been doing and I was like nobody is still doing anything in that direction. You know it's still the same.
Speaker 1:Whatever was there when I had come 17 years ago and it's just so authentic to you and who you are.
Speaker 2:There's nobody who really wanted to take on the mantle of, you know, promoting Indian traditional culture. So then I said, okay, let me do it. And I kind of had no idea what non-profit was, nothing. I just said I'm going to do it, I'll figure it out. We started, we had events and, very grateful to, you know, my daughter's violin teacher, sri Vittal Ramamurthy. He's a very world-renowned Carnatic violinist and he was the first one to kind of say, yes, I'll come and play in Bentonville for you, you know, because even for Indian artists they were like what Bentonville? Where is Bentonville? I can imagine. Yeah, so it's been a journey you know You're also like at all levels.
Speaker 1:You're informing a whole community outside of Arkansas that, wow, yeah, makes that, makes sense, that, yeah, I mean it takes, it takes, so it takes a whole village.
Speaker 2:You know, if he had not said yes, and you know, if a person of his stature had not come and perform for us, we would not have been able to invite the next set of people. And same thing with Rukmini Vijaykumar. You know, she's an international Bharatanatyam star, like I mean, she also does some contemporary dancing also. She does, and she's just an amazing artist. And she also agreed. You know, she was also like she was the first dancer whoever came, you know, and did workshops and things like that, and and that made a huge difference. That meant so much to us. So these two artists, you know, and did workshops and things like that, and and that made a huge difference. That meant so much to us. So these two artists, you know, I can never forget them. I mean, they are like my. You know, thank you so much for coming, because, because they came, other artists were also open to coming.
Speaker 1:They were like oh you know, vittal sir has come, or Rukmini has come yes absolutely that made a huge difference and there's so many different kinds of people that go. I watched your cute little video on your website of how the community kind of has responded to some of your events and seeing everyone from all different walks of life, in different ages and everyone just being so willing to learn and to listen and to appreciate and to dive in a different culture. It's beautiful what you guys are creating.
Speaker 2:Absolutely, and that's what sets Ravi apart from a lot of other Indian organizations, even in the entire US, that's doing anything like this. Our audience is so diverse and that's the whole point of Ravi. We want just we don't, we don't. Yes, we see the differences, but we don't see the differences to celebrate just the differences, but to find those common elements.
Speaker 2:You know, we all dance in circles, we all do that every culture has it Name, a culture that doesn't have some form of dancing in a circle, right, right, and that is what we want to like. The first time we did, we had this. So there's a state called Himachal Pradesh in India which is in the Himalayas, okay, and they have some very unique folk dances and things like that, and we found actually a small community of people here in Bentonville from that state and a couple of them knew those dances and things. So we put a group together, they taught us those dances and then they went and performed. We did a family day at Crystal Bridges Museum. It was such a hit because we had all these little little kids and wonderful moms, you know, trying to come and you know, try out the dance and it was so cool and that's it. You know, just give it a try, you know, just, I mean nothing, it's fun, exactly.
Speaker 1:Exactly so much. Life isn't that serious and there's so much to learn and get excited about.
Speaker 2:You know I mean, why not so?
Speaker 1:well, wrapping up, tell me more about the concert in September.
Speaker 2:So on September 19,. Wrapping up, tell me more about the concert in september. So on september 19th, we have our music master concert called sacred winds and it brings together, you know, indian, hindustani traditional music along with jazz, like with a saxophone, so flute, saxophone and tabla. And the tabla player he's Shubhane Chatterjee. He was nominated for the Grammys and he's an oh my gosh, what a talented person. I mean I got the opportunity to visit him and his school and his studio and everything in Calcutta when I had gone last year and just amazing, mind-blowing. I mean he's a gem of India, like. I mean he's one of those top artists.
Speaker 1:Coming to Bentonville.
Speaker 2:That's really cool and this is the second time, so I'm so excited. And this year, specifically, we will also have our fundraising dinner along with the concert. So hopefully people will… In the same dinner along with the concert. So hopefully people will In the same night. Yes, okay, it's all going to be one after the other, you know, we will have the music, a full experience, yes, and the dinner will be like, because it's going to be, because the event is, you know, jazz and Hindustani, so the dinner also is going to be very interesting. It's going to be very interesting. It's going to be a little because India was colonized by the British, so there are a lot of western food items that we still eat even today, and it's just part of Indian culture, you know, I mean, it's nothing to say that oh, you know, this is we won't eat this because it was nothing like that.
Speaker 2:It's just all. We, we love cutlets, like we call them cutlets. Uh, they are like your um hash brown kind of thingies you know, because, yeah, potatoes, yeah, and uh, we, uh, you know.
Speaker 2:So we're gonna have something like that and we'll have the indians, but very different indian food, you know, not the kind you'll get when you go to the local restaurants. So it's going to be real fun, the dinner, and that's one of our biggest fundraising events also for us, and we have a very special, special announcement also coming up about our master concert. I won't say anything, but we have a surprise.
Speaker 1:Okay, wow, that sounds amazing. I can't wait for people to experience it. If you haven't gotten your tickets yet or haven't planned your trip, you guys need to come and plan your trip just to experience the master concert in september. Um, it's really. It's worthwhile and so unique. Um, thank you so much for being on our podcast today. This was so fun and can't wait to see what else you guys do in our community. Absolutely thank you for having me. Yeah, as always, if you guys want to learn more about Bentonville, go to visitbentonvillecom or follow us on social at visit Bentonville. See you next time. Bye.