Splendor of the East - Cultural Show Event

A reminder that Council of Asian Pacific Americans brings to you their Annual Spectacular Cultural show called "Splendor of the East 2010" on Friday, May 14th, 2010 at 7:00pm at the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center at 15801 Michigan Avenue, Dearborn, Michigan.

Tickets for the event are now on sale here. For more information please contact Mumtaz Haque at mumtaz@capa-mi.org or call her at 248-703-6228. You can also contact Robert D. Riparip at bob@capa-mi.org or call him at 248-680-0877.

Check out this video from the event held last year (2009)

Sagar Pasala an up and coming Movie Director from our Community

Meet Sagar Pasala a talented Movie Director from Michigan. Sagar has a strong passion towards Movie making . He is currently enrolled in a Film Direction course in Motion picture institute (MPI) in Troy, MI.

Sagar has directed a impressive short movie titled "The Wish" (embedded below) which was made as part of the curriculum at MPI of Michigan.

Sagar is currently working on a short movie "LAST CHANSES". In addition Sagar is also working on couple of scripts for feature length film, one for bollywood and the other for Hollywood.

A Journey into Ragas

Jain Society of Greater Detroit presents “A Journey Into Ragas” an afternoon of Geet and Film songs based on Ragas. This is a fundraiser event for ‘JIVDAYA’. JIVDAYA is "compassion for all living beings". Admission to this event is FREE. Any Donations given will go to organizations providing mercy and care for Animals.

The artists performing at this event are:
Vocals: Alka Jupudi, Geetha Raju, Sanjay Deshpande and Bhavesh Patel.
Tabla: Hemant Babtiwale
Harmonium: Sanjay Deshpande

The event takes place on Saturday May 1st, 2010 from 2.00 PM to 4.30 PM at Jain Temple, 29278 W. 12 Mile Rd, Farmington Hills, MI. Tea and snacks will be served

For more information contact:
Bharti Shah @ 248-539-3856 [bshah_hm@hotmail.com]
Vinit Shah @ 734-674-3373 [mail2vinit@gmail.com]
Deven Fadia @ 313-727-0394 [devenfadia@hotmail.com]

Classic and Contemporary Hindi Film Music event in Metro Detroit

MAI Family Services brings to you "Sureele Sapne" - a Classic and Contemporary Hindi Film Music event on Saturday April 24th, 2010. The event will feature:
Vocals: Sanjeev and Armeen Ramabhadran
Tabla/Percussion: Prasad Joshi
Drums: Sachin Ramabhadran
Keyboard: Rohan Prabhudesai

The event will be held at The Millennium Center, 15600 J.L. Hudson Drive, Southfield, MI 48075. The event starts with a social hour at 6.00 PM and then the Program begins at 7.15 PM. For tickets please visit MAIFS website.

About MAIFS:

MAI Family Services is a non-profit 501 (C)(3), tax-exempt organization that was established in 1986 as a support system for South Asians (those of Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi, Nepali, Maldivian and Bhutanese origin) in Michigan. MAI Family Services’ mission is: (1) to provide confidential, professional and free counseling services and referrals and (2) to promote awareness of mental health problems, domestic violence and other issues through education and training. For more details visit MAIFS website.

Indian Dance Event in Detroit

Ragmala Dance will be perfoming at Detroit Music Hall on April 24, 2010 at 8:00PM (preglow cocktail hour at 6:30PM). For tickets visit Detroit Music Hall website.

Ragamala brings their audiences a synthesis of philosophy, spirituality and mythology retold through music and movement. Rooted in Bharatanatyam, a classical dance form from southern India, Ragamala blends dance, music, and poetry. Old forms are used in new ways to retain the past, enhance the present, and inspire the future.. Their performances through - London, Indonesia, Russia, Taiwan and Japan, have captivated audiences worldwide.

C.K. Prahalad passes away

Dr. C.K. Prahalad the world renowned management guru from University of Michigan passed away yesterday (Friday, Apr 16) following a brief period of illness. Dr. CK Prahalad is survived by his wife, Mrs Gayathri Prahalad, son, Murali Prahalad, daughter, Dheepa Prahalad and grand children. Dr. Prahalad was born on August 8th, 1941.

