DESIBLOG

In My Gully, Rupees Beat the Dollar

2009-04-12T19:12:00.002-04:00

In the ten plus years since Asian influenced electronica started making the musical rounds, the sound has gone in various directions. From the pulsating Indian classical-oriented tabla and bass to bollywood dub step, the music has evolved and morphed with other styles of contemporary and popular music. A prime example of this evolution can be found in Hello Hello, the most recent studio album put out by the New Delhi-based duo of Tapan Raj and Gaurav Raina, collectively known as the Midival Punditz. Hello, released on Six Degrees Records, sees the evolution of Punditz’s engaging electro-desi sound into new directions I haven’t see the Punditz delve into in past albums. Don’t worry though, it’s mostly a good thing!

The album’s opener, Electric Universe, is a strong tune, that marries a bansuri based melody with the now very-trendy vocoder lyrics and an up-tempo western dance groove. Universe is a good start to a very good album, and serves as a nice introduction of the diverging sounds to come. The last track is an acoustic version of Universe, except with unadulterated vocals and acoustic guitar by fellow Asian-massivist Karsh Kale. In fact, Kale’s influence on the album is heavily felt, with credits on more than five of the album’s 11 tracks.

With Hello, it’s clear that the Punditz haven’t forgotten where they came from, or the type of music that has led them to be called “the sound of 21st century India.” The album has the raga and folk influence I have come to expect and love from the Punditz, but also a classic rock and pop influence that one might hear in the nightclubs of Delhi, Bangalore, or Bombay.

With songs like Atomizer, and Har Ek Baat, which combines the poetry of the Urdu Poet Ghalib with the Punditz’s tabla and bass beat, the range of the album becomes very clear. For me though, it’s tracks like Sun Mere Sanam, Naina Laagey (my favorite on the album), and Drifting, that keep me listening over and over again. All three feature a skillful layering of traditional Indian sounds and instrumentation, and seamless incorporation of vocals (in the first two) and modern electronic production. (Six Degrees is offering Desiblog readers a free download of Drifting here). And for the classic-rock fans, the Punditz have included their hommage to Led Zeppelin’s “Four Sticks,” which builds, quite nicely I think, on the Indian sounds of the original.

While I liked most of the album, I thought some things were off. On Tonic, the folk-influenced vocal sounded disjointed with the beat, and the only redeeming thing about the amateurish rap was the line I chose for the title of the posting. But, one or two tracks aside, the Punditz come through with a solid album, which I’ve had playing on repeat for the better part of the last two weeks. Check it out (the album is available on itunes and amazon), and let us know what you think. For those of you on the left coast, the Punditz will be appearing this Thursday (4/16) at the Mighty in San Francisco, with Karsh Kale. Nothing beats seeing these guys live.

Right to Bear Arms?

2008-08-20T21:56:00.003-04:00

It's been far too long since I've been able to write, but some events of the past few weeks have really started to motivate me to start writing again. So this is my modest effort to try and start it up again.

I was pretty horrified to read this Associated Press article detailing some events surrounding a shooting at party at a Lakehouse, just west of Columbia, South Carolina. Yes, I know shootings happen throughout the country, but this instance is weird, and truly points to the need for additional gun controls.

A South Carolina man shot an unarmed teenager to death after a scuffle at a weekend party thrown by his children, then shot two teens involved in a retaliatory shooting at his home, authorities said Tuesday.

The party throwers claim the deceased teenager, 17-year-old Deshaun Rashad Clark, stole their cell phone. Reeves' son went to the family's other nearby home to get his father, Francis Marion Reeves III, 62, who brought a loaded pistol and unloaded shotgun back to the lakehouse. Reeves was told that his daughter had been attacked at the party and watched as his son was attacked by three people. So what happens next? According to the article:

After Clark returned with friends, Reeves shot him, prosecutors said. Partygoers scattered and friends took the injured teen to a fire station. He died at a hospital.

The unfortunate part is, this didn't end here.

Reeves returned to his home afterward and was sitting on the front porch when one of the slain teen's friends drove by and shot at his home in retaliation, police said. Reeves fired back with a shotgun, police said, striking two teens who were in the car. They were not seriously injured.

I wonder what might have happened if Reeves had not been an owner of firearms?

I'm Bringing Desi Back

2007-04-07T13:19:00.001-04:00

No, I am not referring to Sanjaya Malakar, because I wouldn’t want American Idol commentators to think that desi-Americans are monolithic in their support of him (we’re not), and I am not referring to me because well, desi never left my life. What I am getting at is the attempted resurgence of desi influences in mainstream American popular music, and surprisingly (or not so surprisingly depending on how you look at it) the current effort by producer extraordinaire Timbaland to bring desi back by featuring two desi-ish tracks on his latest release, Timbaland Presents Shock Value. The first of the two is “Bombay” featuring British-Asian songstress Amar, and the other “Come Around”with our girl M.I.A., which for some strange reason is only available in the U.S. as an import.

Like much of the album, both tracks are solid. Bombay is a straight up Hindi track, it features Amar’s vocal (rather than simply using it as a hook), its addicitve, and makes good use of the “Bollywood of Yore” effect. The track has additional production by long-time Timbaland collaborator Jim Beanz, who recently released a couple of sanctioned remixes of two Nelly Furtado Tracks featuring Amar, Promiscuous Girl and Maneater, both of which are available for free download on Amar’s myspace page. Many of you might remember Amar for her hauntingly awesome vocal on the opening track Jaan of Talvin Singh’s groundbreaking compilation Anokha. On the heals of Anokha, she released a solo album, Outside, produced by Nitin Sawhney, but then seemingly fell off, until Beanz’s remix of Promiscuous started to make the rounds. For now anyway, it seems Amar may be the new Raje Shwari, the singer Timbaland and many others used for their Indian hooks a few years ago (Indian Flute, Bounce, Disco etc.), but hasn’t really been heard from since. I hope things work out better for Amar then it did for Raje.

As for the M.I.A. track, I don’t know, I can’t get enough. It’s got M.I.A.’s grimey rapping style, Timbaland’s typically solid production, and desi beats, incorporating and flipping the hook from a recent indi-pop hit “Let the Music Play.” The only thing wrong with this track is it isn’t on the American release.

Do I think Timbaland can bring desi back? I hope so. He’s gonna need help though, and by the lack of really good records from the desi diaspora over the past couple of years, it is going to be tough. For too long the desi music scene has relied upon British-Asian talent to bring the heat. I love British-Asian music, but its sound has gotten stagnant and it is time for desis on this side of the Atlantic to step up. From the word on the street and from what I’ve been hearing, I’m hopeful.

The Tabu of the Namesake

2007-03-17T13:57:00.000-04:00

It is a picture that I imagine many who read this blog have a variation of in one form or another. You know, that image of the the nuclear desi-America family, returned to the sub-Continent for a long (summer) vacation, of mom, dad, brother, sister posing in front of the Taj Majal. The group is huddled close on that bench hoping for the perfect portrait. And really, how can the picture be bad? That grand marble monument towering in the background, its skewed reflection glimmering in the rectangular pond. Observing that familiar image reflected on the movie screen and understanding that feeling of closeness and comfort of being together in a foreign place, put a big smile on my face, as did most of Mira Nair’s latest film The Namesake.

I have to admit, this was a very personal book for me, I think for most of us. I even made my mom, who doesn’t usually read “English novels” read the book, and she loved it.

I find it hard to have high expectations for movies based on books. I have been burned too many times. With that in mind, my expectations for the movie were upward leaning, but not over reaching. I didn’t know how Nair could add visuals to a novel that was for me already so vivid. As the stunning opening credits blurred between Bengali and English, I immediately knew Lahiri’s story was in good hands. Nair and her longtime collaborator Sooni Taraporevala’s treatment stayed true to the novel while also providing an original point of view. Their take does a fine job of including the highlights of the book, but in their attempt to hit all the major points, the movie misses some of the extras that made the story so poignant. (Warning: Spoiler Alert, especially if you haven’t read the book)

The inclusion of the Ashima and Ashoke’s early years was good, but I wanted to see more of their early married life, more of Ashima’s struggle adjusting to life in America. To life without her family. To life without the familiar. I wanted to see her overcome that struggle, and grow into her life in America, as we saw in the novel. I think that is an important part of the story, and not spending enough time on some of these nuances took away from the story’s gravitas. The significance of the late night/early morning phone call for example, how was the audience supposed to know that odd-timed phone calls only meant significant news from India, usually bad?

I also wanted to see more of Sonia (Sahira Nair) and Gogol (Kal Penn). As my sister pointed, the book gives Sonia the shaft, so it was wrong for me to expect more of her in the film. Fine. But on their trip to India , I wanted to see more background, the disappointment from the kids in having to leave for their whole summer vacation, more awkward interaction between the American cousins and their family in Calcutta. I wanted the audience to understand and the movie to show that feeling of having all this family so far away, whom the ability with which to connect to is handicapped by distance. As cliche as it sounds, I wanted the film to show more of the duality of hyphenated-American life. But in the end, this is a minor quibble.

In the novel, Gogol’s character kept the story moving, he was the protagonist. What I found suprising was that in the film, it was Ashima, to the credit of Bollywood actress Tabu, who pushed the story forward. Tabu’s take on Ashima was simply brilliant. Her performance was flawless and natural, and she really made the character come to life. For me, Tabu stole the show, completely overshadowing the perfomance of every other actor in the film. If I was to identify with any character in the book, it would have been with that of Gogol, but in the film, it was Ashima, who made me feel at home. In her, I saw our mothers, and their struggle. I can’t say it enough, Tabu’s performance struck me, and is reason enough to go back and see the movie again and again.

I must also give credit to Irfan Khan, whose subtle, guarded portryal of Ashoke, represented perfectly the hands-off desi style of hands-on parenting. He stayed far enough away to not be outwardly emotionally involved, but close enough for us to know he really cared. Zuleikha Robinson’s Moushimi, I didn’t like her character, but Robinson played it greatly. Moushimi is sultry and trashy at the same time, and Robinson brought this ibe to the movie in the short on-screen time she was alloted. I know many a reviewer disagree with me and have genuinely liked Penn’s performance, given that this role was his first major dramatic one, but I wasn’t too impressed. After his appearances on 24 and Law and Order (and to be fair, Penn should take any role he gets, terrorist, 7-11 clerk, or otherwise—he will be soon starring in an upcoming comedy pilot on ABC about paramedics) my expectations were low, and to that end he didn’t disappoint. Just comparing his reaction to Ashoke’s death with Tabu’s, Penn’s seemed force. The dramatic didn’t seem natural to him. I think Nair must be given credit for her ability to draw out whatever drama she could from him, but my wife and I both felt he used that same dumbfounded expression (the one we saw in American Desi, Harold and Kumar, Where’s the Party Yaar?) throughout the film. This may come across as hate, but clearly Nair saw something in him, and I think he can do better. To give him the benefit of the doubt, this was his first major dramatic role.

In the end, Nair’s big-screen translation didn’t disappoint. The visuals were more subtle than Monsoon wedding, but striking nonetheless. The transitions between countries were seemless, the blending of Calcutta’s massive bridges and streets into New York’s was natural, and symbolic at the same time. She did it, Nair successfully added color to an already amazing story. I mentioned earlier that I smiled almost the whole film, until the last seen anyway. It was the final party held at the Ganguli home dramatized on screen that got me in the end. Ashima is saying goodbye to the family she and her husband had created in America (from the novel):

“For 33 years she missed her life in India. Now she will miss her job in the library, the women with whom she’s worked. She will miss throwing parties. She will missing living with her daughter, the surprising companionship they have formed, going into cambridge together to see old movies at the Capital Brattle, teaching her to cook the food Sonia had complained of eating as a child. She will miss the opportunity to drive, as she sometimes does on her way home from the library, to the university, past the engineering building where her husband once worked. She will miss the country in which she had grown to know and love her husband. Though his ashes have been scattered into the Ganges, it is here in this house and in this town, that he will continue to dwell into her mind....”

Great film. Go see it!

I'll take the Calphalon Indian-Wok

2007-03-17T13:50:00.002-04:00

When my wife and I were trying to decide on new pots and pans last year, it was kind of hard to pick the right set. Not only were we confused by the all-clad versus the myriad types of calphalon sets, we wanted to get some nice “crockery” that would be good for cooking Indian food. Outside of the handy prestige pressure-cooker that I am slowly learning how to use, we couldn’t find any real options for fancy-shmancy cooking pots-and-pans specifically for Indian food. So imagine my surprise when I was perusing the most recent Williams-Sonoma catalog and found a whole section dedicated to Indian spices, Indian food-specific pots and pans, and Williams-Sonoma Kitchen recipes for a variety of different indian food items, including, samosas, chapatis, and even kheer (Indian rice pudding). Sure, my mom would kill me if she knew I entertained the notion of buying a 9 ounce, $39 set of spices, or a $13 dollar simmer sauce, but I appreciate that Le Creuset is selling a tava griddle, and that Cuisinart is uping the ante in the pressure cooker game. I must admit though, I am a bit confused by the Calphalon One Indian Wok (Wok, India?). My initial thought was that maybe it would be perfect for cooking tasty Indian-Chinese food like my favorite gobi manchurian, but the description in the catalog cleared it up:

“Based on the karahi, the traditional Indian wok commonly used for simmering curries and stews, stir-frying and deep-frying, this infused-anodized wok is ideal for recreating the favorite dishes you enjoy at Indian restaurants. Its interior sears and browns perfectly and develops the rich caramelized flavor essential for creating delicious pan sauces. Adapted from the karahi's customary round bottom, this wok's flat bottom makes it easy to use on Western stoves. Two beautifully shaped loop handles – inspired by graceful scrollwork on Indian architecture – allow you to carry the oven-safe pan to the table for serving in authentic Indian style.” (link)

Look at those loop handles, clearly inspired by the graceful scrollwork on Indian architecture. I can hardly control myself. And who among us knew that serving desi khana in a Calphalon-One branded Indian-Wok at the table was authentic Indian style? I for one had no idea. Sarcasm aside, I do think it is pretty cool that some of the high-end cookware companies are starting to make Indian items, although I doubt desi-America is the target audience. As appealing as the Williams-Sonoma catalog offerings are, I don’t know that I will be purchasing this cookware anytime soon, but I would love to know what those of you who have some of these products think of them. I do however plan on trying the samosa recipe soon and will definitely report back. If any of you happen to try any of the recipes, please relay your experiences in the comments section.

Burger Raja

2007-01-09T22:25:00.001-05:00

While growing up my mom would do ravivar, which translates into Sunday in Gujarati. This was a tradition passed down to her from her mother, and basically every Sunday my mom would only eat once during the day. When I was a kid, it sucked for Sunday lunch because it meant eating a full-on Gujarati feast, when all I really want to eat was a grilled cheese and some bugles. Things looked up for dinner though, when my sister and I were allowed to choose our poisons. This often led to a visit to Burger King for a Veggie Whopper and onion rings. The Veggie Whopper, for those of you that haven’t had the pleasure of having it is different than the BK Veggie which was only recently added to the menu, and is essentially Burger King’s signature Whopper without the meat patty. As ridiculous as it may sound, it was one of my favorite foods order. I know that for most vegetarians, a fast food burger joint doesn’t quite fit the bill as an ideal place to grab a bite, but my sister and I loved Burger King. And that Burger King presented some semblance of a vegetarian option set it apart from its competition. While I was always on the fence about allying myself strictly to Burger King or McDonalds - you never know when you will crave a McFlurry - when the news came out a few year’s back that McDonalds had been deceiving its vegetarian customers by incorporating that unnecessary beef tallow ingredient into its french fries, I moved completely into the Burger King camp.

So I was glad when I saw the news that fast food eaters in India would soon be getting a choice in where they can hang out and munch on American style burgers and fries. From this story in the Economic Times, it seems Burger King will soon be joining the burger wars in India as it begins to scout out locations and business partners with which to start its joint burger venture in India. And with its opening,

Burger King is likely to shake McDonald’s monopoly in India by launching its own brand of burger restaurants. The company, best known for its price war with Big Mac in the US, has mandated Kotak Mahindra to scout for a partner in what is a growth market for global fast food companies. Industry sources feel that even though McDonald’s is firmly established in metros like Delhi and Mumbai, Burger King’s entry is likely to start a burger war of sorts. Innovation in product offerings and location of outlets would play a crucial role in drawing customers in the long run. In the short term, McDonald’s would lose some customers to Burger King out of the sheer curiosity factor. However, this would happen only if both are located in the same catchment area,” said an industry source.

Now while I refuse to eat at McDonalds in the States, one of my favorite ways to check out local color when I travel is to visit McDonalds and similar style fast food joints to see what they sell often unique to each individual country. I actually like the food items at the McDonalds in India since they offer vegetarian items are usually pretty good. When I was in Delhi in September, I became somewhat addicted to the Veg McCurry Pan, which at that time consisted of a pretty tasty shahi paneer dish on a pan-pizza like crust, which apparently has been replaced by a broccoli and mushroom dish (you can see the McDonalds India menu here). I am really curious to see what Burger King will come up with in India to comptete with that. In addition to a chili version of the Veggie Whopper (maybe with a splash of Haldi?), I would love to see a six pack of paneer tikka nuggets with various chutney dipping sauces on the menu.

DesiDeals.net

2007-01-06T19:02:00.001-05:00

Like many desis, I love me some deals. I know I am playing into stereotypes here, especially because I am Gujarati, but come on EVERYONE likes good deals. The enjoyment for me isn’t just finding a good deal, but the whole process: it is the hunt, the chase, and the glory in opening the mail and finding that rebate check that you thought might not ever come. Suffice it to say, I spend a good percentage of my time on the internets perusing some favorite deal sites.

But while I like finding good deals, one of my pet peeves is really poor customer service and the feeling that I have been taken advantage of. So when I was visiting one of my new favorite deal/consumer rights blogs, The Consumerist, (part of the Gawker family of blogs) I was a bit dismayed to hear the tale of our desi brethren, Manesh, who reported on his parent’s really poor experience on United Airlines.

