The Inauguration of Delhi Virasat was on 2nd September with recitals by Smt. Girija Devi and Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia at the Vice Regal Lodge, Delhi University at 6 p.m.. Virasat is a festival, comprising lecture demonstrations, performance and workshops in folk and classical arts, literature, crafts, talks, walks, theatre, films and yoga held in different education institutions. It aims at a close interaction between students and artists. Smt. Girija Devi started the concert with a few well known traditional ragas and on public demand she also sang "Kajri" where as Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia started with raag "Saraswati". On this occasion Dr. Karan Singh, Smt. Kapila Vatsayan, Raja Rajnish Singh, Jasbir Jassi, Randhir Singh, Dr. Kiran Seth, Rashmi Malik were also present there.

Virasat 2008 comprises of various aspects of our rich heritage like Classical Music and Dance, Theatre by Shri Habib Tanvir, Film Classics of directors like Satyajit Ray, Akira Kurosawa, Charlie Chaplin among others. There will be Folk Forms from North East, Sufi Qawwali, Biraha Geet by Shri Ram Kailas, Prahlad Natak by Shri Krishan Chandra Sahu, Yoga and Meditation, Talks by eminent personalities like Smt. Anjolie Ela Menon, Shri Namwar Singh, Shri Raghu Rai, Shri Dadi Pudumjee, and Heritage Walks to historical sites, Foreign Groups, Intensives and Holisitic Food. Crafts Workshops will also be held in various educational institutes by Ms.Sentila Yanger (Naga Weaving), Smt. Shanti Devi (Madhubani), Smt. Karuna Chitrakar (Patwa Painting), Shri Anis Siddiqui (Calligraphy). All the programmes in this series will be held in schools and colleges. In Virasat series SPIC MACAY plans to conduct over 1000 programmes in India and abroad.

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Her Cello Music truly speaks what cannot be expressed, soothes the mind and gives it rest, heals the heart and makes it whole, flows from heaven to the soul.

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Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani Rajasthan which has the reputation of pioneering the online examinations for admissions through the path breaking BITSAT and setting a bench mark in industry university collaborations is one among the top ranking universities towering above the rest in various best college surveys in India today. BITS offers degrees in various disciplines presently at Pilani, Dubai, Goa and Hyderabad campuses apart from an array of work integrated learning programmes for HRD of a vast spectrum of Indian corporates. The alumni of the Institute who are who is who in various professions and Proud to be BITSians peaking with Passion Quotient for Alma mater are spread across the globe from Australia to America.

The Inauguration of Delhi Virasat will be on 2nd September with recitals by Smt. Girija Devi (Padmabhusan) and Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia (Padmavibhusan) at the Vice Regal Lodge, Delhi University at 6 p.m.. Some of the artistes who will participate in this series are Pt. Birju Maharaj, Pt. Shiv Kumar Sharma, Shri T.N. Seshagopalan, Smt. Allarmel Valli, Pt. Vishwamohan Bhatt, Smt. Shovana Narayan, Pt. Rajan and Sajan Mishra , Smt. Teejan Bai and others.

Virasat 2008 will comprise of various aspects of our rich heritage like Classical Music and Dance, Theatre by Shri Habib Tanvir , Film Classics of directors like Satyajit Ray, Akira Kurosawa, Charlie Chaplin among others. There will be Folk Forms from North East, Sufi Qawwali, Biraha Geet by Shri Ram Kailas , Prahlad Natak by Shri Krishan Chandra Sahu, Yoga and Meditation, Talks by eminent personalities like Smt. Anjolie Ela Menon, Shri Namwar Singh, Shri Raghu Rai, Shri Dadi Pudumjee, Heritage Walks to historical sites, Foreign Groups , Intensives and Holisitic Food. Crafts Workshops will also be held in various educational institutes by Ms.Sentila Yanger (Naga Weaving), Smt. Shanti Devi (Madhubani), Smt. Karuna Chitrakar (Patwa Painting), Shri Anis Siddiqui (Calligraphy). All the programmes in this series will be held in schools and colleges. In Virasat series SPIC MACAY plans to conduct over 1000 programmes in India and abroad.

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The album is produced by Rhythm Cassettes & Records, in which singer is Prasun Mukherjee. The album is a first ever remix of Hemant Kumar songs.

On this occasion Yoga Guru Suneel Singh said remix songs are becoming famous day by day and well appreciated by the listeners specially the young generation. This new album by Prasun Mukherjee with famous songs of Hemant Kumar will be a gift for the music lovers as melody of his songs are still unforgettable by many and this remix version would be a complete new experience for the music lovers.