From wikipedia:

At 19, he joined Union Carbide, he was recruited by the manager of the local Union Carbide battery plant after completing his B.Sc degree in Physics from Loyola College, Chennai, part of the University of Madras. He worked there for four years. Prahalad called his Union Carbide experience a major inflection point in his life. Four years later, he did his post graduate work in management at the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad.

At Harvard Business School,Prahalad wrote a doctoral thesis on multinational management in just two and a half years, graduating with a D.B.A. degree in 1975. He then returned to India, where he taught at his alma-mater the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad. He returned to the United States, where he held position of the Paul and Ruth McCracken Distinguished University Professor of Corporate Strategy at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business in the University of Michigan.

Indian Music event in Saginaw, Michigan

The White Crow Conservatory of Music presents "SUMKALI" - Music from India in Saginaw, Michigan.

From the event Brochure:

A fresh take on a 2000 year old tradition, Sumkali will transport you half way around the world with the sounds of India. This highly rhythmic and energetic group plays music from North and South India, fused with American Grooves.

This event will take place on Saturday, April 17th, 2010 at 7.00 pm at 3736 Mackinaw St. Saginaw, MI 48602.

Visit sumkali.com for more details

Michigan International Chamber of Commerce event.

Michigan International Chamber of Commerce hosts its monthly meeting on Friday April 16th.

Guest Speaker for this event will be Detroit Free Press Columnist and Emmy Award Winning Journalist Carol Cain. This meeting will also have a panel discussion with attorneys from leading companies and individual practice. The Discussion will be on Intellectual Property; Online Privacy; International Business Laws; Patents & Trademarks, Michigan Small Business Taxes.

The event will take place from 7.00 pm to 11.00 pm at Hotel Baronette, 27790 Novi Road, Novi, MI 48377-3422. Please register for this event at miicc.com

Event Agenda

7:00 pm to 7:30 pm : Registration & General Networking
7:30 pm to 8:00 pm : MIICC overview & Opening Remarks
8:00 pm to 8:30 pm : Dinner
8:30 pm to 9:30 pm : Main presentation & Panel Discussion
9:30 pm to 11:00 pm : Round Table Introductions – Networking
11:00 pm : Adjourn

A R Rahman comes to Michigan on June 19th, 2010

"Mozart of Madras" is coming to Michigan.

A.R. Rahman, Grammy and Academy Award winning music director and composer, best known for "Slumdog Millionaire," will be performing live at Pontiac Silverdome on Saturday, June 19, 2010.

On his forthcoming tour, Rahman will collaborate with creative director Amy Tinkham who is known for creating live musical concerts for a variety of pop-music icons including Britney Spears, the Backstreet Boys and Mariah Carey.

“A.R. Rahman Jai Ho Concert: The Journey Home World Tour” will be a theatrical experience that will blend new technologies with powerful dance arrangements and acrobatics. The concert will keep intact the heritage and traditions of India with a new modern presentation. The show will feature changing sets, large images on LED screens and a spectacular cast of musicians and dancers from across the globe.

The tour will not only feature Rahman's music, but also dance arrangements and acrobatics inspired by his native India. A press release described the concert as a "theatrical experience" utilizing "new technologies."

Venue: Pontiac Silverdome
Address: Address: 1200 Featherstone Road, Pontiac, MI 48342
Time: 8:00 PM
Ticket Price: $50, $70, $90, $110, $150, $200, & VIP

You can buy tickets at: http://www.dhartionline.com

For more info: Send email to mail@dhartionline.com
Call Saleem Siddiqui 734-255-2505

Diwali in Michigan

Diwali (2010) is months away but the planning for a Diwali Concert has already started. DreamZ India is one such organization planning a Diwali Concert on October 23rd. The concert will feature Anwesha (Amul Star Voice of India fame) along with co-singers Trijoy and Bandita accompanied by top-notch musicians from bollywood combined with local dance troupes.

All choreographers and dance teachers from Michigan interested in participating in this event are being requested to contact DreamZ India at diwali@dreamzindiaonline.com

For business and sponsorship opportunities please contact DreamZ India at diwali@dreamzindiaonline.com All profit from this event will be donated to various educational and children's welfare organization in Michigan. For more details visit DreamZ India.

Splendor of the East 2010

Council of Asian Pacific Americans brings to you their Annual Spectacular Cultural show called "Splendor of the East 2010". This event will be held on Friday, May 14th, 2010 at 7:00pm at the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center at 15801 Michigan Avenue, Dearborn, Michigan.