Manesh's parents flew from Omaha, Nebraska to Colombo,Sri Lanka, but at LAX, United Airlines (UAL) refused to honor their tickets, saying that they had not "been approved, authorized and authenticated." The family ended having to pay $2860 extra to complete their journey. Apparently, Sri Lankan Air Lines, a United code-share partner, could not find the reservation Manesh's parents made. Manesh wrote three letters of complaint to UAL and so far his parents have only received two $300 coupons in return. When Manesh scoffed at the sum, United wrote, "our policy does not permit us to respond with the generosity you had anticipated. (link)

It seems that instead of writing letters, which I am a big fan of, now when desis are wronged, we blog. So as a good South Asian, Manesh has started his own blog detailing his battle with United Airlines’ Customer service at evilunitedairlines.blogspot.com. His story is really messed up and I hope the airlines eventually do the right thing and refund the extra three grand his recently operated-on parents had to hand over to get home.

Big Brother Watches Bollywood

2007-01-06T01:53:00.000-05:00

If anyone in Bollywood needs a big brother to watch over her, one of my first guesses would be item-number girl extraordinaire, Shilpa Shetty. And lucky for her (and for us too), Big Brother will be watching her, and by Big Brother, I am referring to the UK television show's ongoing celebrity version (thanks Jai).

The BBC reports yesterday that Ms. Shetty (31) was the sixth of eleven stars to enter the Big Brother house, wearing a pink sari. Because Shetty, who has appeared in over 30 Bollywood films, is an unmarried Indian female, attractive, and over the age of 30, it appears that they are going to focus on her love-life (you know, being single, desi, and over 30, the horror, the horror).

The film icon will reportedly have a dinner date with another housemate, in which she will be encouraged to flirt and reports say Ms Shetty - often the subject of marriage speculation - will dine at a later stage in the show with the housemate she finds the most attractive. Inevitably, Indian coverage of the show will focus on romance in Shilpa Shetty's life."

But it isn’t likely that any shaadi will result from the show. When responding to a love-life related query from one newspaper in the run-up to the show, Shetty kept it fashionably coy saying, "I shall marry but after three years. There is no-one in my life as of today. And, I am very happy living single, at present." (link)

Correspondents, like always, are saying that Shetty’s appearance on Big Brother is bound to be hugely controversial in India where many would question its standards of morality. Maybe so, but these correspondents must then have missed some of her more risque-scantily clad-and-in-the-rain dance numbers that Shilpa has participated. Morality, Shmorality, it is Big Brother, and by the look of things already, this season sounds like it is going to be interesting. I know I will be watching, and with Shilpa on, I bet many of the two million plus British Asians will be too. You can see videos of the show here, Shilpa's page here, and Shilpa big brother news here.

It's TMBWITW Time...Again

2006-11-25T00:15:00.001-05:00

It has been some time since we've mutinied over Ms. Aishwarya Rai, the Bollywood bombshell who in her past couple of film ventures hasn't had too much luck conquering the western film market. Rai, who made her Hollywood debut in the somewhat successful English ode to Bollywood, Bride and Prejudice and flopped in the poorly executed (yet visually exciting) Mistress of Spices, may have scored a nice role and hopefully a better foray into the west with her role as Mira, a sword-wielding warriorete, in Doug Lefler's, The Last Legion. The film, which stars Sir Ben Kingsley and Colin Firth --Rai impressively receives third billing -- is the story of twelve-year-old emperor Romulus Augustus, who in the midst of the fall of the Roman Empire, escapes to join up with a small band of survivors who make their way to Britain in search of the chotu ruler's ultimate legion, one of which I take is Miss Rai.

"Dare to Be Daring"

I have to say after seeing the trailer (I know, it is just the trailer) Aishwarya's performance looks quite good (link). The role is completely different than anything she has been in before, the cast is stellar (Ben Kingsley was Gandhi!), and Ash as an ass-kicking, sword handling fighter is a nice contrast to the usual, happy-go-lucky, Bhangra-circle dancing Ms. World that we are used to seeing. It can only be a good thing that she is moving away from doing the strictly desi themed film and towards playing a non-ethnic role. A well-received performance here, in an actual mainstream film, has the potential to really catapult her to the Salma Hayek and Penelope Cruz levels, and on top of all that, Rai has extra incentive for this film to be successful, she bought the Indian rights. The Last Legion rated PG 13 is being distributed by MGM and the Weinsteins, and is set to release sometime in 2007 (I've seen both January 19 and April 27 as potential release dates).

Satyajit Ray's Haunting Poetry

2006-05-06T17:07:00.000-04:00

If you find yourself a connoisseur of good cinema or have a thing for really good art-house Indie (as in Indian) films, and are in the Washington D.C. area, make sure you try and stop off to see the National Gallery of Art's screening tomorrow (May 7) of the 1955 Satyajit Ray classic, Pather Panchali, a story of an impoverished family in a Bengali village circa 1919, and the movie that many would say placed Satyajit ray on the international film map. In celebration of the film's fiftieth anniversary (which would have actually been in 2005), Partha Mitter, research professor at the University of Sussex, will discuss the work of his friend Satyajit Ray. The lecture will be followed by a screening of a 35 mm archival print of Pather Panchali from the collection of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. This event is free, open to the public, begins at 4 PM, and should last around 2 hours and 15 minutes. Amazon.com calls this film an "essential video" in its editorial review, and goes on to say,

"this truly remarkable feat of storytelling is a must-see kind of movie. Ray reveals a gift for presenting stories that unfold gently, one engaging scene at time. This film delivers an amazing emotional punch that will linger in your consciousness for some time, not in spite of, but because of its simplicity."

That Silver isn't vegetarian

2006-05-06T17:06:00.000-04:00

While I was sitting in the mandap during my wedding a couple of weeks ago now, I was a bit concerned about all of the Indian sweets I was consuming. It seemed that every two minutes another mithai was being prodded in my direction, and the thought of all the ghee, the sugar, the gor (molasses) etc that I must have inhaled was a bit frightening. It wasn't until last week when I read these articles in India-West (Link 1 and Link 2), I realized that as a vegetarian, I should have been concerned with something else. According to the story,

Varak, that gossamer-thin silver sheet that covers Indian mitthai, is made by placing thin metal strips of silver between the steaming intestines of a slaughtered animal or its hide and hammered into a thin foil. A substantial number of cattle, sheep and goat are killed specifically for the industry, according to animal rights activist Maneka Gandhi.

I used to think it was real silver that was just wittled down, perhaps by a machine? Apparently, there is no such thing as machine-made varak, so chances are, if you are vegetarian and you eat mithai or anything else with that silver gossamer on it, you are unwittingly eating an animal by-product. It pains me to think that many unknowing vegetarians, who perhaps think Indian sweets are vegetarian-friendly, have been consuming an animal by-product all these years. What's worse is followers of the Jain religion, a religion that holds the notion of ahimsa or nonviolence in high regard, and the strictest of whom will wear a face-mask so as to not kill any living thing by breathing, have been using varak to decorate their "religious idols and the tirthankaras in their temples."

I was enraged following the McDonalds controversey a few years back in which it was found that McDonalds was wrongfully telling customers their french fries were vegetarian, when in reality, the fries were frozen with a beef tallow additive, and the news in this article doesn't make me much happier. While we all know that gelatin is found in marshmallows and gummy bears, I was surprised to see that certain cereals like Kellogg's Frosted Mini-Wheats, actually contain gelatin, as does a now-former favorite of mine Lucky Charms. With the increasing popularity of vegetarianism, one would think a vegetarian friendly substitute for gelatin would have been created by now.

And while certain members of the food industry allege that it is impossible to synthesize gelatin, like John Magnifico, the technical service manager of Kraft Foods Atlantic Gelatin, others suggest the prohibitive cost of these substitutes make them unpopular choices for food manufacturers. Unbeknownst to me was that the substance agar-agar, which is derived from seaweed, is an existing alternative to gelatin, but is not regularly used vice gelatin because it costs about four times what gelatin costs. As a vegetarian consumer, I would pay the extra amount for gelatin-free favorites, as many consumers do to have the option of buying organic.

Sure, if you are dining out, part of the vegetarian's risk is that some kind of meat might end up in your food. But knowing before hand what items are safe to eat, and what items aren't is a big help. One of the stories I often heard was that Pizza Hut used a cheese which had beef in it. This could have been true, since rennet (an ingredient in many cheeses) can be derived from either animal sources or from fungal or bacterial sources. The usual source of rennet, according to the India-West story "is the fourth stomach of slaughtered, newborn calves." Fortunately, "95 percent of the cheeses currently made in the U.S. is made with non-animal based rennet," including the cheese used by Pizza Hut, Domino's, Round Table, and Little Caesar's.

I wonder now, like I wondered when the McDonald's controversy erupted why the FDA does not require companies to label vegetarian foods as such. Just like Kosher items are required to have the K in a circle, it would do companies well to have a green leaf, or a big V in a circle for items deemed to be suitable for vegetarians. Perhaps this is something companies should do anyway, as a courtesy to its vegetarian clientele.

DJ Rekha to Play the Black Cat

2006-04-05T23:50:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to give a little teaser on DJ Rekha's upcoming April 28 show at the Black Cat, here in DC. The Show presented by the First Ladies DJ Collective will be on the mainstage, is ten dollars, and begins at 9:30.

The Black Cat is located at 1811 14th Street NW.

Language Barriers

2006-03-22T00:30:00.000-05:00

According to Karsh Kale, the London born and New York raised producer/dj/musician, the title of his third studio release (and most recent album) entitled Broken English, was based on the concept of trying to

"create songs in English, but to give them a sentiment and a sense of universality, so it works in places where English is not their first language. But at the same time, you still understand the sentiment of the songs. That was the original idea of Broken English (link)."

I must admit, I was really looking forward to this third album. To this day Kale's debut Realize continues to be one of my favorites, and I love its remixed incarnation Redesign. I was however slightly disappointed with Liberation, the follow-up to Realize. For me, Realize had set the bar so high that no follow-up could have topped it. Don't get me wrong, Liberation was good, just not great. Perhaps it was Kale's departure from the familiar drum and bass and dance vibe that I was used to, or maybe it was that I thought the cinematic feel of the album was a reach.

In any case, I approached Broken English anxiously, mainly because I had found many recent diasporic desi releases to be trite and mechanical. I was hoping Broken English would be different, and different it was. Wait, is that innovation and musicanship I hear? When I first started listening, I heard hints of Nitin Sawhney through the innovative and non-overtly desi touches in the production, vocals, and instrumentation. Yes the album has Bollywood and Bhangra, as well as the tablatronica that Kale is known for, but it also incorporates hip-hop and rock. All of which work surprisingly brilliant together. While overall, the album presents an eclectic and lush soundscape, Kale stayed true to his roots and kept a few tracks purely South Asian, including among others, the nicely paced "Drive," and the beautiful duet "Some Things are O.K," featuring vocals by Sabiha Khan and longtime Kale collaboratorVishal Vaid.

This album is clearly no East meets West hybrid, and there is no American curry or other Indian food adjectives available to describe the sound. It is what it is: purely American in every complex way that makes an American, an American. You get that sense immediately with the opening track, Manifest (click here for free official download): where MC Napoleon raps alongside Vaid's vocal, while a dhol loop echoes in the background. This is followed by one of my favorite record's on the album, "Dancing at Sunset," featuring Todd Michaelsen's English vocals alongside Carnatic strings and an eloquently placed tabla break and Hindi vocal.

And it doesn't stop there. Sunset is followed by another amazing track, "Beautiful, " which is followed by another and another. Like any solid album, Broken English isn't a couple of good tracks followed by some mediocre fillers. It is instead a solid line-up of thoughtful and diverse music, and will undoubtedly join Realize as part of my life's soundtrack. You can sample the entire album by clicking here.

A Mutiny through Sound

2006-03-15T21:03:00.000-05:00

For those of you into ethnic drum and bass, british-asian hip hop, or good live music in general, and if you are in New York this Friday night (3/17), I highly recommend attending the upcoming New York Sub Swara show featuring some of the top south asian musicians/producers around, including State of Bengal (best known for that Flight IC 408 track from Talvin Singh's Anokha record), Navdeep of Mutiny fame, DK aka Bollygirl (Avaaz/Kollektiv), and DJs Bobby Friction and Nihal (BBC Radio 1), among others of course. Click on the image for more information, but rumor has it that pre-release copies of State of Bengal's upcoming album, along with some of the most innovative in diasporic desi sounds will be available at the show.

The show starts at 10 p.m., is $15 in advance, or $20 at the door, and is @ Downtime, 251 W 30th Street (Between 7th and 8th). 21 and over.

The Third Element

2006-03-06T00:39:00.000-05:00

Sitting in the Hirshhorn museum's Ring Auditorium after waiting for over an hour on Saturday, I really wanted to like Water, Deepa Mehta's last in her trilogy of films based on the elements. I wanted to write a glowing review of it for you all, but after sitting through it (and the really, really long introductory conversation between Mehta and the Smithsonian's Manjula Kumar) I came away simply underwhelmed. It wasn't that the movie was horrible, it wasn't. It was just unimpressive. I think back to Mehta's Fire, it was unique for the time of its release and blessed with the presence of Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das; I found Earth, the second installment of the trilogy phenomenal, visually stunning, musically evocative, and well directed. Contrastingly in Water, I saw a cast of mostly uninspired acting, drab sets, and music that just faded into the background (perhaps by design?).

The film was shot in Sri Lanka, and while watching the movie, Sri Lanka's lush landscapes easily gives the non-India locale away. I can't say for sure that in 1938 there were no palm trees in Varanasi, but I am not buying that the city's ghats were surrounded by them. I found Seema Biswas (Shakuntala) of Bandit Queen fame and the relative newcomer Sarala (Chuyia) playing the young widow excellent, but the beautiful Lisa Ray (Kalyani) was mediocre at best. Shakuntala's dutiful strength and Chuyia's naïve intelligence were indeed stark contrasts to the rather forgettable Kalyani (spoiler warning: one of my favorite scenes shows Chuyia sitting amongst the praying widows, fearlessly blurting a question to the pundit asking, "what happenned to male widows?").

I wanted to be moved by the climactic scenes featuring MK Gandhi, but I found them artificial and contrived, which only added to the hokey vibe of the movie. The film, it's not bad, but I didn't find it great. For the curious however, it's a decent timepass.

Doing Your Homework Can Get You Arrested

2006-03-04T12:16:00.000-05:00

Only Indian kids would go to such lengths to finish a class assignment.

The University of Maryland's student paper, the Diamondback is reporting that three graduate students from India (two men and a woman) were detained and questioned for nearly four hours by Montgomery County police early Tuesday morning for using a device to track wireless communication signals for a class assignment (thanks masked tipster). Neighbors reported the three to the police for suspicious activity because they had been driving through Silver Spring, Md (a suburb of Washington DC) at about 15 miles per hour with elaborate equipment in their rental vehicle.

Yeah, it sounds shady. If a car was constantly roaming around my neighborhood from about 10 pm to 2 in the morning, I too would probably be a little suspicious, especially at that hour. Well, so were the police.

At about 2 a.m. early Tuesday morning while driving through a residential Silver Spring neighborhood, the students noticed a police car following them and flashing its lights. The students were stopped and answered questions about their identities, equipment and assignment, and were then escorted by police back to I-495 and sent home.

You would think it would have ended at that. It is kind of funny, a trio of Indian students geekily get pulled over, not for partying or do something illegal, but for doing their homework. The crappy thing is, it didn't end there.

Police from Montgomery and Prince George's counties rejoined the students at their Berwyn House Road apartments, where after more questioning, an officer copied down the equipment's serial numbers and informed one of the male students his laptop appeared on a list of stolen electronics.Officers detained them there for nearly two hours, questioned them, photographed them, recorded detailed descriptions of their physical appearances and inspected their visas, passports, university identifications and international driving permits.

Now I am a bit confused. Why would the police need to follow them home? The students showed the police their ids, equipment, and explained to the police the class assignment. What was the point in following them home and recording all of their personal data? And the bit about taking the laptop I am not too clear on.

"Everyone was shocked, dumbfounded, speechless," the female student said. "This has never happened before in our lives. I was very angry. I didn't appreciate the harassment." The students were released by officers about 5 a.m. Tuesday and later informed their professor and department.

And yet, it all could have probably went away had they called their professor earlier. The good Indian students that they are, they didn't want to bother him.

They said they didn't want to call us in the middle of the night and wake us up," said Steve Tretter, director of the program. "I told them they were crazy and should have called us immediately." Tretter said he and administrators were upset for the students.

2006-02-23T00:05:00.000-05:00

The Smithsonian Institution is hosting a screening of Deepa Mehta's Water on March 4 at the Hirshhorn Museum's Ring theater. The screening will begin at 3 pm with a conversation with Ms. Mehta and will be followed by a Q and A session with her. The conversation, screening, and Q and A are all free and open to the public, and is on a first come first serve basis. From my experience with free screenings at the Smithsonians, your interests are best served by getting there really, really early.

Related posts: Can Water Bring Deepa Mehta Back; Deepa Mehta's Water;Water Has Finally Arrived

The movie is somewhat controversial, even the famed Indian dairy Amul has capitalized on it.

