JASHNN, the Indian restaurant across from the Jinchang New Century Hotel Shaoxing (home of SingCinnati for 9 days while we were at the 2010 World Choir Games) became a ‘choir favorite’ during our stay.

Jashnn: A SingCinnati Favorite

Owned by the AHUJA family, Jashnn offers authentic Indian cuisine at very reasonable prices. The name of his restaurant JASHNN means ‘celebration’. The restaurant may have been small in area, but big in taste.

Samosas: Finger-lickin' good

For 12 yuan, you get two hunkin’-big samosas: indian-spiced potatoes stuffed in a puff pastry of sorts, and mouth-watering. They are a meal in themselves!

Main meals run anywhere from 20 to 50 yuan, and portions are just right, if not generous. Some of our SingCinnati friends who preferred a vegetarian fare even had their meals ‘tailor-made’ to their tastes by Mr Ahuja and the team at Jashnn!

Hailing from Bombay (India), the Ahuja family made their way to the Textile City and set-up shop. Mr Ahuja’s brother and sister-in-law also own the Shaoxing Indian Kitchen Spice Centre in town. Their little son Bhagesh wasn’t too thrilled to be interviewed as it was late evening and he was leaning towards more sleep and less talk.

So when you find yourself in Shaoxing and you have that craving for some great Indian food, hop on over to Jashnn. And let Mr Ahuja know that SingCinnati said ‘hello’.

Jashnn Indian Cuisine

Opposite Jinchang New Century Hotel

Center area of Guomao Zhongxin: Bldg 11/81-82, Keqiao

Phone: 0575-81185329 (Dine in or Take Out)

World Choir Games 2010, Shaoxing China : Textile City Convention and Exhibition Center

Produced by Moening Presentation Group, featuring the talents of the SingCinnati choir and the following:

• Gospel Trio: Trina Walton, Charmaine Moore and Kelly Cobb
• Gospel Duet: Bishop Bobby Hilton and Kelly King (American Dream cast)
  
• Gospel Soloist: Linda O’Neal
• Gospel Choirs: SingCinnati and the Voices of Unity
• Choreographer: Tammy Colucci

Here’s the “BEST OF” video produced by Matthias from Interkultur and features several clips of SingCinnati members!

SingCinnati makes their way home to Cincinnati after a 9-day stay in Shaoxing, China for the World Choir Games. Our choir was divided into two groups: one was routed to Hangzhou airport, then Beijing, then Chicago. The other group would travel north to Shanghai, and depart from that airport. The group would then reunite in Chicago and then onward to Cincinnati.

The group that would depart from Shanghai would also receive a special bus tour around the city of Shanghai, compliments of our wonderful tour guides Pan and Penny, and our fearless driver, Mr Zhang. The group was delighted to see the site of the World Expo 2010 as well as many other incredible buildings.

Pan & Penny: Tour Guides Extraordinaire!

SingCinnati brings back two silver medals to the people of Cincinnati. We’re proud of our achievement and we were so honored to represent our fair city for the World Choir Games! We did our very best to spread the word about Cincinnati as the next host city of the World Choir Games in 2012. From the sound of it, it looks like many folks from around the world are already excited about their trip to Cincinnati in 2012!

SingCinnati certainly did its part to promote Cincinnati: we readily had “Cincinnati, USA” pins and badges to give to the new people we met at the Choir Games. Some of our SingCinnati members made it to “star status” when local Chinese kids flocked around them, wanting our Cincinnati pins.

Q looks on as Linda gives Cincy goodies to kids

Kids flocked around Vidita and Sara for autographs!

We will always hold special memories for the World Choir Games, and the gracious city of Shaoxing.

Now, we return to life as it was before.

Though, we gladly tout our new title of World Choir Games Silver Medalists.

I thought I’d upload some of the pictures I took at the World Choir Games 2010 Awards Ceremony this morning. ENJOY!

You’ll notice that some of our SingCinnati members developed a cult-following among the young teens!

SingCinnati: Silver Medalists and PROUD of it! Cheering our director Cathy Roma as she receives the Silver Medal for the Spirituals/Gospel Category

SingCinnati won TWO silver medals at the World Choir Games 2010 in Shaoxing, China this morning!

The Awards Ceremony at the Textile City Convention and Exhibition Center was jam-packed with choirs from all over the world, waiting in anticipation for the awards, recognitions and medals.

