Indian Santoor & Arabic Lute Concert...

This was for the first time that a fusion duet of Santoor and Moroccan Lute was presented at an International conference inaugurating the Indo-Arab Partnership Forum.

The idea was to present and introduce Indo – Moroccan music into the world music scenario with the efforts of 2 eminent artists of Morocco and India - Ustad Haj Youness (senior most and Legendary Lute maestro & composer) with the Abhay Rustum Sopori (Santoor maestro & composer) who demonstrated the subtleties of both Moroccan and Indian music. It's also for the first time that a young artist like Abhay collaborated with one of the senior most artists of Arab region.

They played various compositions based on Arabic Muquams composed by both the maestros highlighting music of the 2 countries. They demonstrated incredible speedy patterns running through octaves with brilliant sequences of musical expressions receiving immense applause and appreciation from the audience. They were accompanied on Tabla by Sarit Das, one of the leading Tabla players of the country. During the concert Vidya Shah performed Sufi music while Maida-Eh-Yahyauui along with her group performed traditional Arabic music that enthralled the audience.

H.E. the Ambassador of Morocco Mr. Larbi Moukhariq appreciating the fusion concert hailed the efforts of both the maestro presenting the depth of the 2 musical instruments while praising both the maestros and hailing Abhay Rustum Sopori as 'Ustad' just like his father Pandit Bhajan Sopori, the Santoor Legend & Composer.

Ustad Youness was also happy to visit India and play with Abhay Rustum Sopori and said that it was not that difficult to collaborate with Abhay as his music and Santoor is totally divine which not only sooths the ears but penetrates straight into the heart.

Pandit Bhajan Sopori was also in full praise of both the musicians and said that though both the musicians met for the first time but the fusion concert was of high technical virtuosity and this could only happen as both happen to be very good musicians and top composers.

A Tribute to the victims of Mumbai terror attack...

If music has the intensity of love, romance, inspiration etc. it also has the real pain, truthfulness and the emotions. When someone like Ustad Amjad Ali Khan performs for a cause it's very obvious that it'll create tremendous curiosity amongst the people. The same curiosity and excitement were seen recently at Nehru Park during 'Music in the Park' series organised by Spic Macay. The evening was dedicated to victims of Mumbai terror attack.

The program kicked off with the lighting of lamp by Jerome Bonnafont (Ambassador of France in India), Milena Ramirez (Ambassador of Venezuela in India), Parimal Rai (Chairman, NDMC) & Smt. Subbalakshmi Khan (wife of Ustad Amjad Ali Khan), followed by one minute silence to pay tribute to the victims.

He commenced his concert with 'Nibadh Alaap' in 'Raag Sree' followed by various others and ended with tunes of 'Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram'. His performance was unusual as his tunes were very touchy and painful saying the story of this tragedy. During the concert he also performed his own creation in 'Raag Bapukaunce', he created in the memory of Mahatma Gandhi for UNESCO. Well known media personality Suneet Tondon was the compere for the evening.

After the concert Ustad said, my family since generations have believed that music is a gift of god and it has no religion. Entire nation is upset about recent terrorist activities in Mumbai, they (terrorist) are like animals who don't understand the pain, they just want to create never ending fear and we are the victims of it. We need to stand by it and at the same time a strong reply should be given so that they think before doing anything.

Held out in the open in a lush green park enclosed by sprightly trees and carrying ineffable smell of the fragrant dewy grass and blooming flowers at the advent of spring, the ambience was a handiwork of SPIC MACAY, joined in by the NDMC and Airtel, ideal for the outpouring of mellifluous music.

9th CRY Cadence Corporate Citizenship Challenge

9^th CRY Cadence Corporate Citizenship Challenge
Giving Free and Quality Education a Sporting Chance..

New Delhi, December 6, 2008: For the ninth successive year, CRY - Child Rights and You and Cadence Design Systems combine sport and corporate citizenship to bring the 9^th CRY Cadence Corporate Citizenship Challenge - 5Cs on December 6 and 7, 2008.

The spirit of this partnership is all about creating awareness and sensitizing people to child rights in India. This year, uniting 12 teams on the pitch in Delhi, 5Cs endeavours to focus on the crucial issue of free and quality education for all Indian children. The teams are from Cadence, The Oberoi, FreeScale, Market Rx, OPTO Group, Radisson MBD, KPMG, RBS (The Royal Bank of Scotland Group), QA InfoTech, Rockwell Automation, Polaris Software Lab Limited, DSCL (DCM Shriram Consolidated Limited).

Endorsing the message and flagging off the inaugural match of the 9th 5Cs at the Modern School Grounds, Barakhamba Road was boxer and Olympic medalist, Vijender Singh, who won a bronze medal in the 75kg category at the recent Beijing Olympics.