Bollywood Passions

2006-01-31T00:32:00.000-05:00

Growing up in what was initially a one-TV household, I was often forced to watch what my mom and sister were watching. From the 3-4 slot, this usually meant a heavy dose of Luke and Laura, Edward and Lila, Frisco and Felicia, and Tony and Bobby. For those of you that I know what I am talking about, we were General Hospital addicts. I hate to admit it, but I knew I had a problem when I started referring to it as GH, and would have conversations, that to anyone not familiar with the soap, would seem like jibber-jabber. I finally kicked my soap habit my sophomore year after studying abroad and now of course, work thankfully gets in the way. But when tipster Noelle (and all the other SM tipsters) informed us awhile back that television’s newest soap opera Passions was going Bollywood, I thought why couldn’t GH do that? Anyway, we over here at SM headquarters apologize for not mentioning this earlier, but most of the mutineers aren’t usually home to watch the show during the day, and for that reason we also wanted to wait for a video clip of the Bollywood item to be available before posting. So, now that the clip is available, you can find the video here. More information on the shoot, the clothes, the song, the choreography, and the video is available here. (The video only opens up in MS Explorer.) From what I gather from my five minute perusal of the show clips, the Bollywood triangle involves three characters: Ethan, Gwen, and Theresa. Gwen is scared of Theresa’s attempts to lure Ethan away from her, and convinces Ethan to travel with her to India so they could renew their vows. This is where the dance number begins and then turns into full on Bollywood melodrama. Featuring an ensemble cast of desi background dancers, Gwen and Ethan’s impending infinite bliss, and romp around the tree of life (I have no idea what that is about) is interrupted by the appearence of temptress Theresa in a ‘minimalist’ version of a sari and a black veil. From there it becomes full Bollywood dance dhamaka. The song, Love is Ecstasy comes off less like Bollywood Propah, and more like Bombay Dreams on Broadway. It is catchy though, and the hooks, oh my. Does it get any better than, “Bye Bye, Who Says Bye Bye, Who Gets the Guy?” repeated in a breathy refrain. You can hear the full song here. I got admit, Theresa has some moves, and she pulls off the Bollywood temptress bit quite nicely. She reminds me a bit of Marisa Tomei in The Guru. Ethan on the other hand, could use a couple of lessons from this guy. Ethan’s bhangra skills near the end of the number (5:30), looked more like armless chest pounding than any kind of dance. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the clip, and I think overall the cast did a good job. I think it also speaks to how far towards the mainstream bhangra and Bollywood has actually come in the U.S. I know we discuss this a lot on the site, but a soap opera’s target audience is housewives in middle America, not persons from cities already familiar with the genre. On the other hand, whats more inherently Bollywood, than the fantasy of an American soap opera? Anyway, the Bollywood-themed Passions episode originally aired on Friday January 27.

In other desi-on-tv news, tipster Priya informs us that VH-1 will air MC Vikram and Ludakrishna’s Curry and Rice Girl on the third installment of their show WebJunk, which is scheduled to air at 1AM on Tuesday January 31. WebJunk20 describes the video’s inclusion thusly: “Also, another installment of our ever-so-brief tradition of international amateur music videos, this one from India sends up Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl."

Desi Fly Chicks at the Grammy's

2005-12-14T00:20:00.000-05:00

Even though the award is probably one of the ones announced at an event held prior to the televised Grammy Awards, I am still excited to see both Anoushka Shankar's Rise and Asha Bhosle's You've Stolen My Heart- Songs From R D Burman's Bollywood up for one of the prestigious awards. It is just too bad they are up for the same one. Announced this past Thursday, it turns out both Bhosle, sister of the illustrious Lata Mangeshkar, and Shankar, whose half-sister Norah Jones is also up for a Grammy, have each been nominated in the category of "best contemporary world music album." While the Grammy category groups these albums together, I don't think the albums could be more different.

From what I have heard of these two records, both are great, just in very different ways. Shankar's Rise is an interesting effort: traditional Indian classical meets contemporary that is sometimes touched by electronic via the Midival Punditz's Gaurav Raina. Bhosle's You've Stolen My Heart , which was done with the Kronos Quartet, is pure filmy, but a nice musical reworking of classic Bollywood.

Also nominated in the same category are Amadou & Mariam for Dimanche A Bamako, Gilberto Gil for Eletracústico, and Ladysmith Black Mambazo & The Strings Of The English Chamber Orchestra for No Boundaries. The Grammy's air on CBS on Wednesday February 8. Let's hope for a mutinous outcome, after all, there is a two out of five chance.

Anyway, here is a link to a piece the Village Voice did last week on You've Stolen My Heart, and some other Bollywood music. I don't really like the article because I can't take it when critics who cover South Asian music always make food metaphors.

The music is an electric curry of sweeping overdubbed strings playing a blend of devotional music and action film motifs.

Can someone tell me what exactly an electric curry of sweeping overdubbed strings is?

Lolita Was a Man Eatah..and other music news

2005-11-17T23:39:00.000-05:00

URB Artist of the Year- - Mathangi

Its been awhile since I have posted on MIA, and since I know you all have been waiting with baited breath, here goes. URB Magazine contributor Scott Sterling informed us late last month that Miss MIA, aka Mathangi 'Maya' Arulpragasam has been named URB magazine's artist of the year. I am not really surprised, are you? No, it isn't that she is desi, I just can't think of one other artist that has been as innovative and influential this year. MIA's music has been everywhere, from SXSW and Central Park to a Honda commercial and the O.C., and her influence is easily seen in the resurgence of electro-pop in the mainstream: drum machines and synthetic beats all intertwined with elements of various international flavors and hip-hop. Its not that hip-hop his dead, but it is almost as if MIA has added to this new genre of post Hip-Hop. Music with a message, but with danceable, stranger, hip-hop like beats . This sound has been kickinng around the indy hipster scene for awhile--look at bands like Supersystem on Touch and Go, and LCD Soundsystem. This trend seems to now be making its way slowly towards the mainstream. One of the first indicators, Madonna's latest release, Confessions on a Dance Floor. Scott has promised us he would be posting the full cover story soon. Here is a link to my first post on her here.

me the the scoop on how DJ Quik found the sample of Kaliyon Ka Chaman, for the first big hip hop record featuring a desi sample. Yeah, I am talking about Truth Hurts featuring Rakim's--Addictive [click here for a sample] from 2002.

Now I had heard the beginning, that DJ Quik was watching tv, and all of a sudden he found himself watching Zee TV and heard this rhythm and had to tape it. Anyway, here is DJ Quik's take on it (from the forthcoming URB article)

"Some Indian people are still mad at me for that song, because they thought that it bastardized their culture. I've had Pakistani people interview me that are so standoffish it's almost disrespectful. They are authentically pissed off about that record. I was watching this Bollywood channel that popped up on our cable service called Zee TV and I saw some dope shit going on. I recorded it onto my VCR, dubbed it down to a mini disc, put it into a drum machine and (BT Express') "Do It 'Til You're Satisfied" just went right through it --they both had that Panjabi rhythm. I put it on tape and gave the track to Dre. He thought it was some innovative shit and had Truth do her vocals and mixed it. So who was the real producer? I wasn't even in the studio when Dre produced the song. He didn't have to throw me a bone and give me full production credit, but he did. It started a little trend. I heard Tim doing it, Erick Sermon. Even the people that sued us had to admit the shit was hot."

First things first, what is DJ Quik doing subscribing to Zee TV? Not that non-South Asians shouldn't watch desi channels, but I thought the only way you can get Zee is by subscribing to it off of the Dish Network. I wonder if he is down with Bollywood. I bet he is down with TMBWITW. Secondly, if Dr. Dre was going to be so generous and give Quik a production credit, why not throw Bappi Lahiri a bone and give him some credit as well. And lastly, I don't know that people are mad that Quik and Dre took the beat, because, I have to admit, it was hot, but I do know there are some out there who are angry that they let Truth sing on the track. Her vocals ruined it. Ouch, my ears just started to hurt, thinking about the end of Addictive, you know the part where she tries to do that Qawwali type thing, trying to match Lata's range. Truth is Truth Hurts is just never going to come out a winner against Lata Mangeshkar.

And in the last bit of desi music news, New York's Finest, Jay Dabhi, (yeah, formerly known as Lil Jay), his remix of Hisham Abbas' "Nari Narien" will be featured in Xbox's Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix 3 video game by Konami.

A South Asian Bess

2005-11-13T19:30:00.000-05:00

I can hear what you are saying, "South Asians and Opera," or, "We know Bollywood, but Opera, real singing?" All I can say is Yes, South Asians and Opera, it exists. Soprano Indira Mahajan is making her debut with the Washington National Opera, in its production of Gershwin's Porgy and Bess, playing the lead female, Bess. This is the final week of the show which is playing at the Kennedy Center, and has been receiving reviews, which seem to be mostly positive [link via DCist] thus far. For those of you that don't know, here is a bit more about Porgy and Bess...

"Welcome to Catfish Row. In this poignant tale of love found and lost, the disabled beggar Porgy wins the beautiful but troubled Bess from her macho thug boyfriend Crown only to lose her to "happy dust" and the bright lights of New York."

This isn't even close to Mahajan's first big-time performance, and I am a little surprised we hadn't heard too much of her until now, although I guess opera circles are a bit different than ones many of us belong to. Here is some more on Mahajan from her bio...

Acclaimed for her portrayal of Musetta, she appeared in the Opera Omaha production of La bohème conducted Hal France and returned to Dallas Opera in the Garnett Bruce production which was conducted by Claus Peter Flor. Recognizing her command of the role, the soprano was invited to perform "Quando me'n vo" in the prestigious Richard Tucker Gala at Lincoln Center. Having performed Mimi for the first time in the Dayton Opera production, Miss Mahajan was invited to repeat the role at Royal Albert Hall marking her opera debut in the United Kingdom. The production was directed by three-time Olivier award-winning director Francesca Zambello and conducted by David Parry. Following her debut, Miss Mahajan was recognized for her "substantial voice" in The London Sunday Times. She will reprise the role at Royal Albert Hall in spring 2006.

To hear an mp3 of what the South Asian Soprano sounds like, click here. Sadly, for those of you wanting to see one of the remaining shows of Porgy and Bess, it seems three nights have already sold out (11/15, 11/18, 11/19), so if you are interested, grab your tickets quickly.

Fire, Fire Pa

2005-11-11T12:51:00.000-05:00

The New York Daily News reports today of one Karnail Singh, a Queens, NY resident who is currently recovering in Weill Cornell Medical Center's burn unit since being seriously burned on October 28. How was he burned, you ask? Well, he hasn't been convicted or anything, but it turns out Singh, 48 apparently set himself on fire while trying to set a deathtrap for his daughter-in-law by torching her basement apartment. The cause of his anger (according to fire officials): Singh claimed his daughter-in-law wasn't sending money to his son in India. Oh, and he also also accused her of seeing other men. Thankfully Singh's daughter-in-law Gurpreet Kaur, was rescued unharmed by firefighters who had to cut through metal bars on a basement window to get her out. In a weird twist of fate, as Singh was fleeing, he mistakenly set himself on fire. What goes around, perhaps really does come around.

Squat Like a Hindu

2005-11-09T22:04:00.000-05:00

Hindu Squatting

Ootbes

Hindu squat

Matt Furey

Hindu squats (bethaks) are an exercise, like Hindu pushups (dands), that have been used by Indian wrestlers for centuries to build explosive lower body strength, power, speed and endurance. Can you get stronger doing this so-called "free hand" leg exercise while also staying away from barbell and dumbbell squats? Absolutely. Can you develop greater muscle mass with this bodyweight exercise? Again, absolutely. The Great Gama of India was 5'7" and 260 pounds of streaming steal, with thighs so heavily muscled they resemble the proverbial "tree stumps." Legend has it that Gama of India, who never lost once in 5000 matches, did 4,000 bethaks or Hindu squats each day. These numbers are grossly inflated - but the fact of the matter is that Gama did do this exercise daily and he was unstoppable.

Google search results for Hindu Squat

Google search results for Hindu Pushup

Diwali Updates

2005-10-30T19:19:00.000-05:00

Over a month ago, Sepia Mutiny reported that New York City was considering issuing a parking holiday in deference to the Diwali holiday on November 1. While New York's Committee on Transportation unanimously approved the motion, it was rumored that New York mayor, Michael Bloomberg would veto the legislation. On October 28, as the 30 day time-limit for the veto was set to expire, Mayor Bloomberg vetoed it. From one of the organizer's emails: Because the mayor vetoed the bill so late,

"there is not enough time remaining before Diwali (Nov 1 is the date the city was planning to observe it) to override him and observe the holiday this year. Council Member Brewer is confident that the council will override the Mayor, but it will probably happen at one of the two Stated Council meetings in November (I believe 11/17 and 11/31). So the city will officially observe Diwali next year. This year November 1 falls on All Saints day, on which alternate side of the street parking is suspended anyway."

According to the same email, the Mayor is rumored to be planning a Diwali party at Gracie Mansion, a bit puzzling since he vetoed a bill which would highlight the holiday. Even if Bloomberg doesn't have the party, the City Council is having one on Wednesday, November 2, at 5:30 p.m. at the Council Chambers at city hall. RSVP by 12:00 Noon on Tuesday, November 1, 2005 here.

We were also informed that back in February of 2005, Representative Joseph Crowley of the seventh district of New York introduced a mostly symbolic resolution recognizing the Diwali holiday. The resolution's purpose is simply to "express the sentiments of one of the houses," and will not make Diwali a public holiday. Still it is nice to see some effort to recognize. See the text of the "simple resolution" here.

Lastly, Washington Post reporter S. Mitra Kalita continues her series of India-centric blog posts, entitled "India 2.0," with her most recent discussing her Diwali partying. Click here to peruse her latest, and click here to see the archives.

Still no word on the stamp.

2005-10-27T22:35:00.000-04:00

DESIBLOG is pleased to report that the upcoming James Bond Film Casino Royale, starring Daniel Craig as 007, will be including at least one brown actor on the cast, no not Aishwarya Rai, but Bollywood-villain Gulshan Grover. Grover, true to form, will be playing Le Chiffre, the villain, in Casino Royale, which is based on Ian Fleming's first James Bond book by the same name.

Shooting for the Bond film is due to begin in Prague in February 2006. Grover will be the first Indian to act in a Bond film since tennis star Vijay Amritraj and Kabir Bedi played important roles in Octopussy (1983). [link]

If I recall correctly Octopussy had many scenes filmed at the lovely Lake Palace, located on Lake Pichola in Udaipur (now a Taj-palace hotel).

Upon doing some research I was pretty amazed to find out that Grover has done (and is in the process of doing) several non Bollywood films, including Beeper, a thriller starring Harvey Keitel, Kaizad Gustad's really bad film Boom which had a really attractive cast including Padma Lakshmi, member of Salman Rushdie's posse, the forthcoming My Bollywood Bride, the Salman Khan starrer Marigold, and Tarsem Singh's The Fall.

Being Nitin Sawhney

2005-10-20T23:29:00.000-04:00

When it comes to music in the diaspora, there a few names that of course come to mind (Talvin Singh, Panjabi MC), but one of the most consistent and visible musicians evolving from the South Asian diaspora, and who is not universally from the UK Bhangra or the Asian Drum and Bass scene, is without a doubt, Nitin Sahwney. DJ, producer, musician, and activist extraordinaire, Sawhney whose most recent studio-album Philtre, which has to be listed amongst his best work, is now slated to score Mira Nair's remake of Jhumpa Lahiri's The Namesake, and is reported to be working as a producer on Indo-Canadian British transplant pop-star Raghav's unfinished second album. In fact, Bobby and Nihal, on their October 12 radio show on the BBC offerred up a bit of a preview of the Raghav/Nitin collaborative work entitled "Seasons," which draws heavily on the heavenly 'Mausam', which appears on the Philtre album. After having heard the original Mausam, the version featuring Raghav admittedly sounded a bit cheecky, but knowing that Nitin is producing some of the record makes me dizzy with anticipation. Well, maybe not dizzy, but excited for sure.

Incidentally, Sawhney, who has also worked with Sting and Spanish collective Ojos de Brujo among others, seems to be in demand lately. Former Beattle Sir Paul McCartney, in an interview with Rolling Stone published earlier this month, said he initially wanted to make a record influenced by Nitin's sound,

"I liked the idea of toying with a kind of Asian thing, a one-chord thing. There's an artist called Nitin Sawhney who I like -- he's a British-Asian guy. It was just a vibe I was into at the time

Blogging India at the Washington Post

2005-10-16T21:00:00.000-04:00

This past weeke the Washington Post began running an interesting piece by Staff Writer, author of Suburban Sahibs, and (former SAJA President) S. Mitra Kalita’s ongoing Washington Post blog, India 2.0, chronicling her eight week trip to India. Accompanied by photographer Andrea Bruce (see her recent WP Photo Exhibit here), Kalita departed for her trip before the recent earthquake disaster in India and Pakistan. The scope of her blog looks to be very interesting and falls very-much into line with some of the things we like to focus on here. Since her departure, and subsequent arrival in Delhi, Mitra has blogged on the departure pangs that many of us go through before leaving for the country of some of our parent’s birth, especially post liberalization of the early 1990s.

“Yet again I am surrounded by suitcases and piles of clothing -- the bright pinks and oranges and magentas of East and the tans and blacks and navys of West -- and engaging in the giving and taking that foreshadows the semiannual rite of my hyphenated life: a trip to India. Will I really wear these jeans? Or should I pack another salwar kameez? What's the point of taking so many saris if I still can't wrap myself in them properly. These are familiar questions, posed since I was a little girl spending summer vacations in the land of my parents' birth. But as I look around my bedroom, I am struck by a stark difference between then and now. There are no Nikes. No Walkmans. No Tang. No Pringles. No Guess. No Gap. No Minoltas. No socks. No razor blades. No microwaves (I swear we took one once.) In fact, I am taking no gifts, just a few requested items for my husband's cousin's family, who are hosting me. Among them: a Bose iPod speaker and Livestrong wristbands. I do not have an iPod and didn't know what the heck those bands were. Already, this American cousin feels she has been living in the Dark Ages.”

She has also blogged on the South Asian earthquake and, the burgeoning mall culture that has taken over, not just India, but from my recent travels to South Asia, Sri Lanka as well. She writes of a recent mall opening,

“Make no mistake about the "mall" moniker. In India, that means marble floors and glitzy storefront displays. Like many conveniences taken for granted in the West, the Indian counterpart tends to be equally rooted in providing the customer experience. (McDonald's, for example, might have a worker who pumps your ketchup.) So the opening of M.G. 2 (named for its location on Mehrauli Gurgaon Road and because it is adjacent to M.G. 1) served up a heavy dose of pomp and importance alongside glasses of Coke and mineral water, with trays of tofu triangles and asparagus bruschetta circulated by waiters.”