We want you to be one of the FIRST ones to know that we won a silver medal each for the Pop category and the Gospel/Spiritual category. We shared in the joy of the Voices of Unity choir from Ft Wayne, IN – who were given the honor of winning the GOLD medal for the Gospel/Spiritual category!

This evening, SingCinnati is given the honor of singing an arrangement of America the Beautiful at the Closing Ceremony of the World Choir Games.

For ALL of our dear supporters back in Cincinnati: THANK YOU and WE LOVE YOU! We’ll flying back home tomorrow!

I’m positively sure that every one of my SingCinnati friends are asleep, and catching up on some much-needed rest.

Today, we performed our second and final competition: the Pop Category. What was SO exciting for us was to see in the audience the “Cincinnati gang” – our dedicated supporters from the Cincinnati Convention and Visitors Bureau! They were waving their American flags and chanting “U.S.A! U.S.A!”, much to our delight. It certainly took all nerves away! (THANK YOU!)

During sound check for Pop Category

We work hard. We play hard. Sunday afternoon was shopping day for us! (Be sure to ask your SingCinnati friend or family member what goodies they brought home for you.)

The evening saw us finally realizing all the hard work we’ve invested in learning the repertoire and choreography for the ‘big show’ that was The American Dream, produced by the Moening Presentation Group. Amidst a cast of talented singers/dancers, as well as aerial acrobats, gymnasts and JUMBOTRONS displaying scenes depicting the history of American music, SingCinnati was front and center for the impressive multimedia performance! As they say: the crowds went wild!

Chinese children were invited to sit close to the performance stage and up front, and they made for a very enthusiastic audience!

Chinese kids given premium seating!

SingCinnati member Kelly Cobb in front of American Dream stage before performance

Gawking at the amazing multimedia displays above us

Our performance was also graced by special guests. Dennis Sweeney, a Cincinnatian himself, lives in China – and made a 24-hour trek on a train to the World Choir Games just so he could attend SingCinnati’s performances at the competitions this weekend, and the American Dream performance! Mr & Mrs Sweeney, thank you for your support!

Cathy Roma with Dennis Sweeney and his wife: SingCinnati's FANS!

What now, you ask?

Well, it’s the Awards Ceremony in the morning. And you’ll have to come visit our website again to find out how we did!

At 3:00pm (Shaoxing time) on July 25, SingCinnati will perform in their first competition at the World Choir Games 2010. The category in which we will be performing is Gospel/Spirituals.

We have spent the past few days ‘tweaking’ our repertoire: everything from diction to technique, from vocal quality to identifying personally with the message of the music.

And THIS is the moment.

SingCinnati has prepared four pieces to present to the adjudicators and the audience:

1. I Remember, I Believe: words and music by Bernice Johnson Reagon

2. I Know I’ve Been Changed: African-American Spiritual, arranged by Damon H. Dandridge

3. The Battle of Jericho: Traditional Spiritual, arranged by Moses Hogan

4. Spirituals Medley: arranged by Todd O’Neal

The Voices of Unity, led by director Marshall White are also in attendance at the World Choir Games here in Shaoxing, China. The young delegates from Fort Wayne, Indiana will be performing with SingCinnati in the grand show that is The American Dream on Sunday evening at the Textile City Convention and Exhibition Center.

Both SingCinnati and the Voices of Unity gathered for a choreography rehearsal led by SingCinnati member and appointed Dance Captain, Steve Milloy. The members of the VOU choir showed incredible skills of learning as they mastered the choreography taught to them only this evening. Three hours later, they were on stage with SingCinnati, displaying remarkably familiarity with the new “moves” they had just learned.

The American Dream show (scheduled on Sunday evening) promises to be engaging. And with the talents of the Voices of Unity, we have no doubt it will.

Views of the Performance Stage at the Textile City Convention & Exhibition Center, Shaoxing

We appreciate your thoughts and good vibes across the miles, and while we know you cannot be here with us, you MUST know that we are proud to represent our friends and family in Cincinnati and across the United States!

For your convenience, here is our performance schedule. SEND US YOUR GOOD VIBES!

Do remember that the local time in Shaoxing is 12 hours AHEAD of Cincinnati’s time!

July 24, Saturday (3:00pm): We compete in the Gospel/Spiritual Category at Shaoxing’s Opera Arts Center

July 25, Sunday (9:30am): We compete in the Popular Category at Shaoxing’s Cultural Arts Center

July 26, Monday (7:30pm): We perform at the Closing Ceremony with the cast of the Moening Production, The American Dream