This CRY-Cadence union stands apart in the area of corporate. NGO partnerships because it goes beyond giving out a cheque. It is a process of engaging and entering a partnership where both parties feet responsible for the cause of India's underprivileged children. The participation of teams from other corporate houses causes this message to reach a wider audience. The fact that this engagement has evolved and deepened is demonstrated by the fact the partnership is now in its 9^th year, without a gap. While in earlier years the focus has been on cricket, this year, the event pans out as an Olympiad, including multiple sports like Cricket, Soccer, Table Tennis, Badminton, Mini Marathon and Basket Ball. The diversification is deliberate: It epitomizes the multidimensional nature of child rights and underscores the point that child rights is not the preserve of the development sector but can and should be actualized by all sections of society.

Speaking on this occasion, Mr Jaswinder. S. Ahuja, Corporate Vice President and Managing Director, Cadence Design Systems (I) Pvt. Ltd., says, "Education helps open window of opportunities for growth and development. The event has grown from strength to strength over the past nine years. Cadence is pleased to be associated with CRY on this initiative and help realize dreams of underprivileged children."

Adding to this, Bondana Dutta, Regional Director, CRY, spoke of the long association with Cadence "At CRY we view the association with Cadence as an abiding one that shows deep commitment and an understanding of the issues of child rights. In a sense this illustrates the extent to which corporate houses can work towards greater social justice."

In the past eight years, the CRY Cadence Corporate Cricket Challenge, has raised 2.4 crores, impacting the lives of numerous underprivileged children and their communities across India. In its 9^th year the CRY Cadence Corporate Citizenship Challenge will raise close to Rs. 30 lakhs. A major chunk of this will be given to specific CRY projects that are powered by a common vision to remove the root causes that lead to deprivation, exploitation and abuse, thus ensuring all children, their basic rights to live, learn, grow and enjoy childhood. All this would not have been possible without the support of organisations such as Foundry Networks, Avocent India, Tyco Electronics, Polaris Software Lab Limited, Ahluwalia Contracts (India) Ltd, QAI InfoTech, APARA, PC[ Limited, Orange Business Services, D-Link, Sun Microsystems, RBS and CMC

About CRY (Child Rights and You):

CRY - Child Rights and You earlier known as Child Relief and You - is India's leading advocate for child rights. Over 28 years CRY has partnered with NGOs, communities, government, the media and is dedicated to mobilising all sections of society to eliminate the root causes of deprivation, exclusion, exploitation and abuse. For more information please visit us at www.cry.org,

About Cadence Design Systems

Cadence enables global electronic design innovation and plays an essential role in the creation of today's integrated circuits and electronics. Customers use Cadence software and hardware, methodologies, and services to design and verify advanced semiconductors, consumer electronics, networking and telecommunications equipment, and computer systems. The company is headquartered in San Jose, Calif., with sales offices, design centers, and research facilities around the world to serve the global electronics industry. More information about the company, its products, and services is available at www.cadence.com.

About Jaswinder S. Ahuja

Jaswinder S. Ahuja is a Corporate Vice President and the Managing Director of Cadence Design Systems in India. Jaswinder leads Cadence's India Operating Region. He is also responsible for defining the globalization strategy for Cadence and developing REtD centers in Russia, Taiwan and China. From 2002 to 2004 Jaswinder was based at Cadence headquarters in San Jose, California and was responsible for establishing and leading the Strategic R&D partnerships and the RftD Central Operations functions for the company. Jaswinder started his career with Cadence in 1988 as a software engineer and has led the India operations since 1996. Under his leadership the India center has grown from an RETD site of around 120 to a corporate resource center of over 700 employees across R&tD, Corporate IT support, Global Customer Care and Field Operations. He has led the India center to be recognized for its operational excellence and as the #1 IT Employer in India among the small companies for four years in a row from 2002 to 2006 based on the DQ-IDC annual best employer surveys. Jaswinder serves on the board of advisors of FirstRain, Inc. and Zafesoft, Inc., and is the Chairman and a member of the Executive Council of the India Semiconductor Association. Jaswinder has a B.Tech in Electronics Engineering from IT-BHU, Varanasi and an MS in Computer Engineering from Northeastern University, Boston, USA. He also holds an Executive MBA from Stanford University, USA.

Third generation prodigy – Bindu Subramaniam

'Haunting' and 'Hypnotic' are the two words most commonly used to describe Bindu Subramaniam's voice. Having been dubbed a 'third-generation prodigy, and an 'assured young soprano' by the press, Bindu Seetaa Subramaniam's talent was noticed and nurtured from a very young age.  Now twenty-four, this singer/songwriter has created a very original sound fusing rock and jazz elements with a background in Indian music.  Her training in Indian and western styles of music have given her a unique sound while her meaningful lyrics and angelic voice leave listeners hooked.

Bindu has collaborated on projects with many great artists, including Dr. L. Subramaniam, Kavita Krishnamurti Subramaniam, Al Jarreau, George Duke, Stanley Clarke, Billy Cobham, Larry Coryell, Corky Siegel, Matthew Santos, Pandit Jasraj, Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna, Pankaj Udhas, Hariharan, and Remo Fernandes.