Water Has Finally Arrived

2005-10-10T23:35:00.000-04:00

I blogged awhile back about the imminent release of the last film in Deepa Mehta's elemental trilogy, Water. The film, whose shooting was forced to relocate secretly to Sri Lanka, stars Lisa Ray (Bollywood/Hollywood), Seema Biswas (Bandit Queen), and Bollywood hearthrob (and Peta Spokesman) John Abraham, is finally making its way through the film fest circuit, playing to a full house at the 30th Toronto International Film Festival, and appearing at Washington D.C.s recent SALTAF. The preview screenings, and the audiences reactions' to the film must have been great because it turns out the film will be distributed in the in the U.S.by Fox Searchlight (MongrelMedia has Canadian distribution and is set to release the film on November 4), the house that distributed wildly successful Bend It Like Beckham. What does this mean for us, the audience? We'll actually be able to see the movie without having to travel far and wide to find the one theater in our state showing it.

View the trailer for the film here. Incidentally, those of you lucky enough to have access to Canadian Bravo will have the opportunity to catch two special episodes of Scanning the Movies, which will focus on the making of Water with part one airing on October 28 and part two on November 4.

Love and Longing in 1225 Pages

2005-10-03T23:50:00.001-04:00

Vikram Chandra, the acclaimed author of Love and Longing in Bombay, Red Earth and Pouring Rain, and co-author with Suketu Mehta of the Bollywood film Mission Kashmir, has apparently been at the center of a vicious bidding war for publishing rights over his next novel, which according to his website is due to be released in the fall of 2006.

An untitled, 1,225-page epic set in India and billed as a combination of "The Godfather" and a Victorian Gothic novel will be released next year by HarperCollins after a bidding war involving six publishers. "It's an extraordinarily compelling page turner that also happens to be a major work of literature," HarperCollins publisher Jonathan Burnham told The Associated Press on Monday. A source close to the negotiations, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the deal was worth $1 million.

(It could be closer to 1.3 million.)

This novel, according to the AP story has been in the works for the past seven years. The officialy yet-to-be-titled novel centers on organized crime in modern Bombay and takes on "religion, politics, money, corruption, idealism, family, loyalty, and betrayal. All things near and dear to Mumbai.

I know, I know, another book on the Mumbai underworld. But I must admit, I am secretly very excited for this to come out for two reasons: I think there is still a lot to be written about the underworld, and it has been too long since I have read some good South Asian fiction.

Chandra's latest novel ranks among the longest fiction works in recent years, although a book published last summer, Paul Anderson's historical novel "Hunger's Brides," topped it at 1,300-plus pages. Fear not, South Asian fiction, much like Bollywood, can keep people holding on, even for thousands of pages as witnessed by the popularity of Vikram Seth's "A Suitable Boy," which is among the 1,000-page novels that have made the best seller lists.

Chandra used to teach an English class at GW when I was in undergrad there, and he gave a special presentation of Mission Kashmir to some students in 1999 or 2000. In the question and answer session that followed Chandra hinted that he was working on a novel about the Mumbai underworld with some friends that he collaborated on the film (Mission Kashmir) with (Suketu Mehta) . I had forgotten about this until Maximum City was published, at which point I thought this was the work Chandra was referring to. I guess not. From this story, it also seems like he and Mehta are no longer such good friends. Perhaps the effect of Maximum City?

Dancing in the Streets (in DC)

2005-10-01T01:08:00.000-04:00

The DC Arts Commission presents the Dance Festival DC 2005, which opens tomorrow with A Bhangra Dance Party: A children’s dance workshop celebrating South India at the Sitar Center on 1700 Kalorama Ave, NW. The free festival will feature performances and interactive workshops showcasing a wide array of folk and traditional dance forms throughout the city.

And yes, I noticed. While I am of course excited about the inclusion of South Asian dance forms in this year’s festival, I wish the description of the events would match the titles. Bhangra is indigenous to North India and Pakistan, so the correct title, if the folk dance in question was Bhangra, would be a dance workshop celebrating North India/Pakistan or Dancing in Punjab even. Yeah, it might not be as catchy or succinct, but accuracy should perhaps be more important. I know Bhangra is better known than say Kuchipudi, but Kuchipudi is actually represented in the second workshop, Global Fusion: A Kaleidoscope of dance, music, and song from around the world. Maybe they meant a children’s dance workshop celebrating South Asia? Alas, this is a minor quibble.

South Asia will also be represented by the Natyabhoomi School of Dance at a 2 pm performance on Saturday October 1, at the National Zoo.

View the entire schedule here, and watch a 30 second preview clip of the dance festival here.

Sabbatical in South Asia

2005-08-08T12:15:00.000-04:00

If you hadn't noticed, (I hope you noticed) I have been away and in South Asia the past couple of months, and really not able to blog as much as I would like. Now that I finally have some access to the net, I thought I would pop my head out and at least share something. I don't necessarily like posts like this, but I really needed to publish something. So....

While I have been based in Sri Lanka since the end of May, this past week I had the opportunity to visit a far-off corner of the territory considered part of South Asia, the beautiful and oft-forgotten Maldives. I thought that in honor of the Maldivian Independence day (July 26), I would drop a little knowledge on one of the most beautiful places in South Asia.

First, it is unclear to me whether it is the Maldives or Maldives, although I believe since the country is a series of atolls (groups of islands), the "the" could potentially be appropriate. Since I was there for all of four days, I am not really an expert on the place and this is more of an observation post than anything.

The main thing that struck me, outside of the natural beauty, was that an Island-country, separated by lots of water from the rest of the sub-Continent, while keeping its own distinct culture, shared so much with the rest of the region. I guess it isn't that far away--the flight to Male is only 85 minutes from Colombo.

One thing that was blatantly different was the English-speaking accent. We all know what I am talking about, that Indian "Hobson-Jobson," Apu English, spoken in variation by those from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal…etc. It was nowhere to be heard by in the Maldives. Instead, most had an almost Australian intonation to their English, which I assume is from its proximity to that part of the world. Also, Maldivians don't have that same interest in cricket--they seem to follow soccer more.

That being said, the country is currently taken by Bollywood, Star Plus and their Hindi language soap operas, by Jay Sean and Raghav, and by curry and rice.
Even some of the food items are similar in style and name. Instead of roti, they have "roshi", and in the savories department, Samosas and Bhajiya are both part of the repertoire, only for veggies like myself, they are off-limits because fish is the added Maldivian ingredient. For dessert they have both bondi and zileybee (jalebi)—which is coils of batter deep fried and served in a syrup, also available in the rest of South Asia.

And if you haven't noticed, the country is simply beautiful.

Johnny Kalsi Represents at Live8

2005-07-05T13:38:00.000-04:00

Even though I am in Sri Lanka away from all of the juicy news stories, I have been keenly made aware of the lack of multicultural representation in the originally planned musical lineup for the groundbreaking Live8 concert in support of debt relief for the various struggling economies of Africa. As of June 11, according to this protest letter/press release, only one confirmed act for any of the six international events was from a developing country.

Is it that uncalled for to ask that a couple of Asian or African bands be included in the line-up, it can't be, can it?

Perhaps Live8 heard the complaints, because before I could get too worked up, I received a press release highlighting the involvement of pioneering Asian drummer, Johnny Kalsi, of the Dhol Foundation in the LIVE 8 Africa Calling concert with the legendary Peter Gabriel at the Eden Project in Cornwall, UK. The Africa Calling show, ran for more than ten hours and featured over 200 African artists as part of the worldwide LIVE 8 celebrations and afforded Kalsi the opportunity to pose with Angelina Jolie.

And if you don't know about Kalsi, you should, because he has been on the scene for a long time. Kalsi is a former member of the legendary Asian Dub Foundation, and has, and continues to play an active part as member of the Afro Celt Sound System. His group, The Dhol foundation has released two full length albums Big Drum, Small World, and the newly released "DrumBelievable," and Kalsi's music has appeared on the official soundtracks for The Hulk and Martin Scorsese's Gangs of New York.

Into the Annals of Poor Writing on South Asia

2005-06-17T09:14:00.000-04:00

I think we have another entry into the annals of really bad writing on South Asia. This entry comes from perennial favorite, our friends over at Condé Nast Traveler.

Those of you who have been to the region understand my initial surprise when I received my June 2005 issue to see on the cover a piece entitled Driving India. I mean, there is a reason that Hertz and Avis car rental companies aren't on every corner (I believe there are 16 Hertz locations for the entire country of over a billion people). Ever wonder why no ingenious Indian business person hadn't created the rupee car rental company? Perhaps because it isn't safe for those unfamiliar with the country/roads to drive there. Like any good desi, I immediately flip to the story entitled "Accelerating Mayhem," and began reading to see how crazy the writer, Stephan Wilkinson must be to take on the Indian roads. Instead I was left wondering how his article got published.

Well as soon as I flipped to page 92, I began to see the signs, not so much that he is crazy, but for bad and clichéd writing on the region. What are these warning signs you ask? Let's have a looksee:

1. Required discussion of arranged marriage, check. I have no idea what this has to do with a travelogue or driving India, but yes, people in India have arranged marriages. It has been written about, TMBWITW Aishwarya has explained it, and some (gasp) even prefer it.

2. The requisite mention of the "Indian head shake," check. To be fair, Wilkinson describes it as "a vague cock of the head." Furthermore, I think we should formally rename it here as the South Asian head shake because I know they do it in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka as well.

3. Use of the word "the" before mentioning the state of Punjab, check. I never understood how this trend started, to say "the Punjab." Writing, "From Delhi through the Punjab" is the equivalent of saying from Washington D.C. through the Pennsylvania…

4. Requisite comparison of India's roads and driving conditions to a video game, check. The driving conditions suck, but there has to be a better, less clichéd way to describe the roads. And I have seen better game comparisons—he uses automotive tetris.

5. Inclusion of caste, check. Wilkinson notes, "What would get him [a driver] pistol-whipped in Chicago or Manhattan occasions not so much as a rude gesture in caste-docile India." First, I am not too sure that this guy has had the full driving experience in India if he thinks that Indians don't suffer road rage. Perhaps he didn't understand when the 25 people he cut off each screamed ben/mather chod or any other of the various other Hindi/Punjabi expletives at him. Second, not too sure how the caste reference works in this instance, even if he is convinced that Indian drivers are a bit more polite than American drivers. Does he actually think it is because of the caste system that drivers are polite?

6. Requisite play on Indian name, check. Well this one is kind of funny, bad writing, but funny. Yes its use merits placement in the annals of bad writing on South Asia, but I chuckled slightly when I read of Wilkinson's Indian driver's fate with traffic. He writes, "South of Chandigarh, we come to an enormous traffic jam to which even Surender surrenders."

At this point, I have begun to see fault in the little things in the article as well, and am wondering how this article got past Condé Nast editors and into print. We learn on day two that Shimla was the former summer capital of India and that it is "so far off the tourist map that an Indian family stops us to pose for snapshots." That Indian people are stopping you to take a picture is not a good indicator of how touristy a place is. Shimla was once the capital of the British Raj and has been a stalwart on the Indian tourist map for ever. When I was there, foreigners were all over the place, and I remember being bombarded upon at the entrance of town by almost as many touts as at the Taj or in Jaipur.

7. And finally, the obligatory mention of a holy cow, check. Yes they are on the road, we know this. I think if people know little of India, they know of the Taj Majal and that cows are everywhere. This was last on my liste because cows, along with a plethora of other animals are indeed on the road and part of the driving experience. At the same time, the holy cow thing has been done over, and over again.

So if any of you out there ever have to write an article on South Asia and are looking for a little help, I would avoid Wilkinson and Condé Nast, and start off here, at the SAJA style book instead.

Vimukthi Jayasundara's "The Forsaken Land" Wins at Cannes

2005-06-06T13:05:00.000-04:00

Director Vimukthi Jayasundara this past May became the first Sri Lankan to ever win the prestigious Camera d’Or award for Best First Film, or any award for that matter, at the world reknowned Cannes Film Festival for his Sinhalese language film Sulanga Enu Pinisa (The Forsaken Land).

Jaysundara, who was trained trained at the Institute of the Cinema and Television of Pune, in India, shares the award at Cannes with an American, Miranda July for her work, Me And You And Everyone We Know.

When asked to talk about the film, Jayasundara said,

"If The Forsaken Land has something to do with my country's history, it is especially through its conveyance of the suspended state of being simultaneously without war and without peace – in between the two. I wanted to capture this strange atmosphere... For me, filmmaking is an ideal vehicle for expressing the mental stress people experience as a result of the emptiness and indecisiveness they feel in their lives. With the film, I wanted to examine emotional isolation in a world where war, peace and God have become abstract notions."

Thankfully, getting to see this film will be made easier by his win at Cannes as his film has found distribution in the U.S and in his native Sri Lanka.

More on Jayasundara and his win here, here, here, and here.

iRiver South Asia Playlist

2005-06-04T09:19:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite things about visiting South Asia, in recent years anyway, is the unique (despite overly repetitive) playlist of MTV India. Sure, some really awful Bollywood songs are included, but where else will you hear a track with such poignant lyrics like "just chill chill, just chill" repeated over and over again, right? So after being in Sri Lanka for over a week, I have added some of the following to my iRiver music playlist. And if you want to have this argument, I like the iRiver better than the Ipod, but lets not make this post an iRiver vs. iPod one.

Bombay Rockers-- Rock The Party. This Danish duo, includes one desi and one gora exactly and approximately. The gora sings in English, and the desi of course sings in Hindi. How novel of an idea? The song is catchy, but the track's music is not original, the lyrics are not really intricate, and it seems like the Rocker's are trying a little too hard to be Europe's answer to the Neptunes (trucker hat, bandana around the wrist and all).

Daddy Yankee--Mirame. To be fair, I actually put this on my playlist before I left the states (along with Raje Shwari and Beenie man's Below the Waist and her track Country Style with Petey Pablo), but this spindi (Spanish + Hindi) reggaeton track is hot, so I had to give it a plug.

Abhijeet Sawant--Mohabbatein Lutaaunga. India's answer to Kelly Clarkson, Reueben Studdard, and Clay Aiken, all rolled into one. Sawant was the winner of "Indian Idol" and can really belt out a tune. It is a little corny, and in the video of this song he does some weird forehead pointing thing, but some of his tracks are catchy, this one in particular.

The Rishi Rich Project--Dil Mera.—This track is on the Kya Kool Hai Hum Soundtrack. I haven't seen the movie, but the trailer makes it look hip, and having the Project participate, makes the film even hipper. I was actually pleasantly surprised to hear a lot of Raghav and Jay Sean tracks all over the radio here in Sri Lanka.

Sonu Nigam, Jayesh Gandhi and Amrita Kak-- Just Chill. I had to put it on, just to laugh. This is apparently the opening track for David Dhawan's new movie Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya, starring Salman Khan and Sushmita Sen. Remember to "just chill chill, just chill."

Blaaze--Bunty Aur Babli. This is the lead track for the movie of the same name starring Abhishek Bachchan and Rani Mukherjee. The song is a rap song and the video has Amitabh lip-synching, quite ridiculously, along to the lyrics. Its unfortunate because the movie looks good.

The Smithsonian Screens Guru Dutt

2005-05-31T11:57:00.000-04:00

First off, many of you may (or maybe not) have wondered why my postings have declined the past couple of weeks. Well, I am in South Asia, where I will remain until mid September. I will try to post every now and again though, as time and internet access are available. Anyway, enough about me...

The Sackler Gallery's Meyer Auditorium is screening Guru Dutt.
Perhaps it is because Time Magazine put one of his movies in its Top 100, or perhaps it is because his films are just plain good. Regardless, I am pleased to type that The Smithsonian Institution will be screening 5 of Guru Dutt's works, each newly restored by the National Film Archive of India including Pyaasa, which was included in Time's list. I liked Pyaasa, but I liked Kagaz Ke Phool and Chaudvi Ka Chand more. All three of these films will be screened, in addition to Mr. and Mrs. 55 and Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam. I haven't seen either of the last two, but its Guru Dutt, so it should be good.

If I was in DC, I would be most looking forward to Chaudvi Ka Chand. Think Moh'd Rafi and his amazing voice swoon, "Chaudvin Ka Chand Ho, Ya Aaftaab Ho...". But I digress.

The movies will be screened throughout June and the schedule is as follows: Mr. and Mrs. 55, Sunday, June 5, 2 pm. Meyer Auditorium

Pyaasa, Friday, June 17, 7 pm. Meyer Auditorium

Chaudhvin Ka Chand, Sunday, June 19, 2 pm. Meyer Auditorium

Kaagaz Ke Phool, Friday, June 24, 7 pm. Meyer Auditorium

Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, Sunday, June 26, 2 pm. Meyer Auditorium

Kollektiv: Coming to DC and a city near you, hopefully

2005-05-19T23:57:00.000-04:00

Kollektiv, my favorite party night is bringing the Asian Massive sound to DC and nationwide in the next few weeks, touching down in DC for it's third installment @ Bossa Lounge (2463 18th St. NW in Adams Morgan) on Friday, May 27th. Taking place monthly in six cities nationwide, Kollektiv brings together the asian electronic stylings
of of some fo the key players bringing the Asian noise: Karsh Kale (Six Degrees Records),
Zakhm (Mutiny), DK aka bollygirlNYC (Avaaz/Gen-Om) and Dimmsummer
(Ethnotechno). They will be joined on paint and canvas by DC's own
V:shal Kanwar (Imperfections).

Can Water Bring Deepa Mehta Back?

2005-05-17T00:25:00.000-04:00

Indo-Canadian Filmaker Deepa Mehta has signed on to direct, according to Variety, a new documentary for Canadian Television entitled, "For Crying Out Loud," a film focusing on four women—hailing from India, El Salvador, Nigeria and Canada—who have been victims of domestic violence.

