It can be said that art comes from adversity. That was on display on Friday evening when Bengalis Unite, the Bengali student organization at Stony Brook, took the stage in the Student Activities Center auditorium for “Joy Jatra,” an event to celebrate their independence day.

But with celebration of autonomy comes remembrance of great sacrifice.  Ayman Haque, the club’s president, said both before and after the show that Bangladesh had a “bloody birth” and the cover of the event was a reminder of such.

Bangladesh achieved independence on March 26, 1971 from Pakistan. Bangladesh at the time was called East Pakistan but did not have a strong role in the country’s governance.

“About 200,000 people died in the Liberation War,” Haque said.

However, as Haque said, such struggles can create a sense of community within a people. This aura was on full display on Friday, when people laughed and clapped seemingly as one.

At least 100 people were in attendance that evening, not all of them Bengali; other South Asians, Caucasians, Africans, etc. were in attendance.

“I think it helps them find their own identity on campus,” said Michael Opinante, a freshman environmental studies major who is not Bengali. He said that he came because one of his dorm mates performed.

The night started with an instrumental rendition of the Bengali national anthem: “My Golden Bangla.”

Akm Alam, a senior biochemistry major, and Mehdi Khan, a sophomore business major (the self-proclaimed “two most fly brown guys” at Stony Brook), were the hosts for the evening, and got things started with a bang.

The first performance was a traditional Bengali dance. The performer seemingly glided across the stage in distinct Bengali attire. She captivated the audience with her graceful movements and set the standard for the evening. The following performances were musical ranging from singing to a combination of such with instruments.

Alam and Khan taught the crowd some Bengali, which had not been done in previous years. They brought a young woman on stage for whom they had competed for affection before encountering her stronger boyfriend. The boyfriend in question wasn’t present on stage, so Alam and Khan spoke to her freely in Bengali, teaching the crowd phrases such as “I love you.”

Then Stony Brook’s official South Asian dance troupe, the Thillana dance team, entertained the crowd. Thillana, according to the university website, is Stony Brook’s official South Asian dance troupe. The music ranged from traditional to modern and amusing in the case of the Super Mario theme.

Abel and Khan performed what they called “The Brown Bachelorette.” They summoned a female student from the crowd and subsequently answered her questions. To Alam’s disappointment, she chose Khan in the end.

Following a few more performances, the evening concluded with a Bengali fashion show. Many of the previous performers took to the stage once again to display another side of their nation’s culture.

Amy Singh, a senior anthropology major who was in the show but is not Bengali, said that it was a great opportunity.

“It’s a chance to show off tradition,” Singh said.

It was a fun evening for all as Bengalis and non-Bengalis celebrated the birth of a country that had to fight its way into existence but subsequently yielded many people who know how to have a good time.

This story was changed to reflect the following changes, Mehdi Kahn and Akm Alam’s names were spelt incorrectly.