In addition to performing with her band, Bindu also tours with her family (parents Dr. L. Subramaniam and Kavita Krishnamurti Subramaniam and brother Ambi Subramaniam) and has performed as a soloist with symphony and chamber orchestras, including the Beijing Symphony (China), NRK Philharmonic (Oslo), Sibiu Philharmonic (Sibiu) and the Leipzig Philharmonic Orchestra (Germany). 

Bindu has taken her music across the world, performing at prestigious venues like the Lincoln Center (USA), Esplanade (Singapore) and KLCC Twin Towers (Malaysia).  She has also performed in Switzerland, Mauritius, Oman, Germany, Romania, Poland, Australia, Norway, Sri Lanka and extensively in India, where she is based.  She has performed for crowds of upto 300,000 people.

She was a featured soloist at the Miss World Coronation Ball 1996, and has performed for both the President and Vice-President of India in 1997, for the Presidents of India and China in 2000 and for the President of India in 2005.  She has also been a regular performer at the Lakshminarayana Global Music Festival.  Bindu was a part of the recent Visions of India tour (October 2007 – January 2008), a smash hit across India, attracting crowds of over 13,000 people. The Visions of India Album was released in August 2008.

She has been featured on five of Dr. Subramaniam's CD releases and two DVDs. Bindu's English album debut entitled 'Surrender' is to be released in India early 2009.

Film "Sat Sri Akal" must watches for all the students

Film "Sat Sri Akal" must watches for all the students - Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee

‘Sat Sri Akal’ running success fully in all the theaters. “After the movie ‘Nanak Naam Jahaj’ this will be the second super hit film because of its music and family entertainment.”
Paramjit Singh Sarna, President of  Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, was so impressed and delighted  after seeing the film that he release the letter addressing the principals of the schools stating, “The socio religious Punjabi Movie titled “Sat Sri Akal” showing sikh tenants, traditional values and belief towards the Gurbani enriched in Shri Guru Granth sahib Ji. The film would help the students to know their sikh traditions in a practical manner. You are advised to issue a circular to all the students of your schools/institute to see the film.” 

            "The movie is being taken by public of all ages and sections of the world with a lot of appreciation and applause. Not only it is providing neat-clean family entertainment but also propagating love, value and faith amongst masses. " It has Beaten all the records of a Punjabi film in Delhi (ref Nanak Naam....  ) & Toronto..." from the sms I sent to u, Kanwal & all the concerned... 
“The movie is running 3 regular showa plus 3 special shows at Waves, Rajouri Garden and 1 special morning show daily at Delhi” said Dr Bhupinder Singh Bhoop.

            Jagjit Singht praised the music director Ravinder Singh that he never thought in town like Ludhiana has tremendous talent. About Ishmeet he said that Ishmeet was a excellent singer and he had got every thing in his early age.

Since decades, a void has been felt in the Punjabi film industry for such a classic film that truly represents our rich traditions of Punjabi culture, love and faith. This Cinemascope film project, Sat Sri Akal with digital Dolby sound is a sincere endeavor towards providing neat Family Entertainment propagating a way of life impregnated with rich heritage of true Punjabi culture, moral values, emotions, traditions and Sikh tenets.

A joint production of Mata Triptaji Charitable Trust, Chandigarh, and Frankfinn Entertainment Company Pvt Ltd., Sat Sri Akal movie is a humble tribute commemorating 300 years of Gurta Gaddi Diwas (Coronation) of Sri Guru Granth Sahib. K.S.Kohli of Frankfinn said that all the earning of this film will go to Mata Triptaji Charitable Trust.

             Written by Arvinderjit Singh (Kittu) and directed by Kamal Sahni, the movie revolves around traditional values, love, sentiments, and colossal faith towards the Almighty God. Particularly, it tends to inculcate immense belief towards Sri Guru Granth Saheb Ji and the Gurbani enshrined within. The film tends to enlighten one on how Guru Granth Sahib is practical Guru in this modern world. For the first time, the “true to life” ambience of pilgrimage places like Sri Harmandar Saheb (Amritsar), Sri Hazur Saheb (Nanded) and Sri Bangla Sahib (Delhi) would be shown on 35 mm format.

It has a decent love story going through ups and downs of life, splendidly told amongst heart rendering Gurbani shabads sung by legends and foot-tapping songs. Music, a spell-binding and unique fusion of tradition and modernity, with 8 Gurbani shabads and 3 songs, all by celebrity singers, is one of the major highlights of the film. Three shabads in the soundtrack are rendered by the celebrated icon, Jagjit Singh in his soothing style. The impressive star cast includes Kimi, the most established actress of the contemporary Punjabi.

Cinema. Manpreet Singh, a turbaned Sikh guy from Bollywood plays the male lead against Kimi. Key roles have been played by the established bollywood actors like Arun Bali and Dolly Minhas, besides Avtar Gill, Manmeet Singh, Vivek Shauq, Neelu Kohli, and Nirmal Rishi. Pooja Tandon and Sonpreet are the promising newcomers making their maiden appearance in a mega film.

The film shall set new benchmarks for filmed entertainment in Punjabi language.Besides a good and captivating story, the Punjabi folk, good humour, romance—sans obscenity—picturesque locales, have been imparted tremendous significance in the film.