I am glad that Mehta is coming back, especially after the poor show with Bollywood/Hollywood and The Republic of Love, but what I really want to know is, when will Water, the final film in her trilogy (Fire, 1947 Earth) be released? I liked Fire, while a little slow and odd, after Mississippi Masala, it was my first foray into contemporary (non-Bollywood) Indian cinema, and I was enthralled by Mehta's work.

When 1947 Earth was released, not only did I first see Amir Khan as a real actor, I saw that Deepa Mehta had the potential to make a serious impact on international cinema. Earth was a huge improvement on Fire, and I was anxiously awaiting the last installment of the trilogy, Water.

Anyway, a little Google search led me to this article in India Daily which suggests an imminent release.

After causing a spark in a tinderbox, her film Water is finally complete and ready for an early release. With a new cast and new settings, the film will hit theatres in November. "I''m so glad I''ve got it out of my system. Now I feel I could just retire. I''m that satisfied with Water," said the director. The film's rights have been given to NRI entrepreneur Ajay Virmani.

Piracy, Desi Arts, and DJ Sanj

2005-05-07T12:29:00.000-04:00

It is a well-known fact in the South Asian community that one of the main reasons desi artists do not do well at the box office or in record stores is because of our community's acceptance of piracy. Why pay full price for something, when you can get a rip-off of the original for half the price, right?

I know there have been some raids on Indian stores in the US, more for pirated dvd's than music, but it seems that the meteoric rise of the British Asian music industry has sparked British law enforcement into action. Last week, the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), began raiding Indian stores to try and stop the sale and distribution of the album "Authorised" by DJ Sanj which was released on bootleg records but who is signed to EnvyRoma records, mainly for its illegal use of uncleared music samples and vocals, a problem that seems to be a regular occurrence in Asian music—think PMC's Mundian to Bach Ke biting from busta rhymes, who bit from Knight Ryder. That sample was eventually cleared, but most of the samples aren't.

The BPI confirmed it was investigating complaints by some of its members surrounding the remix album, released by Bootleg Recordings and distributed by the Birmingham based Hi Tech Music label. BPI Director of Anti-Piracy David Martin said: "We believe that this remix album uses lengthy samples of our members' sound recordings without permission." He added: "Of course we take every complaint we receive in relation to our members’ rights very seriously, and we are investigating the situation."

(There are also some questions abput the relationship between EnvyRoma and Bootleg, and the excellent Asians in Media is followed up on this. )

Desi DJ's in the US and in the UK, and probably diaspora-wide, are notorious for straight up beat and sample jacking. It isn't a healthy borrowing of a note here-and-there, but full hooks, choruses, or series of notes that are often used. That is fine if these mixes are going to be given away as promotional materials or just played at a club. But, to make cd's full of these uncleared samples and then sell them, well, that is kind of shady.

The problem of piracy does not end with the artist however. Sure we can put some of the blame on the download crew, the users of bit torrent and kazaa, but what about the people in the industry who are keeping prices artificially inflated. Is it fair that cd's cost 15 dollars, dvd's 20, or tickets to movies 10? Do musicians and movie stars really deserve million dollar payouts? Yeah they all work hard, but what makes their work worth so much more than mine or yours?

And then, what about the shopkeepers who sell the pirated materials? Many of the DJ remix albums which are promotional material and conveniently make their way into the hands of pirates and shopkeepers who make copies of the promo for sale. I know I have been in stores in Jackson Heights and even the DC metro area that have cd's for sale that have never been released in the US, which by the way, contain tracks that have never been released anywhere. For example, I read somewhere that stores were selling Jay Sean albums that featured demo tracks that he recorded on his home computer before he even met Rishi Rich.

Now I don't know if Sanj released the album unofficially or if some shopkeepers/pirates jacked a promo copy, and made copies, but for the industry to move forward, for asian music, and asian film to succeed, we all need to work together towards a solution. I don't know if that means a boycott of pirated materials, stores that carry pirated materials, overpriced cd's, movies, etc. But some kind of compromise or agreement needs to be made. I can't even begin to estimate the amount of money the industries have lost because of this problem.

I know everyone has a bottom line to meet, but the real bottom line should be the loss of marketability of our artists. If the mainstream does not view the Asian industry or artists as a viable one, why would they or anyone else even consider involving themselves with it?

MIA on Jimmy Kimmel..KCRW

2005-05-03T20:55:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to give a heads up on some upcoming MIA performances that are going to be happening in the states. First, MIA will be performing on Jimmy Kimmel Live tonight.
Also, you can view a recent performance (May 2) she gave for KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic show here.
It is a nice chance to see an actual live performance by her, and I think the show can be dowloaded as well for podcast, but more investigation needs to be done on that. Also, MIA is scheduled to appear on KEXP, Seattle's indy station on May 11, and then on the Conan O'Brien show on the 27th of May. These dates seem to intersperse with her US tourdates where she will be co-headlining with new hipster fave, LCD soundsystem.

Kollektive and DJ Rekha in DC this Weekend

2005-04-27T22:31:00.000-04:00

I think this is going to be one of those New York-comes-to DC Desi weekends, unheard of almost here in Washington. First is, what I hope will become a regular event, Kollektiv DC, which features some of my favorite dj's spinning desi influenced drum-and-bass, breaks, and electronica, at DC's Bossa Lounge (Adams Morgan) this Friday. Kollektiv DC this time around is the official release party for Dhamaal Soundsystem's latest EP Transitions and will feature JANAKA SELECTA | from the Dhamaal Soundsystem (SF), Zakhm (Mutiny), dk/bollygirl (avaaz), dimmsummer (ethnotechno.com), and DC's own Vishal Kanwar on the paint and canvas. Bossa Lounge is located on 2463 18th Street NW in Adams Morgan and there will be a 10 dollar cover charge.

And then, as if the fun could not stop, the first ladies DJ collective, are throwing a DESI party on Saturday April 30th, featuring Basement Bhangra's DJ Rekha, on the ones and twos at the Black Cat club located at 1811 14th street. I think this is an all ages show and tickets for this will be $8 in advance (at the blackcat or at ticketmaster) or 10 dollars at the show. I went last year, and quite honestly this was one of my favorite parties of the year. The crowd is atypical, which will probably include lots of hipsters, and the music is hip-hop, bhangra, and reggae.

If you are in DC, make sure you check out at least one of these shows.

Its True: Aishwarya on Oprah This Monday (4/25)

2005-04-23T02:03:00.000-04:00

We have been reporting this for over a month now here on DESIBLOG, and it seems to be official, Aishwarya Rai (TMBWITW), who was featured prominently in DC's most recent international filmfest, will appear on the Oprah Winfrey Show this Monday (4/25), check your local listings to find out when it airs, and Aishwarya's official site for more updates.

SUPERSYSTEM--Always Never Again

2005-04-23T01:16:00.000-04:00

Although this isn't a strictly desi post, I wanted to highlight a new release by Supersystem, formerly el guapo, entitled always never again (touch and go) that some of you may be interested in, especially those of you that enjoy electronic beats mixed with various other musical elements. Like most of the music I highlight on the blog, there is some ethnic influence, but it isn't as overt as in many of the music selections that I usually point to in this space. Anyway, I just saw the band perform last night in Washington, and like usual, I came away impressed with their performance.

Give it a try, you might like it.
To hear two of my favorite tracks from their record, "born into the world," and "defcon," click here, to see the video for "born into the world", click here (to be honest--I am friends and used to work with the singer featured in the video--Rafael Cohen), and to purchase the album from amazon, click here.

MIDIval Punditz--MIDIval Times...and niyaz

2005-04-17T18:31:00.000-04:00

San Francisco based Six Degrees Records, releases on Tuesday April 19th a couple of albums that many of you will be interested in. The first, and one of my favorites of the year is MIDIval Times, the second full length release by the New Delhi based duo of Gaurav Raina and Tapan Raj, collectively known as the MIDIval PunditZ. The follow-up to their very successful 2002 debut is a bit more melodic, a bit more classically Indian, and a little less beat heavy, but nevertheless has changed my perception of what Asian Massive, or Indian influenced electronica can sound like.

The 11 track album opens with the song, "Morning," a teaser of sorts that sets you up for an outrageous and mind-opening roller coaster ride of music. The album is not cookie-cutter by any means and does not fall into any one genre of music, at times it is Indian Classical and traditional, and at others it is Drum and Bass and filmi.

Among the highlights for me is the song "Rebirth," featuring Anoushka Shankar, daughter and protégé of legendary Sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar. The Punditz's subtle beat placement alongside Shankar's sitar works amazingly well, and the track eerily conjures up memories of Discovery of India, one of the songs her father did with Zakir Husain for the Gandhi soundtrack, and one of the most evocative songs I have ever heard.

Other highlights include "Khayaal" featuring the soulful voice of longtime Karsh Kale collaborater Vishal Vaid, and the last track, Hold On (Thaarey Rahiyo), with its nostalgic filmi sound.

What is so striking about the Punditz's work is their ability to not just mix elements of tradition with modernity to create the dreaded term fusion, but internalize both the tradition of Indian music with the modernity of Western beats and create the sounds of a modern India.

To listen to samples of the album click here, and click here to purchase the album from amazon.com.

The second album I wanted to mention is the debut release by the new trio, Niyaz (NEE-ahz),
which is made up of Azam Ali of Vas, Loga Rami Torkian from Axiom of Choice, and Grammy nominated producer/remixer Carmen Rizzo. More than just spiritual chanting to rock and roll music, Niyaz's sound blends ancient Sufi and Urdu poetry, traditional Persian instruments, and gentle and well-placed electronic beats.

Think Enya, but ethnic, and a little less new-age Yoga center, and more loungy and organic. Or as Niyaz themselves like to call it "folk music for the 21st century." Its an interesting concept, and works well at times, especially on "Allahi Allah," and "dilruba," but one that could use a bit more fleshing out. To listen for yourself, click here, and to purchase from amazon, click here.

Panjabi MC's Steel Bangle

2005-04-13T18:58:00.000-04:00

Many of us have been waiting a long time for some new Panjabi MC material, and while he has released a new album, entitled Steel Bangle--in reference to the Kada or bracelet that many Sikh men wear, the material used for the album is apparently music that did not make the final cut for the last album recorded for nachural records.

Word around the block is that PMC, aka Rajinder Rai, had signed on to release a certain amount of records for nachural, and to fulfill his commitment he decided to release old material, again. Even though the material is leftover, it is still PMC, and so some of it is quite hot. You can hear samples of the album's 10 tracks here so go and give it a listen. My favorite track is Nachdi Tu Gidhe Vich featuring his longtime collaborator Labh Janjua, the singer from Mundian to Bach Ke.

Vikram Chatwal's Dream, a Nightmare

2005-04-06T20:50:00.000-04:00

Gawker.com highlights one of our favorites again, Vikram Chatwal. This time, not to highlight his burgeoning film career or his association with the NY/LA Glitterati, but instead his entrepreneurial venture, the boutique Dream Hotel. Well, actually Gawker said they put this item in to highlight the above picture, where they say Chatwal

sure does look serene for a ‘tard whose Dream hotel has been recognized as little more than a dump.

Apparently Dream, which hasn't been getting the best of reviews, recently got canned by Newsweek magazine. In their piece entitled "It Sure Isn't Like Motel 6," the magazine notes:

The Dream Hotel in midtown Manhattan, which opened in October, features three sumptuously decorated bars and, in the bizarre, amply-mirrored lobby, a towering fish tank, a Mongolian statue and a stuffed raven. Its rooms, with 37-inch wall-mounted plasma televisions, are studies in the art of trying to appear chic within a stingy 160 square feet. However, there's no wireless Internet access, and the desk chairs are poorly positioned for working productively on a laptop. “Eclectic design and fancy marketing don’t cut it anymore for the business traveler who’s educated enough to know when they are getting the right product for the right price,” Chatwal says. But it’s hard to reconcile that with the blue luminescent photos (mostly of naked women) that greet guests as they step outside the elevators on each floor. Here’s an even worse sin: during enterprise’s recent stay, the Dream neglected to place our morning wake-up call, requiring a mad dash to the airport. For a business traveler, there’s no greater nightmare.

Perhaps Daddy's entrepreneurial genes don't reach Vikram.

More Gawker on Chatwal here.

Films of the DES

2005-04-03T19:36:00.000-04:00

Imagine my surprise upon opening the handy-dandy filmest DC insert in the Washington City Paper, to find a plethora of Indian films being screened. Now, I am used to seeing one or two, but amongst the many other fine films from other countries being screened, 10 Indian films have been selected for screening. A couple highlights of the selections include an opening night screening of Rituparno Ghosh's Raincoat (starring TMBWITW Aishwarya Rai) sponsored by Air India and Nutella, a screening of Chokher Bali also starring Rai, both with Ghosh in attendance, the stunningly beautiful, musically amazing, yet poorly scripted Dil Se (score by AR Rahman), Dev starring Om Puri and Amitabh Bachchan (with Amitabh in attendance), and Songs of Mahulbani which will be shown with the Oscar nominated Little Terrorist.

The newly colorized Mughal-e-Azam, Morning Raga, The Journey, The Sandstorm, and a Thousand Dreams Such as These round out the desi flicks. Also of interest is the 90 minute film by Salam Pax, entitled Salam Pax: The Baghdad Blogger.

More details at filmfestdc.org

The New York Times Wedding Section

2005-04-02T23:46:00.000-05:00

Even though this is no longer an infrequent occurrence, I love it that Desi weddings are making a regular appearance in the New York Times Vows section, and thus feel the need to blog them from time-to-time. This weeks entry: the wedding of Geeta Chopra, or as many may know her--Citygirl, founder of SALAAM theatre.

GEETA CHOPRA wears a heart drawn with eyeliner on her cheek and answers her cellphone saying, "Citygirl," a surname she adopted in college. "She is bubbly down to her handwriting," her sister, Mona, said. Ms. Chopra, 33, is the founder and artistic director of a five-year-old theater company called Salaam, short for South Asian League of Artists in America. Last March she was steeped in her job, and getting married, she said, was low on her list of priorities. That month, during previews of the Broadway musical "Bombay Dreams," Ms. Chopra orchestrated a splashy pre-opening party in the K Lounge, a night spot in Midtown...

Tragedy at Bhangra Blowout

2005-03-27T23:10:00.000-05:00

This year's Bhangra Blowout festivities ended in tragedy, as 20 year-old Ranjit Singh was fatally stabbed outside an afterparty for the event, held at the Old Post Office Pavilion in downtown Washington, D.C. The stabbing occurred around 3 a.m., almost an hour after the sold-out party ended according to police.

According to the story from the Washington Post,

after a fight broke out, a 5-foot-8 man of either Hispanic or Indian ethnicity, wearing a white shirt and braces on his teeth, pulled out a knife and fatally stabbed Ranjit Singh, 20, of Phillipsburg, N.J., police said. Two friends of Singh's pursued the attacker until they were stabbed by him at 12th and Pennsylvania, police said. The assailant escaped in a green car, and Singh's two friends were taken to a local hospital.

According to the Post article, and an article in the GW University newspaper the organizers capped party entrance at 1250 people, half the amount from the previous year, and had more security than required by the Old Post Office Pavilion. Partygoers also needed to pass through a metal detector because the pavilion is part of a federal complex. I am not really sure what more the organizers could have done to prevent such a tragedy.

When I was at GW, part of the reason BB was so successful was that fights and other such nonsense was checked at the door so that all could revel in the weekend. It wasn't just about the show or the party, but about people coming together as a group, as one collective, as a sea of sepia youth. Maybe I am just being nostalgic, but we didn't have to worry about being killed.

GWU said it would conduct a full review of Bhangra Blowout and decide if the event should be run differently, or if it should even continue to be held at all.

Kollektiv comes to DC

2005-03-21T21:22:00.000-05:00

For those of us often feeling a little jealous b/c our cities, specifically every city except New York and LA, don't get cool desi talent to come and perform can find salvation now that some of my favorite dj's spinning desi influenced drum-and-bass, breaks, and electronica, are bringing their New York night to DC's Bossa Lounge (Adams Morgan) this Friday. Kollektiv DC, headlined by Karsh Kale (Six Degrees), Zakhm (Mutiny), dk/bollygirl (avaaz), dimmsummer (ethnotechno.com), and DC's own Vishal Kanwar on the paint and canvas, is one night not to be missed. This also happens to be taking place on one of the best Desi weekends in DC, Bhangra Blowout weekend, so you have no excuse not to be there, I will be. The party starts at 10.

Salman and Padma

2005-03-08T21:00:00.000-05:00

It was about a month ago that Padma Lakshmi, the supermodel-turned wife of Salman Rushdie was canned by Guy Trebay in the NYT regarding her posturing during New York fashion week, and it was a bit over a week ago when the New York Metro revealed that Rushdie defended his wife's honor by threatening Trebay by saying “If you ever write mean things about my wife again, I’ll come after you with a baseball bat.” As if these two can't get enough ink in the New York papers, Rush and Molloy are reporting in the New York Post that Rushdie will be writing his wife a screenplay.

Rushdie told Webster Hall's Baird Jones: "I am working on a script for Padma to direct. It starts as a comedy, then becomes tragedy and finally ends in horrendous violence."

This wouldn't be that unusual, but the thing is, Padma can't really act (Have you seen the Mariah Carey bomb Glitter or Kaizad Gustad's Boom?). What makes him, or anyone, think she can direct?

Anoop Dawg ... Drop it Like a FOB

2005-03-08T20:51:00.000-05:00

Click here for the video and enjoy--
Remember to turn up your volume. For those of you who don't know, FOB is short for "Fresh off the Boat," which is how many in immigrant communities refer colloquially to newly arrived immigrants.

Some choice lyrics:

"I got the champals on my feet, when I'm walking down the street, and I make the best saag when I want something to eat. "

Shortcut to Nirvana--Kumbh Mela-at a theatre near you

2005-03-07T01:14:00.000-05:00

Ever wonder what it would be like to join 70 million of your closest friends as they find their way to spiritual bliss? The new documentary, opening in limited release on a city-by-city tour, Shortcut to Nirvana tries to clue you in, just in case you couldn't be there. The documentary chronicles the 2001 Kumbh Mela festival, one of the oldest, largest, and most fascinating festivals on earth. Kumbh Melas are typically held every 12 years, and the mela held in 2001 was an extra special mela as it was technically a Maha Kumbh Mela, which only occurs every 144 years, where the Ganga and Yamuna rivers meet, in Allahabad, India.