As in years past, the “Splendor of the East” program will promote the unique cultural heritage of Asian Pacific cultures through spectacular musical and dance performances exhibiting the colorful cultures of our neighbors on the other side of the globe.

Tickets for the event are now on sale here. For more information please contact Mumtaz Haque at mumtaz@capa-mi.org or call her at 248-703-6228. You can also contact Robert D. Riparip at bob@capa-mi.org or call him at 248-680-0877.

CA$H a Hollywood movie produced by Indian Producers comes to Michigan

Indian producers Naveen Chathappuram and Prema Thekkek have produced a Hollywood movie titled CA$H. It features Hollywood cast with Sean Bean (Lord of the Rings, Percy Jackson & The Olympians) and Chris Hemsworth (upcoming films Thor, Star Trek).

Through Anil Ambani’s Reliance ADA group, the movie will appear on BIG Cinemas’ screens starting April 9th. It will also be available at main stream theaters (AMC/Regal/etc). In Michigan, CA$H will be available to audiences at BIG Cinema's Novi Town Center 8 location, in Novi, MI.

A special segment shown before the movie will highlight the Indian influence behind CA$H, including a word from Three Idiots star and CA$H supporter R. Madhavan, exclusively on BIG Cinemas screens.

Karn Gill to host 2 Punjabi Radio Shows

Michigan Indian Realtor, Karn Gill who recently launched his own radio show called "The Karn Gill Radio Show" will host 2 punjabi shows on WNZK 690 AM. The shows will air on Tuesday April 6th and April 13th from 8-9pm.

He is hosting this exclusive Punjabi shows on the occasion of Vaisakhi (04/13/2010). Karn will be interviewing guests who will be talking about Punjabi culture, Punjabi virsa. The guest list includes Sukh Dhaliwal (Canadian Parliament MP from Vancouver), Iqbal Mahal (Punjabi TV Host from Toronto), Harvinder Riar (Jus Punjabi TV Host from New York) and Thakar Basati (PCS Chicago - Former President).

You can contact Karn at KarnGill [at] Hotmail [dot] com or visit his website.

Nikki Shah - A Budding Actress from Michigan

Nikki Shah who is currently taking theatre classes at Wayne State University is a young budding actress from Michigan. Nikki recently starred in a independent film titled "Woman of His Dreams". Nikki's role is for just few minutes in the film but with this role Nikki has progressed to lead roles in two other projects.

Nikki has a lead role in "The Heartbreak Away from Hell". This short film is about two characters, Cynthia and John, and the relationship between them. The characters are married, and both want different things. Cynthia wants to settle down and have kids, while John wants to continue his career as a composer and stay in the city. This movie will be turned in to the Ann Arbor Film Festival. It will take about two weeks to edit and finish the film.

The other project Nikki is working on, is a webisode. The first one is named Orientation. This one has 4 characters: Eve, Misty, Jan, and Zach. Nikki plays the role of Misty. All the characters are in college. The three girls live together. The first epidode shows how Misty and Jan both bully Eve, by making her clean up the place and hiding her stuff from her until she does as she is told. Misty played by Nikki has a huge crush on Zach.

We all wish Nikki Shah Best Wishes!!

Michigan Indian Temples in Google Maps Street View

(cross posted from mibazaar.com)
I have created so many mashups but never created one with Google Maps Street View. So here it is ... a mashup showing Indian Temples in Metro Detroit. This mashup shows the temples in Street View along with a Satellite view of the temple location.

The information window in map view has a forward and back arrow which will take you to the next or previous temple location. This mashup page also has a sidebar with Temple listings which when clicked will show you the Google Map Street View of the Temple.

If there are temples in the area I missed please do let me know.

Supriya Kelkar - Screenwriting Talent from Michigan

Meet Supriya Kelkar a talented screen writer from Michigan who is in the writing team of Bollywood Producer/Director Vidhu Vinod Chopra. Vidhu Vinod Chopra is particularly known for producing the Munna Bhai films, Munna Bhai M.B.B.S., and Lage Raho Munna Bhai and more recently 3 Idiots.

Supriya was one of the writers on Lage Raho Munnabhai and Eklavya. She also helped out with smaller things in the background for "3 idiots" and has an "assistance" credit. Supriya is also writing for "Broken Horses" which is Vinod Chopra's hollywood debut.

