Baila night’19, a Baila extravaganza organized by the Rotaract Club of the University of Colombo Faculty of Arts together with The Rotaract Club of Cinnamon Gardens was successfully held on 2nd October 2019 at Ideahell, Gangarama from 7pm onwards. It was an open event which allowed both Rotaractors and Non-Rotaractors to have fun with their close friends while improving their fellowship. The event was themed around the Sinhalese tradition which stood out from decorations to dress code. Almost all of the participants were dressed up in sarongs and lungis which added an extra traditional dimension to the entire event.

The night commenced with a dance done by the members of the organizing committee to Sinhala Baila songs which resulted in an energetic and fun filled start to this glamorous event. With this start, each participant swayed to the Baila music. It was clearly visible that everyone enjoyed the moment with each and every Baila track which passed. Hours flew past when Baila ranged from Sinhala to Hindi were played adding a hint of happiness and joy throughout the hall.

The most eye catching and anticipated event of the night was the so called ‘paper dance’ competition, where partners were asked to dance on a piece of paper got smaller and smaller by each new track played resulting in some interesting moves shown by the partners who danced on the piece of paper as it grew smaller, some competitors on each other’s shoulders and arms gave out a sense of entertainment for the on lookers. The event winners were awarded with valuable and memorable gifts, reminding them of that unforgettable night.

The host clubs did not fail to offer delicious food to the Baila enthusiasts, who were served with delicious Kottu and Soft Drinks. The dinner had an interesting twist where the people were asked to sit on mats (paduru) which added to the traditional vibe the host did not fail to meet.

The Baila Night concluded with non-stop fun-filled famous Biala songs reminding the participants that the simplest pleasures of lives lie where you put your arms around a friend and sing biala into the night. The event had photo booths where participants could take a picture to reminisce the night.

Additionally, I would like to end this blog with a personal note; Baila Night was an eventful night where friendships were forged among Rotaractors as well as Non-Rotaractors and were ever more strengthened with a blissful ending.

– Rtr. Vibusha Wickramasuriya –