The film, by Maurizio Benazzo and Nick Day, attempts to offer a snapshot of the festival, and I think to try and do more would be an impossible task for a documentary. To view the trailer, click here and for news and theatre listings, click here.

For all of my Washington D.C. people, the film opens this Friday at E Street Cinema, and director Maurizio Benazzo will be there on Friday and Saturday.

To find out more about Kumbh Mela's click here.

Mira Nair--Pushing the Crossover

2005-02-24T22:14:00.000-05:00

Rediff.com reports that Mira Nair has cast Bollywood star Tabu to play the role of Ashima in her filming of Jhumpa Lahiri's The Namesake. The film which is currently in pre-production, and scheduled to be completed in 2006, also stars Kal Penn as the main protagonist Gogol Ganguli, described by Nair as the "fastest rising Indian American star this side of the ocean." Nair is reportedly in talks with Kate Hudson to play Gogol's (Kal Penn's) American interest. Hudson incidentally will be playing the lead in Gurinder Chadha's next blockbuster I Dream of Jeannie.

Nair said her version of the Namesake would stay

"fairly close to the book. I have made only two changes. One change is that Ashima [the protagonist] is a singer in my film because I want to use music. I love to create soundtracks for my films. Another change – to keep the budget in check – is that I have changed the Cambridge Massachusetts location in the book to New York."

After The Namesake, Nair is scheduled to start on Gangsta M.D., the Hollywood version of Vidhu Vinod Chopra's Bollywood hit, Munnabhai MBBS. Chris Tucker has apparently been tagged by Nair to play Sanjay Dutt's role, although he has not yet committed to the film. I wonder if Nair will add some Bollywood Flair to this one. I can see it now, Tucker and some Bollywood hottie breaking out into an impromptu Hip-Hop meets Bollywood/Bhangra song-and-dance number.

More here and here on Nair's projects.

Ash on CBS' Early Show

2005-02-21T00:50:00.000-05:00

Now that she has conquered Letterman, 60 minutes, Nightline, and allegedly Good Morning America, Bollywood starlet Aishwarya Rai made another appearance on CBS, this time an interview with the Early Show's Harry Smith. Click here to read the story, see a slideshow, and view the video (in either real player or windows media) of the interview. I think she is getting better at handling press.

Oh, and rumor has it that Ash is scheduled to appear on Oprah in March. Not sure if this is going to be a full-hour sitdown, but apparently Oprah's camera's were following Ash around New York last week during the Bride and Prejudice premiere week festivities.

Party Like We're in Bombay

2005-02-21T00:49:00.000-05:00

The New York Times, it seems has found out what many of us children of Indian immigrants have known for sometime, that Bombay or Mumbai, or whatever you want to call it, can compete with any city when it comes to nightlife, that Bombay is a great place to visit without your parents and with your "cool" cousins, and that Bombay is really, really expensive, even when you convert rupees to dollars.

The NYT recently published an interesting piece in their travel section discussing Bombay nightlife, including an informative and expensive "If you go" section as well.

The model-turned-actress Amrita Arora was there, along with her sister, Malaika Arora Khan, the spicy sex symbol of Bollywood. Nearby, the prodigal founder of Hotmail, Sabeer Bhatia, was holding court with several pretty young things in hip-hugging jeans and stiletto heels. Then all heads turned when the television personality Kamal Sidhu sauntered past the proverbial velvet rope, blowing kisses in all directions. "Everyone looks like they're somebody," said Jaimal Odedra, 40, a fashion designer from New York, as he scanned the candle-lighted terrace. "The scene is so Los Angeles." Sure, there was valet parking, movie stars and plenty of over-the-shoulder gazing. But Mumbai (the official name for Bombay since 1995) is a megalopolis so grimy and congested that it makes the mean streets of Compton look like Beverly Hills. The air reeks of sewage and burning trash, cows roam the streets at will, and half of the city's 18 million people live in mud-caked slums. And unlike the other filmmaking capital, it is also a city where night life was virtually nonexistent a decade ago.

I do like the article, but I am not sure that nightlife was nonexistent a decade ago. Bombay has been the film and financial capital of India for over 25 years, and where stars and wealth collide, so does partying (go ahead and say it with that Indian accent, you know you want to --"pahteeing")

You can read the full article here.

Raghav's "Angel Eyes" Enters the UK Charts at Seven

2005-02-13T22:37:00.000-05:00

Reuters reports that Indo-Canadian pop star Raghav's latest single, Angel Eyes has entered the UK singles charts at number 7. Angel Eyes, a desi-dancehall track set to the famous sly and robbie "murder she wrote" riddim, is Raghav's third single from his debut album Storyteller (V2).

There is more on Raghav here and here.

Ash on Letterman and Bride and Prejudice Reviews

2005-02-07T22:59:00.000-05:00

Some positive reviews are coming on of TMBWITW Aishwarya Rai's Hollywood debut in Bride and Prejudice. And to promote Bride, which opens in NYC/LA/and Washington D.C. on February 11, and in the rest of the U.S. in the next couple of weeks, Ash seems to be making the rounds. First 60 Minutes, then her appearance on Nightline, and now, well actually tomorrow, Tuesday Night, she is going to be making an appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman. I hope Letterman's heart can take it. Actually, I think it will be quite amusing to see how Letterman deals with Ash on the show. The film will have its glitzy red-carpet premiere tomorrow in New York as well.

Additionally some reviews of the film have been trickling in, and most have been kind of positive, especially with regards to Aishwarya's performance. Ebert and Roeper gave Bride two thumbs up, and Peter Travers from Rolling Stone (who BTW mistakenly list Kareena Kapoor in the credits instead of Namrata Shirodkar--whose performance exceeded my expectations) proclaims

"Rai is a world-class hottie with talent to match, as she proves in her first English-speaking role. Pity pretty boy Martin Henderson (The Ring), who plays Darcy, the American in love with Lalita despite the prejudice of his hotel-magnate mom (Marsha Mason). He looks lost in his scenes with Rai. Like a kid driving a Rolls, he's out of place and outclassed.The script unravels as it moves to London and Los Angeles and stuffs in new takes on Austen's characters. But Chadha, the shrewdie, keeps the movie alive with swirling color, music and movement. The songs are deliciously silly, especially "No Life Without Wife," which Lalita and her sisters sing in mockery of Mr. Kholi (a scene-stealing Nitin Ganatra), the bachelor who wants a bride for his new L.A. home. Purists who think Austen will be spinning in her grave will be wrong. She'll be dancing."

I think Travers was right on, but more than that, I think Bride highlights Chadha's directing ability. You may say the film is nothing more than a kitchy musical ode to Bollywood, and essentially that is what the film is, in spite of its amazingly witty dialogue and charming song and dance numbers. However, when you begin to compare the performances given in Bride by Ash, and by Namrata Shirodkar, from those typical to a Bollywood film, to me it was as if they were transformed from being just pretty faces, which they definitely are, to people who I wouldn't hesitate to call actresses. And I think you can attribute that to the director, or some really, really good acting classes.

I found the film thoroughly enjoying, and will definitely be seeing it a few more times. You should too. And don't forget to check out Ash on Letterman tomorrow.

Deeyah Has a Plan of Her Own

2005-02-02T21:31:00.000-05:00

Deeyah, the Norway born Asian female, who the Sunday Times (UK) has labelled as "the next big thing," released her debut single "Plan of My Own," this past week, to rave reviews. "Plan" can best be described as a blend of sultry r&b with a bit of desi mixed in for good measure. The track has been getting tremendous play on Desi radio station, mainly in the UK, for at least 6 months, and hopefully, the mainstream will catch on, as they have with Raghav and Jay Sean.

Deeyah recently completed a tour this past June & July, and has spent the past year working with producer, Darin Prindle, who has worked with the likes of Destiny’s Child, TLC, Madonna, Jermaine Dupri, Boyz II Men and Usher. This past August, Deeyah split her time between L.A. and Atlanta in the USA shooting the video for "Plan" award-winning director, John Lindauer whose past clients include Lauryn Hill, Mary J Blige, and Christina Aguilera.

So keep your eyes open. For more on Deeyah, click here, to hear the single (mp3), click here, andhere for the video (Quicktime).

Hot 97's Miss Jones Didn't Learn from Star and Buc Wild

2005-01-25T21:40:00.000-05:00

DESIBLOG Tipsters have been buzzing all week about another racist, ignorant and insensitive incident from the hip-hop airwaves. In this case, Radio Jockey's (RJ's) from The Miss Jones in the Morning Show, on New Yorks popular Hip Hop Station, Hot 97, recorded and played on air, the "Tsunami Song," seriously mocking the hundreds of thousands of those who perished in the devastating tsunami this past December. Miss Info, an Asian-American co-host of the show did not participate, because, duh, she found the song to be extremely offensive. If you click here, you can here a verbal spat (that might give some insight into the intentions of the hosts that did participate) that Miss Info had with Miss Jones over the airing of the highly racist and insensitive song.

If you thought the Star and Buc Wild dialogue was offensive, you might want to skip the next paragraph. From the clip, it seems that the two other co-hosts Miss Jones, and Todd Lynn, recorded the song, with some of the lyrics as follows

..All at once you could hear the screaming ch*nks and no one was safe from the wave there were africans drowning, little chinamen swept away you could hear god laughing, "swim you b*tches swim"
So now you're screwed, it's the Tsunami
you better run or kiss your ass away, go find your mommy
I just saw her float by, a tree went through her head
and now the children will be sold to child slavery...

If you listen to the clip above you hear Miss Jones and co-host Todd Lynn launching into an abusive tirade against Miss Info for isolating herself and not participating. When Info voices her objection to the clip, Miss Jones tells Info she's only complaining because "you feel superior, probably because you're Asian." Then, at minute 3:37 on the mp3 file, you hear Todd Lynn say, "I'm gonna start shooting Asians."

Is there any humor in that?

Thus far outrage against the station and the show is muted, although there has been some press, and even a Hot 97/Miss Jones diss track by Asian MC Jin. To me, any reaction other than the firing of Miss Jones and Todd Lynn, is muted. Hot 97 issued a weak apology here, and according to the statement, Miss Jones in the Morning, along with her entire staff, have agreed to contribute one week’s pay to Tsunami Relief efforts.

To stay updated and to find out what you can do, go to hiphopmusic.com, where there is a list of emails for the show, the hosts, and advertisers. And as always, don't forget to include th FCC on your email list.

Some addresses for Hot 97's parent company, Emmis Broadcasting are below. The first is their head honcho Jeff Smulyan:

hiphopmusic.com suggests you not use the word "tsunami" in your email as it will probably get filtered
jsmulyan@emmis.com
ir@emmis.com
rcummings@emmis.com
jsteele@emmis.com
khealey@emmis.com

Don't forget to ask Hot 97 and its advertisers, how dare you compare a life to a weeks pay?

Links to radio clips taken from 3030radio.com where there is a screen shot of the Hot 97 website featuring the now-removed tsunami song link. Click here for a story on this from the New York Post, here for the asiansinmediawatch website, and here for the story from the Billboard radio monitor. The asiansinmedia website has a form letter/email that you can send.

Thanks Lisa, Vik and everyone else for alerting me to this.

Racing the Monsoon with Michael Douglas

2005-01-24T22:06:00.000-05:00

Michael Douglas, yes Michael Douglas, was in Bombay recently gearing up for his role in the third installment of the action series which includes the "Romancing the Stone" and "Jewel of the Nile" films.

The Indian Express is reporting that Racing the Monsoon , which is being produced by Sahara One Motion Pictures and Percept Picture Company, will be shot entirely in India, mostly in Sahara’s sprawling ultra-luxury Amby Valley township, south of Mumbai. Douglas, also producer of the film, is trying to get the support of the Indian Railways as a major part of the film is centered on a diamond robbery in a train. None other than TMBWITW, Aishwarya Rai, is speculated as being his co-star.

I really hope Douglas isn't the first man Aishwarya has to kiss on the silver screen. Anyway, turns out Douglas, who has seen only "bits and pieces" of two Hindi films, both of them starring Rai, has some advice for the up-and-coming Indian film industry.

Michael Douglas confesses he’s “hardly a Bollywood expert,” but he has a theory about why Indian films don’t do well internationally. ‘‘I don’t know how you guys will take it, but I think you guys falter on script and structure,’’ said the 60-year-old Hollywood actor, in Mumbai to announce his next film. ‘‘Also, the Indian process that you guys have of actors doing many movies at one time doesn’t really benefit in the long run.’’

Smart guy that Michael Douglas.

Kal Penn to Appear in HBO's Six Feet Under

2005-01-20T10:21:00.000-05:00

The TV Guide Insider is reporting that Kal Penn has landed a role in Six Feet Under's final season, that begins airing in June. Penn is slated to enter the show later in the season, and play one of Claire's (Lauren Ambrose) boyfriends, who, if you don't watch the show, tend to be of the off-kilter variety.

Turns out, SFU creator Alan Ball loved [Penn's] his goofy stoner flick, which costarred Off Centre's John Cho. "You really are offering me something on Six Feet based on the character of Kumar?" Penn asked in disbelief when Ball called. The honcho's reply? Yup.

But this is my favorite line from the article...

"So far Penn (who's no relation to Sean)..."

I don't know how someone would confuse the two.

Bombay Dreams is Heading to Bombay

2005-01-18T21:51:00.000-05:00

The Indian Express is reporting that everyone's favorite Bollywood inspired Broadway musical will be heading to the city that named it, Bombay. The show, which did a lot better in the UK, than it did in New York, will be heading to Bombay before heading to China and Hong Kong.

A.R. Rahman, the genius behind some amazing Bollywood soundtracks and the music behind Bombay Dreams, sounded a bit annoyed by the response his show received in the States, suggesting that we Americans aren't as able to think outside of our culture.

‘‘Americans are always talking about their own culture, so they can never be at the receiving-end and accept something from outside,’’ he said, adding that the musical moved to America at the wrong time. ‘‘This was the time when Americans felt that Indians were stealing their jobs, though I’m not at all disappointed.’’

I wonder if Star and Buc Wild saw Bombay Dreams?

ABC News takes a cue from 60 Minutes

2005-01-13T21:58:00.000-05:00

This Friday, ABC's Nightline, one of the better known newsmagazines, will be doing a show highlighting, surprise, surprise, Bollywood. The episode, senior produced by Madhulika Sikka is dubbed as "an introduction to Bollywood for the novice," and will feature Hrithik Roshan, Preity Zinta, and of course, Bollywood crossover ottie-to-be, and oh yeah, the Most Beautiful Woman in the World (TMBWITW), Aishwarya Rai.

And Now for Some Good Desi News coming out of Philadelphia

2005-01-12T23:55:00.000-05:00

The Philadelphia Daily News is reporting that Lee Daniels, directod of the highly acclaimed film "The Woodsman," (starring Kevin Bacon) has cast a DESIBLOG favorite, Aishwarya Rai to star in his next film, a musical Ladies Night. Daniel's describes the film

"like 'Waiting to Exhale' meets 'Chicago' meets animation."

In addition to Rai, Daniels indicated that he has cast, Mo'Nique, Macy Gray, Missy Elliot, Alicia Keys,Mariah Carey, and Patti LaBelle and hopes to cast Beyonce as well.

Russell Peters to Perform in DC

2005-01-12T22:52:00.000-05:00

Candian Desi comic Russell Peters, fresh of the Gurus of Comedy Tour, will be performing at (one of my) alma mater's Georgetown University on Friday, January 28. The show, part of Peter's Comic Relief Tour 2005, will be held in Gaston Hall, and wil benefit Hope's Tsunami Relief Fund. Tickets are $25 and are available here.

Power 99 Responds, Kind Of

2005-01-12T20:21:00.000-05:00

I am not sure how acceptable of a solution this is, but because of the public outcry, emails, calls, and letters from all of you, not only has the hateful/racist/misogynist incident garnered some press attention from the likes of rediff.com, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and the New York Daily news among various others, finally the station, has issued a tiny, tiny apology here.

Yes, below the fold, so make sure to scroll down. The initial punishment, which was later upgraded to an alleged one-day suspension, didn't even include an apology, and found fault only with a hapless "station employee" for placing the clip on the power 99 website. That guy, the public was told, would go to sensitivity training.

Are they serious? Is that all threatening to choke the eff out of someone calls for? And isn't the real problem, that Star and BucWild, Power 99, and clear channel feel that this kind of behavior is ok, on shock radio, and does not demand, at a minimum, some kind of monetary punishment for the DJ's? What I would really like to see is a call from the duo apologizing for call and apologizing to Tina, the phone center operator. I doubt that will happen. But, lets keep on pushing this issue for now, and not let up. It was only because of you all that things happened and light was shed on this event in the first place. Keep the letters, emails and complaints coming!

Harold and Kumar Sign on for Two More

2005-01-08T22:22:00.000-05:00

The Arizona Republic is reporting that both John Cho and Kal Penn have signed on for two more sequels to the wildly popular (at least with DESIBLOG), Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle film. The writing has begun on the first sequel with the internet rumors being correct, it is entitled "Harold and Kumar Go to Amsterdam."

Whether or not it's going to be made depends on the financial receipts from DVD sales and rentals," Kal Penn adds. "If you liked the movie, please rent or buy it - it'll assure that we'll bring you another one next year."

The film went on sale this past Tuesday-so heed Penn's advice and rent or buy it now. You can buy it from Amazon.com here.

Its Time to Reprazent!

2005-01-06T21:34:00.000-05:00

A certain Philadelphia DJ has decided it is funny to threaten the call center employees that happen to be located in India. It seems that Philadelphia radio station Power 99 DJ's Star and Buc Wild, the wakeup crew, think it's funny to call a Indian call center worker and sexually and racially harass and abuse her ("dirty rat eater??"")).

