For those of you not in the know, the word mela actually means "festival," not, as so many people seemed to think on Saturday night, an acronym for Middle Eastern Love Association. Rather, MELA: Seven Wonders of The World, is an annual event thrown by the South Asian Student Association every year to celebrate their cultures through displays of traditional music, dance and fashion. The seven wonders in question are the nations of India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and the Maldives, and each was well-represented Saturday night in the Levin Ballroom. The usually drab venue was awash with color for the event, with attendees packed in all the way up along the balcony. Dance numbers made up the majority of the evening's acts, with beautiful and energetic pieces that drew from the traditional choreography of countries such as Bangladesh and India and fused it with more modern pop influences. However, some of the pieces, such as "Stud Express Returns," despite being humorous, were somewhat uncoordinated, with a few dancers looking to their peers for guidance on the stage.

Highlighting the musical end of the spectrum was Saaya, Brandeis' only all-South Asian band. Kicking off the second half with a bang, the band, led by SASA co-president Richa Sahay '09, impressed the crowd with a smooth blend of exotic melody and Western rock sensibilities.

Another highlight came in the electrifying figure of Associate Dean of Student Life Jamele Adams and his spoken-word performance. Reading the piece "String of Pearls," Adams captivated the crowd with a bold, passionate poetry reading. Painting the beauty of South Asia, the words flew from his mouth like spitfire, and the audience cheered appreciatively at the end of every sentence. Finally, MELA featured a fashion show, putting on display both modern and traditional fashions from each country, confidently modeled by the student performers.

However, it wasn't all about beauty that night. The show also featured a series of vignettes that highlighted pressing social issues in the region, such as education and the HIV epidemic in India. Though not incredibly well-acted, the skits nonetheless pointed out problems that are affecting the whole world. Rather than leave the audience on a negative note, MELA ended with one more dance piece, followed by the promise of a magnificent spread of foods from all across South Asia immediately after the show.

Following the final words from the organizers, Sahay and her co-president, Ameeka Pannu '08, the audience cleared Levin and headed in a heaving throng toward Lower Usdan and the food tables that awaited them, evidence of the profound effect that this night of beauty and culture must have had on them.