The final countdown has begun. NABC2013 is now only days away. Banga Sammelan begins this weekend at Metro Toronto Convention Center. In this episode, our Toronto correspondent Srijeet Chaudhury files a special report on the Closing Ceremony and other activities. Choreographer Kohinoor Sen Barat and his associates Bappa Chatterjee and Dipankar Datta explain their vision about the closing ceremony and the epic Mahabharata. Ashish Sengupta, Dhiman Mitra, Indira Basu, Shakuntala Chatterjee and NABC Youth team provide an update on the various arrangements. We hope to see you in Toronto!

In this episode we take a look at the NABC Opening Ceremony. In a free-wheeling conversation with Srijeet Chaudhury, chorographer Tanusree Shankar shares her views on the opening ceremony, its presentation, and the effort and enthusiasm shown by prabasi bengali parents and children to embrace the bengai culture. Kalyani Saha, Julie Mitra, and Kaushik Chaudhury provides an update on the hospitality arrangements while NABC2013 Vice Chairperson Rathin Ghosh talks about food arrangements.

With just over a month left for the Toronto Banga Sammelan, Bangla Podcast brings you an update. The star attraction for this year's NABC is melody queen Shreya Ghoshal. In a candid conversation with Deb from Bangla Podcast, Shreya sings one of her recent favorites from the movie Autograph and lays out her plans for the NABC performance. If you want Shreya to sing one of your favorites, send us an email and we'll send across your request to Shreya. Next week Srijeet provides news from Toronto and Tanusree Shankar joins us to talk about the opening ceremony.

Shubho Nababarsha! BanglaPodcast wishes all its listeners a happy and prosperous 1420. Like every year, the 2013 Banga Sammelan podcast series makes its debut on this auspicious day. We receive greetings from Tapan Sen on behalf of the NABC2013 organizing team. Shreya Ghoshal, Bickram Ghosh, Lopamudra, Bangla Band Dohar and Sasha Ghosal greet you as well. Then our host Piya takes you through a summary of the happenings of this year's Banga Sammelan with snippets of some lovely songs. The sound is in sync with this year's NABC theme of Bengal Renaissance bringing Bengal to Toronto. Srijeet Chaudhury provides an update on the arrangements by host organization PBCA.

With only about a week left for North America's largest Bengali adda, activities are at its peak. We visit Washington Kali Temple where Kalyan Sen Barat is conducting rehearsal sessions with community members. The dance practice is for the Baltimore NABC2011 Opening Ceremony. Kalyan-da reveals the design of the Opening and Closing ceremonies, and the Tagore 150th anniversary celebrations. Listen to our conversation with Kalyan Sen Barat and enjoy the dances.

More than 300 volunteers have been working tirelessly for over two years for the 31st North American Bengali Conference. Banga Sammelan begins at Baltimore Convention Center on July 1 and continues through to July 3, 2011. BanglaPodcast was there in Rockville, MD to capture moments from a team meeting last month. This episode will provide you a behind the scenes tour of what it takes to pull off this huge prabasi event. Get a sneak peak into the facilities arrangement, exhibition, art and decoration, hotel and transportation etc.

The foodie bengali must have the mouth-watering delicacies to call any event a success. North America's largest Bengali gathering, Banga Sammelan, offers the ultimate confluence of gastronomical delights and cultural spread. NABC 2011 Baltimore organizers Sudhansu Saha and Utpal Dasgupta update Bangla Podcast listeners about the food arrangements. And yes, elaborate snack stalls would be available late into the evening.

This year's Banga Sammelan is being organized by Sanskriti of Washington DC area, Prantik and North Virginia Bengali Association (NVBA). While most events like the Pujas or Rabindra-Nazrul Jayanti etc. are organized by individual clubs and community associations, a national event like Banga Sammelan brings forth this unique collaboration between the prabasi bengalis of the area. Amit Adhya of Prantik, Nandita Dasgupta of Sanskriti and Debasri Mitra of NVBA share with BanglaPodcast their feelings about this ownership and participation.

BanglaPodcast team caught up with the young organizers of this years Banga Sammelan at Baltimore. The 2011 NABC Youth Conference promises to be different - stars from the main conference will be holding workshops for the youth and several youth events are slated for prime time and the main stages. The usual cultural activities, mixers, speed-dating will be there of course. Listen to Mishka Mukherji, Bhavna Sengupta, Koushik Chatterjee, Ishaan Mukherji and Abhik Saha update you on the youth program.

Shubho Nababarsha! BanglaPodcast wishes all its listeners a happy and prosperous 1418. Like every year, the 2011 Banga Sammelan podcast series makes its debut on this auspicious day. We receive greetings from Rama Saha - NABC2011 chairperson. Srikanto Acharya, Lopamudra and Kumar Shanu greet you as well. Then our host Piya takes you through a summary of the happenings of this year's Banga Sammelan with snippets of some lovely songs. The sound would take you back to Bengal while the arrangments promise to bring Bengal to Baltimore.