STAR (morning DJ on Power 99): I was surprised when I got somebody on the line in East India… [on phone] This call has been outsourced to India?
STEENA: That’s right.
STAR: Well, ma’am, what the eff would you know about an American white girl’s — uh, uh — hair? And quick beads.
STEENA: Just to inform you, ma’am, we’re a national chain services company. And we’re just taking calls on the opposite…
STAR: Listen, bitch! Don’t get slick with the mouth! Don’t you get slick with me, bitch!
STEENA: Now if you continue to speak this language, I will disconnect the call.
STAR: Listen to me, you dirty rat eater. I’ll come out there and choke the eff out of you. (laughter)
STAR: You’re a filthy rat eater. I’m calling about my American six year old white girl [Star is black]. How dare you outsource my call? Get off the line, bitch! (laughter, applause)

It turns out, STAR, whose real name is Troi Torain is a hypocrite however, when it comes to racism. A couple of years ago, when JLO casually used the N word in one of her songs, Torain was up in arms, calling her "common Bronx trash." "I'm sure a lot of young Spanish kids use the N-word, but when you reach her level -- a level where you have a platform -- why is she using a word that's derogatory to blacks?" he told the Post. "If you're a so-called role model, don't spit in the face of African-Americans." Read the story here.

But, I guess it is ok to trash on Indians.

Read more about this from Sepia Mutiny here.

If you live in Philadelphia, listen to the show to find out who sponsors it, and call them to complain. We have to let them know that racism in any form is not ok. These guys should be unemployed for acting in such a crass and unprofessional manner.

And here is the radio stations info so that you can file a complaint.
Philadelphia, WUSL

Business line: 215.483.8900
Studio hotline (toll-free): 800.669.99FM
Studio hotline (local): 215.263.6699

Attention: Richard Lewis & Thea Mitchem
Power99 WUSL-FM
440 Domino Lane
Philadelphia, PA 19128

Director of Urban Programming/Program Director: Thea Mitchem
Music Director: Coka Lani
News & Public Affairs Director: Loraine Ballard Morrill

UPDATE To ensure something is done, I ask that all DESIBLOG readers listed to the clip, read the transcript and channel your outrage into an eloquent letter/email to the radio staion above, and to the FCC. I will paste a sample email below, similar to the email I sent the FCC and Chairman Michael Powell. The general complaint email address is fccinfo@fcc.gov, and Chairman Powell's is Michael.Powell@fcc.gov. Make sure you include both. And below is a sample email.

Dear Chairman Powell:

I would like to bring to your attention a gross violation of decency standards that recently occurred on a Philadelphia radio station. It has been brought to my attention that on a recent Star & Buc Wild morning show on Philadelphia's Power 99, Star, whose real name is Troi Torain, called and violently threatened the life of a call center employee in India. After a couple of days, the mp3 file of the phone call was removed from their website, but was captured and is available at the URL below. I am a champion of free speech, but when that speech becomes hateful, vulgar, and threatening, that is where I draw the line. http://www.edrants.com/_mp3/Power99_Call_to_India.mp3

It appears to me that the FCC should become involved, and at a minimum enact some sort of punishment for this clear violation of conduct, and racist and vulgar behavior, totally inappropriate for American radio. I am pasting a transcript of the phone conversation below. The call center employee's name is allegedly Steena.

STAR (morning DJ on Power 99): I was surprised when I got somebody on the line in East India… [on phone] This call has been outsourced to India?
STEENA: That’s right.
STAR: Well, ma’am, what the eff would you know about an American white girl’s — uh, uh — hair? And quick beads.
STEENA: Just to inform you, ma’am, we’re a national chain services company. And we’re just taking calls on the opposite…
STAR: Listen, bitch! Don’t get slick with the mouth! Don’t you get slick with me, bitch!
STEENA: Now if you continue to speak this language, I will disconnect the call.
STAR: Listen to me, you dirty rat eater. I’ll come out there and choke the eff out of you. (laughter)
STAR: You’re a filthy rat eater. I’m calling about my American six year old white girl [Star is black]. How dare you outsource my call? Get off the line, bitch! (laughter, applause)

Thank you for your attention in this matter, and I hope that something can be done to rectify this situation.

Sincerely Yours,

The Apprentice's Raj to deliver Keynote Address at SASA

2005-01-05T18:45:00.000-05:00

Yes folks, it is true. Raj Bhakta, one of my (and many other's) favorites, will be headlining this year's annual SASA conference. As if Gurinder Chadha, Saira Mohan, and Anish Shroff were not enouigh. Oh, and how I could I leave out fashion designerAnand Jon, the hordes of desi thugs and wannabee gangsters wreaking havoc in LA, and the threat of a hotel boycott from the list of enticements.

Desi joining the ranks of the British Royals

2005-01-02T18:11:00.000-05:00

Rediff.com is reporting that Ella Gabriella, the daughter of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, plans to marry her Indian boyfriend Aatish Taseer. Ella, 23, the 30th in line to the throne, was studying Spanish and English literature at Brown University, when she met 24-year-old Aatish, a Mumbai-born Sikh, who occasionally dresses up as Captain Condom to promote the importance of safe sex. Taseer's marriage to Lady Gabriella, both of whom are aspiring journalists, will certainly help to put to rest accusations of racism that have dogged her mother since she allegedly told a table of black diners in a Manhattan restaurant to "go back to the colonies" after they ignored her request to quiet down.

Maybe Taseer can do something to get all those items taken by the Brits from India returned. (The Padshahnama, The Kohinoor Diamond etc.))

Reminder: Aishwarya Rai on 60 Minutes Tonight!

2005-01-02T16:08:00.000-05:00

Just a reminder in case you have not read/heard about this somewhere else already--Aishwarya Rai will be speaking with Bob Simon on 60 minutes tonight.

The story, which is apparently entitled "The World's Most Beautiful Woman?" will hopefully touch off some interest in the states for both Bride and Prejudice, which will release in the U.S. in February, but also for Ash herself, who is scheduled to appear in quite a few upcoming Hollywood films.

Once called the most beautiful woman in the world by Julia Roberts, Indian actress Aishwarya Rai is known almost everywhere but in the United States. Her fans have built 17,000 Web sites featuring her image, and a British magazine poll named her the world's most beautiful woman. Her beauty adorns the ad campaigns of brands like DeBeers diamonds, L'Oreal and Coca-Cola. Already the reigning queen of the Indian movie scene, or Bollywood, Rai is currently starring in a British movie called "Bride and Prejudice," which is based on the Jane Austen novel. It's directed by an Indian and contains elements of Indian and Western cinema. The film will be shown in the United States in early 2005.

60 minutes airs on CBS at 7 PM EST.

Tsunami Relief

2004-12-29T21:18:00.000-05:00

As the people of South and South East Asia continue to be ravaged in the aftermath of this devastating natural disaster, DESIBLOG's thoughts and prayers are with those currently suffering from this horrible tragedy. A terrific blog--tsunamihelp.blogspot.com--has been constructed relaying news and information about resources, aid, and donations for victims of the tsunami. Also, if any of you know of any resources not mentioned, please feel free to leave them in the comments.

Additionally, Sulekha.com has joined with the Association for India's Development and have created a system where contributions are being matched. Wikinews has also set up a page of links of charities here.

There are also certain employers who match contributions made by employees so make sure to check with your employer.

Bobby Friction and Nihal: Bhangra Knights

2004-12-21T22:50:00.000-05:00

The Guardian (UK) has published a nice profile of British Asian Radio DJ's, Bobby Friction and Nihal (Did you guess that from the Title?). The two DJ's left last week for India, where they were going to play an afterparty for the MTV India IMMIES, to broadcast a show of what music is hot in India, and to play a set at the country's first stand-alone nightclub in Delhi, whose very existence is evidence of a seismic shift in Indian youth culture.

The fact that Friction and Nihal's show has a primetime slot on national radio also speaks volumes for the rising profile of British Asian culture. A few years ago it would have been unthinkable to hear a Radio 1 DJ play an unreleased bhangra track to a nationwide audience. Then, in 2003, Panjabi MC's Mundian To Bach Ke, with its sample from the theme tune to Knight Rider, became a national hit. A huge and vibrant culture, that had hitherto remained isolated, was exposed to the wider world.

If you don't listen to their show, you should. To do so, click here. Each show can be played back in real player for an entire week after the air date.

To read the rest of the article, click here.

Controversy Erupts Over SASA Hotel Choice

2004-12-21T22:29:00.000-05:00

One of the rites of passage for many college-aged desis in North America is the annual conference of the South Asian Students Alliance, more commonly known as SASA. The conference, this year being held in Los Angeles from January 13-16th, seems to be drawing the ire of workers rights’ and other activists concerned with a boycott/strike being endorsed by almost 3,000 hotel workers against nine luxury Los Angeles-area hotels over an ongoing contract dispute with the owners, according to NBC4.tv. Labor groups including the AFL-CIO, The Los Angeles Coalition to Support Hotel Workers and the Los Angeles hotel worker's union UNITE HERE Local 11 are boycotting the hotels located throughout the city, including the official SASA conference hotel, The Wilshire Grand.

The Coalition said 3,000 hotel workers have been without a contract since it expired in March. Workers are demanding increased wages, health care benefits, a contract through 2006 and a national voice to ensure a fair contract. "They don't respect us," said Donald Wilson, banquet chef at the Century Plaza Hotel, one of the other hotels being boycotted. "They say they treat us like family, but when it comes to contract time they treat us like stepchildren." Wilson said he had worked at the Century for 26 years, and until their contract ran out this year employees always had free health care. A $40 monthly co-payment is now required, an amount many employees with families cannot afford.

In all fairness, according to a story in USC Daily Trojan, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Hotel Employer Council said a contract currently being offered by the hotels offers free health care along with a 20 percent wage increase over a five-year contract period.

The Hotel Employer Council spokesmen alleges however, that "workers don't want to accept it because it is a five-year contract” and the workers “want a two-year plan so they can join up with other cities for a 2006 national labor action."

Anyway, to promote some kind of action from the South Asian student community, a group, known as the South Asians for Change is calling for the organizers of SASA to either change the location and show solidarity with the workers, or for students to boycott SASA altogether.

Let the Top 10 (or Whatever) Lists Begin

2004-12-16T19:46:00.000-05:00

Of course as the year draws to a close, we are all bound to be pummelled with numerous top whatever lists. USATODAY, in one of the first lists, has created its own for the top 100 people of 2004. At 78, is none other than Kal Penn. From the lists profile.

Even if it weren't for Neil Patrick Harris' cameo, Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle still would've been a good movie. If you don't believe me, some further proof: Penn, aka Kumar, has no fewer than five movies coming out in '05.

IMDB confirms that Penn will play the lead in Mira Nair's adaptation of The Namesake (due out in 2006), and lists the other five projects as Vegas Baby (starring Kathy Griffin), Man About Town (Starring Ben Affleck and Ling Bai), A Lot Like Love (2005), Son of the Mask (starring Jaime Kennedy), and Dancing in Twilight (Starring Mimi Rogers).

Also listed, and a significant amount higher I might add, is one of the stars of ABC's silent success, Lost. From USATODAYs commentary...

I don't have a problem with all these articles about Evangeline Lilly being the breakout star of Lost— I just kindly disagree. I find Andrews, who plays tortured and complex Sayid, by far the most compelling character. Let's hope he makes out of this season alive.

Here is a link to a post I did on Lost back in August.

Abhishek Out, Is Kal Penn In?

2004-12-14T21:19:00.000-05:00

Rediff.com is reporting that Abhishek Bachchan has officially bowed out of Mira Nair's upcoming film effort translating Jhumpa Lahiri's The Namesake onto celluloid. Bachchan, who was slated to play the lead in the film, may now be replaced by Kal Penn, whom the BBC has reported "will play an important character." The film is also slated to include Nair's New York gang--Gabriel Byrne, Natalie Portman, Chloe Sevigny, and Steve Buscemi, among others, according to the BBC story.

This film, if done well, has the potential to place Nair in the top tier of directors, and also will hopefully go quite far in presenting certain aspects of desi-American culture to mainstream America.

The story also notes that Nair has turned down the offer to direct the next Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

Bombay Dreams on Broadway Comes to a Close

2004-12-08T22:55:00.000-05:00

Playbill.com is reporting that Bombay Dreams, the Bollywood meets the stage production, will be closing on January 2, 2005. The stubborn show did better than many expected after it received a thrashing in its initial reviews from many of the reviewers familiar with Broadway, but seemingly unfamiliar with the Bollywood concept. The show did surprisingly well for an ethnic themed production however, whichi will have played 284 regular performances since opening in April.

So, if you want to see Bollywood on Broadway, you better get tickets soon. You still have a chance however to see the production as it will be starting a national theater runnng in 2005-2006.

The Gurus of Comedy

2004-12-08T22:45:00.000-05:00

Piyush Dinker Pandya, the writer/director of the genre creating film American Desi is bringing the South Asian answer to the Kings/Queens of Comedy, yes, it is The Gurus of Comedy Tour. The first-ever national tour of South Asian standup comedy, kicks off in Los Angeles this Thursday, December 9, with Russell Peters (Comedy Central), Paul Varghese (NBC's Last Comic Standing),
Anand Chulani (American Chai), and host Aladdin (BET, American Desi).

The five-city tour moves on to San Jose on December 10, San Francisco on December 11, New York City on December 15, and closes in Boston on December 16. Other comedians on The Gurus of Comedy Tour include Pooth the Curry Comic, Vidur Kapur, Tony Sparks, and Mo-D. Complete comic lineups for each show are available here.

Ash in Newsweek

2004-12-05T23:41:00.000-05:00

It isn't that I can't get enough of her, well, actually yeah it is, but I thought I would assist in the conspiracy to make Aishwarya a global star, so click here to see an interview she recently gave to Emily Flynn of Newsweek Magazine.

Many things amaze me about Ash, two nice bits from the interview, her desire to always reprazent for desi cinema, and of course, the persistent and long-standing Ash is the next Bond-girl rumor. At this point, the producers of Bond need to cast her, just to give some sort of credence to the rumor mill.

Mira Nair to Direct Hollywood ReMake of Munnabhai

2004-12-01T22:05:00.000-05:00

In a weird twist on the usual east borrowing from west, especially with regards to film, Hollywood is now borrowing from Bollywood for one of its films, and one of DESIBLOG's favorite director's has been chosen to make the film--Mira Nair.

Believe it. The trade publication Daily Variety (Subscription required) has announced that Mira Nair will be directing Gangsta MD, the Hollywood adaptation of Raju Hirani's mega Bollywood hit -- Munnabhai MBBS. Mira Nair has teamed with "Bringing Down the House" scribe Jason Filardi on "Gangsta M.D.," a Bollywood remake that's been set up at 20th Century Fox.

The story focuses on a low-level gangster who keeps his criminal life a secret from his mother by telling her he is a medical doctor, what else? When his mom discovers his criminal lifestyle and threatens to disown him, he's forced to do the one thing that would make her proud: become a doctor.

The original film was 2003's Hindi-language blockbuster "Munna Bhai, M.B.B.S." A second version was produced this year, "Shankar Dada, M.B.B.S.," which was essentially the same film shot in India's Telugu language.

In a first for Bollywood, Fox bought the script rights for the Hindi film earlier this year, and Chris Rock's name has been mentioned several times during initial speculations. Gangsta MD is expected to hit movie halls in early 2005.

Here is the rediff.com story summarizing the Variety article.

The West Wing Shows Some Desi Love

2004-11-24T22:50:00.000-05:00

I just finished watching tonight's episode of the West Wing on NBC. Maybe it is John Wells (the producer of ER and The West Wing), or maybe NBC has simply discovered the Desi market in the U.S., b/c this episode of The West Wing featured who I thought was Pragna Desai (she starred in ER's episodes based in the Congo and The Ben Affleck flop The Sum of All Fears) as Leo McGarry's nurse.

In the episode, Leo has lost his appetite, and Desai, as his nurse--ok, so we still only play health care professionals (but it is a start!)--uses Indian food and her good looks to charm McGarry into eating.

Is a South Asian woman, dressed in her wedding best and bearing Indian food better than certain illicit substances at giving people the munchies?

Also interesting was some of the dialogue between Desai and McGarry. In the episode, McGarry was considering joining the board of some sort of corporate chemical company. The company seemed quite similar to Union Carbide, because at one point McGarry asked Desai if she was from Haryana, and that that the company was trying to make up for all of the damage it had done there in 1986. Perhaps this was a reference to the Union Carbide disaster in Bhopal in 1984, and the upcoming 20th anniversary of this tragedy on December 3. The issue of a name-change was also discussed, a la Union Carbide to Dow Chemicals.

CraigsList Bangalore

2004-11-21T22:27:00.000-05:00

Let the wifeswapping and casual encounters begin!

The New York Times on the New Wave of Immigrants

2004-11-21T17:33:00.000-05:00

The New York Times is running an interesting series entitled "the Next Wave on what they call, "the transplanted New Yorker." Profiling the stories of 10 different transplants, obviously one had to be brown.

The brown portrait was written by photographer Sanjna Singh, who writes about the voyage she made one summer from her home on the Upper East Side to the man-made India in the Jackson Heights section of Queens. Sanjna's portrait is interesting as it contrasts the modernity, if you can call it that, of Indians living in India to the self-made constraints of tradition that many immigrants from South Asia bring with them into the diaspora. Sanjna, who immigrated to New York from New Delhi about eight years ago, labels her reaction to this phenomenon aptly, as "being in the grip of a bizarre reverse culture-shock."

She notes later,

"here in New York, I didn't think of myself as an immigrant, because for me, the door leading back to Delhi seemed wide open, and I could return anytime I chose. Yet as I entered my eighth year in America, I was forced to recognize that this open door grew more illusory with each passing year. As I drifted further from my own country, I started to feel the need to grant space to my Indian self, right here, in New York."

Click here to read the full profile, and click here to see all the profiles.