About Supriya

Supriya Kelkar is a recipient of the 2005 Writer's Arc Fellowship in Los Angeles. Supriya Kelkar was born and raised in Michigan. She studied screenwriting at the University of Michigan, where she met Vidhu Vinod Chopra at a Bollywood Film Festival. Supriya joined Chopra's writing team the following year in 2002, after graduation.

Holi Celebrations in Metro Detroit

Missed out on Holi Celebrations? Worry not because there are couple of upcoming Holi events which you might be interested in.

Uttar Pradesh Association of Greater Detroit
"RANG BARSE" (A colorful evening filled with fun, food and friends) on Saturday March 27th 2010

Event starts at 5.30PM

Place: Bharatiya Temple, 6850 Adams Road, Troy MI 48098

For more info check out UPAD website.

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Michigan Indian American Cultural Association
Holi and Vaisakhi Celebration scheduled for Sunday April 18th, 2010 from 5.00PM to 9.30PM at the Costick Activities Center, 28600 Eleven Mile Road, Farmington Hills, MI.

For more information check out MIIACA website.

Talent Hunt for Singers in Canton, MI

SPYCE Entertainment which has a established band with professional musicians, singers is organizing a "Talent Hunt" for Singers. The event called "SUR SAMRAAT" is scheduled for April 3rd at Ashoka Indian Cuisine in Canton, MI.

The winner of this Talent Hunt gets to sing in the group @ Bollywood Galaxy - the biggest live musical coming up on 8th May 2010. The winners will also get opportunities to perform in other events organized by SPYCE Entertainment.


SPYCE Entertainment is also organizing a zee tv style ANTAKSHARI on Apr 17th. For more details on these events please contact

• Abhinav Verma at (586) 354-0316
• Amit Deshpande at (248) 227-5682
• OR Email at SPYCEUSA@YAHOO.COM

Bhangra Fusion - A Punjabi Dance Music event comes to Detroit

Bhangra Fusion Eleven a Punjabi Dance and Music event takes place this Saturday, March 20th at the Fillmore Detroit (formerly known as the State Theatre) in Detroit, Michigan.

Bhangra Fusion is an annual professional competition where teams compete against one another, demonstrating a fusion of culture and creativity. This year marks the eleventh competition since Bhangra Fusion One back in 2000. For more details on the Detroit Bhangra Fusion event please visit Bhangra Fusion website.



So what is Bhangra

Bhangra is a lively form of folk music and dance that originates from Punjab. People traditionally performed Bhangra when celebrating the harvest. During Bhangra, people sing Punjabi Boliyaan lyrics, at least one person plays the the dhol drum, and other people may play the flute, dholak drum, or other musical instruments. While Bhangra began as a part of harvest festival celebrations, it eventually became a part of such diverse occasions as weddings and New Year celebrations. Moreover, during the last thirty years, Bhangra has enjoyed a surge in popularity worldwide, both in traditional form and as a fusion with genres such as hip-hop, house, and reggae.

Indian Dance and Music event in Traverse City, Michigan

The Dennos Musuem Center at Northwestern Michigan College in Traverse City will present the Nrityagram Dance Ensemble in collaboration with the Wharton Center at MSU on Sat, March 20 at 8:00 pm in the Milliken Auditorium.

So what is Nriyagram Dance Ensemble?

The Nrityagram Dance Ensemble is much more than just a dance company. It is a crucible of inspiration and ideas, a coming together of creative minds. It is a space where dancers, musicians and choreographers live together for years, developing their skill, perfecting their technique and complementing their learning of dance with a study of mythology and the epics, Sanskit and yoga, meditation and the martial arts.

Tickets for this event are $25 in advance, $28 at the door, $22 for Museum members. Tickets may be be purchased by calling 231-995-1553 or on line at www.dennosmuseum.org.

In addition to the public performance, the Nrityagram Dance Ensemble will be performing two concerts during the day for schools in Milliken Auditorium on March 19. For more information contact Diana Bolander at 231-995-1029.

Opening in association with the dance concert will be a photographic exhibition on Varanasi, India by Chicago based photographer Larry Snider. An exhibition preview will take place at the Dennos for concert goers from 7-8 before the dance concert.