The 31st North American Bengali Conference (Banga Sammelan) would be held at Baltimore, MD from July 1-3, 2011. BanglaPodcast.com begins their Countdown To Banga Sammelan Podcast series from Bengali New Year's Day. Every year this podcast gives you a ring-side view of this mega event, featuring celebrity interviews, tips from organizers and all information to help you plan for the one-of-a-kind Prabasi Bengali adda weekend.

Now its just two days away. The 30th edition of Banga Sammelan begins at Atlantic City this Friday, July 9, 2010. In this episode, Anindita Chattopadhyay puts the spotlight on few of our prabasi talents Sunrita Mitra, Debangana Sarkar and Indrani Kar. There will be a novel exhibition "Banglar Mukh" on Friday and a ramp show "Rupey Rupantare" on Saturday. Chairperson Dhriti Bagchi provides details about the two events. Then get some final tips from host Piya as we get ready to meet and greet you in NABC2010. Follow the daily video highlights here and on our companion video website.

Toronto in 2008 had welcomed the champion Aneek Dhar with thunderous applause. Now coming back to Atlantic City for his second Banga Sammelan, the former SaReGaMa winner Aneek is aware that the expectations have multiplied and he is ready for it. More bengali songs and promising to keep almost everyone's request, as he tells us in this episode. Listen to this candid conversation where Aneek lets us catch up with his career and recent projects.

The opening ceremony of each NABC promises to be an epitome of creativity and this year's edition at Atlantic City is presented by Sapphire Dance Creations Group, led by Sudarshan Chakravorty. Their style is unique, blending contemprary forms with traditional, as Sudarshan explains to us. The journey for this group for the past 18 years has not been easy, especially being based in Kolkata, but with several stellar performances and recognitions under their belts, in India and abroad, this group may have taken off. We welcome their maiden appearance in Banga Sammelan and look forward to an enchanting evening on July 9, 2010.

Last year Anwesha made her debut abroad at the San Jose Banga Sammelan. She will be back this year at Atlantic City to mesmerize the East Coast audience with her melodious voice and charming demeanor. A bit less nervous and trying to enjoy more, as she tells us in this episode. The cheering midnight crowd, sharing the stage with stalwarts - they all form part of the best moments. Listen to Anwesha speak about her current projects and hear her sing one of her recent favorites.

Manomay Bhattacharya is no stranger to Banga Sammelan - the Atlantic City edition next month will be his third Sammelan. Yet, each trip is very exciting for him and he is "literally counting days". Manomay feels events like this offer him the opportunity to present both his songs as well as pay tribute to the yesteryear heroes. He goes on to ponder on the type of programs he would like to see in NABC.

Indrani Sen has been coming to the US for over a decade and a half and as she acknowledges, she feels a special bond with the prabasi Bengalis. This is, however, Indrani's second Banga Sammelan and she has very high expectations from this years edition, especially since it is hosted by Kallol of New Jersey. Enjoy a conversation with this legendary singer, who is equally at ease across all genres.

For the 2010 edition of Banga Sammelan at Atlantic City, New Jersey, the hosts Kallol took a novel decision of offering the prime time drama slot to their members instead of the usual practice of inviting theater troupes from overseas. The play "Ekti Gnaye Thaki", written and directed by Sudipta Bhawmik, portrays the unique story of bengali immigrants living in North America and a heart-warming sibling relationship. In this episode, listen to snippets from a rehearsal session as Sudipta and the cast share their feelings about the play.

With about a month left for NABC2010, we hit the road to travel to New Jersey to get an update from the organizers. We caught up with NABC2010 Joint Chairpersons Sudhir Nag and Timir Hore, and Kallol's President Soumen Roy during their now-ritualistic Saturday morning meeting. Their updates range from registration to Atlantic City as a venue to the transportation arrangements. Soumen Roy assures that snacks stalls would always remain open and that the menu overall would cater to a variety of tastes. We discuss about the Business forum and seek answers to questions posed by our listeners. Finally, the organizers talk about the legacy of NABC2010.

In this episode we introduce you to Sahaj Ma and Utpal Fakir - a couple who has taken Bengal's folk tradition to newer heights. They have given it a fresh sound while respecting the traditions. This will be their maiden Banga Sammelan and the couple promise to captivate us with their simple yet potent mix of Baul and other folk songs. Bickram Ghosh points out in this episode that the incredibly talented Sahaj Ma mixes with ease the freedom of Baul with an urban sophistication. Enjoy a conversation with the stars and listen to the stories of how their songs evolved.