Film on Calcutta's Red Light Kids shortlisted for Oscar

2004-11-20T10:13:00.000-05:00

Zana Briski and Ross Kauffman's Born Into Brothels: Calcutta's Red Light Kids, a documentary about children of prostitutes in Kolkata who try to start a new life, has been shortlisted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as one of the contenders for the best documentary feature Oscar, according to rediff.com

A portrait of several children who live in the red light district of Kolkata where their mothers are prostitutes, Born Into Brothels, celebrates New York-based photojournalist Briski's efforts to change the lives of the youngsters. She gave them cameras and taught them how to take pictures, leading them to look at their world with new and hopeful eyes.

Earlier in the year, the 85-minute long film distributed in North America by THINKFILM was a hit at the Sundance Film Festival where it garnered top reviews. Winner of the Audience Award at Sundance, it has been shown at over 20 other film festival winning prizes at most of them. The final five nominees for best documentary will be announced along with the nominees in 24 other categories January 25, and the 77th Annual Academy Awards will be handed out February 27.

Rush Hour 3: Aishwarya Rai to Star?

2004-11-20T09:44:00.000-05:00

Some segments of the Indian media are reporting that Aishwarya Rai may be the next female to star in the Chris Rock and Jackie Chan starring Rush Hour 3. The India Abroad News Service (IANS) is reporting that Sheeraz Hasan, producer of a US entertainment show, has initiated talks between the actress and Hollywood director Brett Ratner (director of the Rush Hour films as well as the upcoming Salma Hayek/Perce Brosnan led "After the Sunset").

Hasan, who was feted at the Indian Telly Awards here Friday, recommended Aishwarya's name while interviewing Ratner for his show, Tinseltown TV. Ratner had told Hasan that he was willing to cast a Bollywood actress in his forthcoming project, but that he knew no one in the Mumbai film industry. Hasan immediately recommended Aishwarya as a possible candidate citing her reputation as "the world's most beautiful woman". The actress' secretary Simone Sheffield and Ratner have reportedly got in touch.

This could be yet another opportunity for Ash to continue her breakthrough into the mainstream, especially because the audience for a film like Rush Hour would most likely be quite different than the one for Bride and Prejudice. Or it could be just another one of those internet rumors.

Tamyra Gray Joins the Cast of Bombay Dreams

2004-11-17T01:16:00.000-05:00

The struggling Bollywood inspired Broadway show, Bombay Dreams, recently added some starpower to its lineup to gather more interest in the fading show, and to make some needed revenues to break even. In order to do so, the show replaced youngster Anisha Nagarajan, with American Idol/Boston Public star Tamyra Gray. Debuting in her first Broadway show, Gray will be a part of the cast for 12 weeks portraying the idealistic filmaker Priya.

Jay Sean's Me Against Myself

2004-11-16T23:54:00.000-05:00

The British Asian Pop sensation Jay Sean has been making waves in the UK in recent months, beginning a few months back with his hit collaboration Dance with You, and now with the release of his top 40 full length album, Me Against Myself, which debuted at 29 this week on the British Charts. Featuring the top ten charting hit singles, "Stolen" and "Eyes on You," Sean is tipped to be the British Asian to actually be the one that finally makes the crossover into the mainstream. Lets hope so.

The Telegraph (UK) too has praise for Sean, whose real name is Kamaljit,

[for many] the best tracks will be two hidden ones, from his earlier incarnation, including You Don't Know Me, about the difficulties of trying to make it as an Asian in the hip-hop arena. The title track sees Sean dissing himself for making music – presumably the poppy stuff – that "you pretend you are into". The intro skit has his producer-mentor Rishi Rich telling him, in a posh English accent, to cut out the conscious stuff, that UK hip-hop doesn't sell and he should write songs about girls. Clearly highly talented, and currently attracting the attention of demi-god producer Timbaland, it will be fascinating to see how Sean resolves his musical schizophrenia.

The Independent (UK) ran an interesting, yet cliched profile of Jay Sean, entitled :Betwen Two Cultures", about ten days ago. Click here to read it. Regardless I want to offer a DESIBLOG Big Up to Jay Sean!

Just an update: Apparently Jay Sean and Rishi Rich have been collaborating with Asian rapper and Ruff Ryders member Jin (of Learn Chinese fame) on a forthcoming track. Apparently Jin was in the UK in the beginning of November for a show, and prior to the concert, Jin and Jay Sean were penning some lyrics in Rishi Rich’s studio for a forthcoming Jay Sean track. The following day, Rishi and Jin knocked out another track .. rumored to be one of the 1st releases on Rishi Rich’s forthcoming album.

Developing...

Happy Diwali

2004-11-13T23:31:00.000-05:00

I wanted to wish all the DESIBLOG readers a happy Diwali. I also wanted to link to an interesting post on Sepia Mutiny regarding the White House celebration of Diwali. I don't know what to make of the controversey, but I do think we have arrived, when a popular internet bargain site features happy diwali messages on their message boards. Apparently, the post wasn't strictly for the holiday, but pointed to a DISH network free promotion, where SETMAX/B4U/TVASIA/ZCINE/SUNTV and Ztv/Sony were offerred for free.

India Bugs Trees to Crack Down on Illegal Logging

2004-11-13T01:03:00.000-05:00

The Independent (UK) is running an interesting story on the embedding of microchips inside of trees in the Indian state of Kerala, in order to curb illegal logging of the precious and aromatic sandalwood tree.

Forestry officials will then be able to use a satellite to monitor the trees. Not only will any attempt to cut them down be detected - the Forest Department will be able to trace the movements of any smugglers who try to take timber out of the area. The trade in contraband sandalwood is one of the most lucrative in India. The "bandit king" Veerappan, wanted for more than 120 murders before he was gunned down by Indian police last month, may have started out poaching elephants for their ivory, but soon moved on to the much more profitable business of sandalwood.

I do think the enforcement of illegal logging laws are important, but I am sure there are better uses for this technology/resource in India.

The NY Times on Bride and Prejudice

2004-11-09T17:37:00.000-05:00

The Sunday New York Times had a few pieces this past week on Gurinder Chadha's forthcoming (yeah it has already released in the UK and in India) Bride and Prejudice. In one article, entitled "The Class Acts" NYT columnist Karen Durbin describes the film as a "gaudy, bawdy Bollywood musical" that has a lot going for it. But as Durbin writes,

"none of that would matter without Aishwarya Rai. As Lalita Bakshi, the latest and by far the most glamorous incarnation of Jane Austen's tartly independent Elizabeth Bennet, Ms. Rai doesn't just carry the picture. She also saves it from its occasional leaps into the taste void, as when she tosses off the lyric, "I just wanna man who'll give me some back/ Who'll talk to me and not to my rack!" with such deadpan aplomb that you almost don't wince. But she's more than just a knock-down, drop-dead gorgeous face. She's even more than a talented singer, graceful dancer and vibrantly confident actress in at least two languages.

I haven't seen the film yet, I am going to tomorrow, but Durbin's description sounds so good, I don't know if I have the heart to tell her that Rai doesn't sing. I especially don't want to tell her, b/c Durbin seems to think Rai's performance is Oscar worthy. She proclaims that Ash's performance in Bride and Prejudice is one of "five performances no one should miss. Especially not Academy voters."

Also in the the Sunday Times is a review-ish type piece by Polly Shulman entitled "Dear Reader, Elizabeth Has Returned. And She's Wearing a Sari." Shulman does an actual comparison of Bride with the original Pride, including a comparison of dialogues. Shulman writes,

The provincial Indian setting offers a dowry of matchmaking mothers, colorful scenery and extravagant song-and-dance numbers that can seem captivating or vulgar, depending on your level of pride and prejudice. Perhaps because in an interracial, cross-cultural romance those traits can come uncomfortably close to racism, the "Bride and Prejudice" script plays down its title attitude. Here, Darcy is less snobby than misunderstood. For example, he refuses to dance with Lalita (Aishwarya Rai), the Elizabeth character, not because "she is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me," as Darcy tells Bingley in the novel, but because he hasn't mastered the drawstring on his Indian kurta-pajama suit, and his pants are falling down.

I am going to try and shop a review, but expect some-sort of DESIBLOG review of the film shortly.

Retesh Bhalla...Desi Wrestler

2004-11-05T21:09:00.000-05:00

The Washington Post has run an interesting piece on Retesh Bhalla, aka Sonjay Dhatt, the professional wrestler (yes WWF style) whose name-tag is "The Original Playa from the Himalaya," or more specifically from Northern Virginia. Retesh, a young desi, a student at Northern Virginia's George Mason University, wears jeans and sneakers by day, next to unsuspecting classmates, but by night, and most weekends, for that matter, he is Sonjay Dutt, "The Original Playa from Himalaya," a guy who flings himself off the ropes of pro-wrestling rings, performs dazzling twists and flips, and then lands -- with theatrical impact -- onto, well, big guys wearing spandex pants and too much baby oil.

"From India . . . " screams the announcer, as Dutt bursts out of the tunnel, struts down the ramp, then leaps onto the ropes, whipping the crowd into fierce applause. Dutt, now 22, was still pretty young when he got hooked. On Saturdays, he and his father would watch wrestling on television all afternoon. Ric Flair. Hulk Hogan. Dusty Rhodes. He taped the shows, bought the magazines, begged for the action figures. Then decided he wanted to grow up to be a wrestler, just like other little boys grew up wanting to be John Elway or Michael Jordan. At first, his parents thought it was amusing. Saw it as a phase. Assumed he'd grow out of it. Certainly didn't take it seriously. "My parents?" says Dutt, as he prefers to be known. "They laughed in my face, of course. They had the same idea that every Indian parent has for their child. Being a doctor or lawyer or something to that effect. I chose totally the opposite."

Click here to read the full article, you really should.

Vote Shroff for ESPN's Dream Job

2004-11-02T20:56:00.000-05:00

Sepia Mutiny oringinally ran the story of a 22 year old Desi American who was vying for an anchor spot on ESPN courtesy of ESPN's Dream Job contest. Anish, the 22 year old Yankees fan (and I think Gujarati) has made it to the finals, and could potentially be the first Desi anchor on ESPN. That is, if enough people vote for him. Click here to see his profile and then, if you feel he deserves it, vote for him (he is the one all the way to the left). Be forewarned he is a Yankees fan.

Jay Sean: The Asian Prince of Pop?

2004-10-28T23:27:00.000-04:00

Quick Update: Reuters is reporting that Jay Sean's single "Stolen," has entered the UK charts at number four. Big up.

The Telegraph (UK) has run a nice arts feature on Jay Sean, the next big British Asian pop star to make the rounds from the Rish Rich Project. The article, and perhaps it has merit, makes it appear that Jay Sean can be the first Asian to really break into the mainstream on a consistent level. Sure Panjabi MC had a hit, and Raghav was quite close to doing it, but Jay Sean's continuous success in the charts with the singles he has released thus far suggest that he could indeed be the first consistent Asian pop star. His most recent single, "Stolen" which released on the 25th (I had it wrong in my last Jay Sean post) is rumored to be hovering in the top 5 on the mainstream British charts.

From the article:"Jay Sean has become an idol for every Asian guy or girl who wants to do something in music," says Atik Rahman of the Club Asia radio station, which launched last year with a Sean live session. "I used to go to clubs, look around and think: there's 80 per cent Asians in here, dancing to R&B and hip-hop, and not one of us is actually doing it. The first person who does it is going to make an impact." With an excellent debut album, Me Against Myself, due next month, part of a reported £1 million deal, and a single set to crash the top five on Sunday, Sean is about to make Rahman's prediction come true. When I meet him some time after the Mela, he seems to have taken well to the demands of his new career.Sean's real name is Kamaljit, "but everyone calls me Nicky - it's a Punjabi thing, having thousands of names". He still lives at home with his family, although he is looking for his own place. "The family's behind me - if they weren't, I wouldn't feel happy doing this," he says.
A massive Big Up and congratulation from Desiblog to the Rishi Rich project and Jay Sean.

click here to purchase Jay Sean's "Me Against Myself" cd from amazon.com

More Bollywood to Hollywood--Mallika Sherawat

2004-10-27T20:36:00.000-04:00
While I was in South Asia, I had a chance to catch a couple of Bollywood Films. One of which was one entitled "Murder." Creative, right? Anyway, the heroine in the film, is one Mallika Sherawat, who not only added a sizzle to the Bollywood thriller, but as I recall, was one of the first Bollywood stars to officially be solicited for a posing in Playboy. Sherawat, of course refused the offer after all, "due to her morals and upbringing."

Anyway, Sherawat, I guess based on the success of her performances in her films (a total of three) will also be joining the ranks of Bollywood stars trying to catch a break in Hollywood as she will be joining the Jackie Chan-led cast of The Myth, taking up the role of the Indian Princess who falls in love and is rescued by Jackie's character.

According to IMDB, Sherawat's racy image in Bollywood, rumors circulated that she landed the role over many other Indian actresses ( Aishwarya Rai, Lara Dutta, Priyanka Chopra) because she was willing to do full frontal nudity in this film. When these rumors were spread, Stanley Tong and Jackie Chan held a special press conference in India to say that they picked Mallika over many others because of her great charm and genuine acting talent, and that the film didn't even have a kissing scene, let alone full frontal nudity. I guess we'll see.

The NY Times on Caste in the Indian Diaspora

2004-10-24T11:43:00.000-04:00
The New York Times (free subscription required), in its Sunday edition has run an interesting take on the role of the Indian/Hindu caste-system in the Indian diaspora in America. I use a hyphen because followers of non-Hindu faiths found in India (Sikhism, Islam, and Christianity etc.) continue to have remnants of the caste system as part of their cultural traditions as referenced in the NYT piece's example of Pinder Paul, who the Times describes as a

"spirited 50-year-old Punjabi Sikh (the Sikh faith absorbed some caste distinctions) who came to New York City in 1985 and worked as a dishwasher at Tad's Steaks. Now he and his wife spend seven days a week running the Chirping Chicken outlet he owns in Astoria. He could cite no instance of outright discrimination, but said looks and gestures sometimes betray upper-caste condescension. "Our friends who came here from India from the upper classes, they're supposed to leave this kind of thing behind, but unfortunately they brought it with them," he said. Yet in a paradoxical demonstration of the stubborn resilience of caste, Mr. Paul is active with a local Dalit group and said he would prefer that his son marry a Dalit. "We want to stay in our community," he said."
The Times use the story of Dr. Bodh Das as their lede, a "silver-haired cardiologist in the Bronx," who they compare to Tivye from Fiddler on the roof, and his attempts to ensure that his three daughters marry into the same familial caste they were born into.

As Dr. Das's experience shows, the peculiarly Indian system of stratifying its people into hierarchical castes - with Brahmins at the top and untouchables at the bottom - has managed to stow away on the journey to the United States, a country that prides itself on its standard of egalitarianism, however flawed the execution. But the caste system, weakening for a half-century in India, is withering here under the relentless forces of assimilation and modernity. While it persists, its vestiges today often seem more a matter of sentiment than cultural imperative. Sometimes, the caste distinctions, recognizable by family names and places of origin, linger as a form of social snobbery. Keerthi Vadlamani, a 23-year-old chemical engineer from an affluent Brahmin family in the south-central Indian city of Hyderabad, said, "Some people are stupid enough not to mingle with a Dalit, to cold-shoulder them. "You won't invite them home, you won't go over to their home," he said. Other upper-caste Indians here say that they do not bother to probe someone's caste and that most compatriots will do business with anyone. Few Indians would admit to such behavior as refusing to eat in a restaurant because its food was cooked by an untouchable, something many upper-caste Indians might have done 50 years ago. Mostly caste survives here as a kind of tribal bonding, with Indians finding kindred spirits among people who grew up with the same foods and cultural signals. Just as descendants of the Pilgrims use the Mayflower Society as a social outlet to mingle with people of congenial backgrounds, a few castes have formed societies like the Brahmin Samaj of North America, where meditation and yoga are practiced and caste traditions like vegetarianism and periodic fasting are explained to the young.
The Times has an interesting take on the whole thing, but kudos to them for exploring a facet of the Indian diaspora that has remained, at least to my knowledge, relatively untouched by mainstream journalism.

The Conan O'Brien Show's Take on Outsourcing to India

2004-10-22T17:42:00.000-04:00
Prashant Kothari has a link to the Conan O'Brien Show's hilarious take on outsourcing. Conan's assistant calls NBC tech support to rid his computer of mutliple pop-up ads. Instead of just dealing with the issue over the phone, the assistant decides to take his computer to the tech. Click here and enjoy!

Banana Republicans

2004-10-22T17:34:00.000-04:00
I couldn't stop laughing at this issue of jest magazine. I don't think I can look at Banana Republic clothes or catalogues the same way again. Below are three of the better images. Click on the Jest link above to see their clothing commentary.

Arundhati Roy to be Awarded the Sydney Peace Prize

2004-10-20T22:29:00.000-04:00
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Booker Prize winning Author Arundhati Roy will be awarded the Sydney Peace Prize on November 3. Roy will deliver the City of Sydney Peace Prize lecture on the same date, while also launching her newest book, "The Chequebook and the Cruise Missiles: Conversation with Arundhati Roy."

While many disagree with Roy's politics and her foray into journalistic activism, I have to admit her ability to move minds through her amazing prose is quite impressive.

As a result of her activism, she is now probably better known for her critiques of the coalition of the willing in Iraq, for criticising the giant US corporation Enron for exploiting and sacking Indian workers, and her critique of globalization, which she has called "a process of barbaric dispossession which has few parallels in history," than for her prize winning novel, "The God of Small Things."

My iRiver playlist --India Edition

2004-10-20T22:13:00.000-04:00
I guess this is a little late coming, but here are three additions to my iRiver playlist straight from the sub-Continent.

The first is Sun Soniye by Shael, on his album Jhoom (Times Music)

The next track is Pyaar Ka Naasha--The Sharabi Catwalk Mix which is available on the compilation entitled SuperModel mix (Sony India)

and the third is Falguni Pathak's Dil Jhoom Jhoom Nache on her on the album of the same name. (Times Music)

I know the last track is corny, but nonetheless, it made the list. enjoy!