On the occasion Prasun Mukherjee said he is a huge fan of Hemant Kumar, his songs are still among his favourite. Today is a trend of remix songs, Hemant Kumar songs are very good and remix of his songs would be a new effort to bring about quality music for the young generation.

Prasun said Tumhe Yaad Hoga has a collection of 8 songs; yeh raat yeh chandni..., Bekarar karke hame..., Hai apna dil to awara..., Na tum hame jano..., Tere dwar khara..., Zara nazron se..., Tumhe yaad hoga..., O need na mujhko...". I hope audience will like my efforts and its success would be my tribute to Hemant Kumar from my side.

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During the programme Smt. Gursharan Kaur, Pandit Bhajan Sopori, Smt. Aparna Sopori, Smt. Sonal Mansingh, Ragini Rainu, Rashid Mustafa, Dr. Balyan, Akram Khan and many others were present there.

The first day belonged to Ranjana Gauhar (Odissi), Ashok Ghosal (Odissi) and Shubha Mudgal (Hindustani Vocal) who enthralled the audience, while the second day belonged to Rama Vaidyanathan (Bharatanatyam), Rajendra Gangani (Kathak), Pt. Rajendra Prasanna (Flute) and Abhay Rustum Sopori (Santoor).

Special attraction of the second evening was the Jugalbandi of two maestros Pt. Rajendra Prasanna & Abhay Rustum Sopori as they were performing together after the gap of almost 3 years.

They started with Raaga Rageshwaree in which they performed some special parts of Allap Joda along with different shades in Teen Taal. During the concert they also performed a Bandish - 'Phulwan ki Maala...,' a Tarana 'Ta Num Tadare...' and a fast composition in Ati Drut... the Bandish & Tarana were also sang by Abhay. The maestros were accompanied on the tabla by Ustad Rafi-u-ddin Sabri.

Both the maestros performed at their best, it looked like as if the two musical streams are meeting in full flow at one platform. All the performances were appreciated by the audience.

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Taufiq Qureshi, an ace percussionist of India, is also an acclaimed composer. Being the son and disciple of the legendary tabla maestro Ustad Allarakha; Taufiq’s performances showcase the traditional flavour and intricacies of Indian rhythm, interwoven with his phenomenal command and sparkle of contemporary world percussions.

Taufiq’s trademark style incorporates body and vocal percussions to create unique rhythmic motifs spanning across cultures. His sense of tone and his command over a wide variety of percussion instruments and styles is commendable.

After a long and arduous journey of over twenty years, Taufiq continues to evolve as a percussionist in the ever- inspiring world of live-audience performances.

By virtue of his amazing versatility as a percussionist and as a composer of sorts he has carved himself a special niche in the field of world music and is fondly referred to as: Prince of Percussion.

Ranjit Barot's first medium of expression was the western drum set which earned him a reputation as India ’s best drummer at the age of 17, one he still holds after many years. He played for most of the leading bands of the time and was soon accompanying Jazz ensembles on tours to Europe and the former USSR .

Fortunate to perform with the late great trumpet player Don Cherry at an impromptu jam session in Warsaw and then later in a more formal setting at the Jazz Yatra in Mumbai. At the age of 20, Ranjit played at the Berlin Festival on the same stage as Miles Davis, and at the Belgrade Festival which featured Joe Zawinul and the Weather Report.

Together Taufiq and Ranjit play with a Mumbai-based Indian Classical band Elemental with Vijay Prakash and Aditya Kalyanpur. Elemental is a 4 member band fusing together Indian, classical and western jazz.

The Independence Day Celebrations at Blue Frog begin at 8 PM with an opening act by Mumbai Stamp, a unique percussion band using random objects as instruments followed by Taufiq and Ranjit with Elemental.

Come, lets celebrate our Freedom, the Blue Frog Way… Happy Independence Day!

The doors to Blue Frog on the 15th open at 7 PM. There will be no service during the performance. Tickets available at Blue Frog Rs 300 per person. Call 40332300 to book.

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BLUE FROG is a revolutionary, integrated music project in Mumbai, India. It consists of the country's premiere live music performance club, four state-of-the-art music recording soundlabs, a music production house comprising top-notch composers, musicians and producers, and an independent record label & artist management services.

Composed by Sandeep Chowta, Sonu Kakkar's Debut album Don't touch Me! Promises to be a blockbuster, showcasing her dexterity in singing various genres of music- ranging from up-tempo dance numbers to meaningful ballads, soulful romantic songs to rustic songs set to ethnic tunes.

The album has 8 original tracks. The lyrics have been written by Sameer.It is an upbeat energetic dance song sure to get everyone onto the floor. The video has been directed by Baba Yadav and is now being showcased on all music channels.

In a day and age when packaging matters more than the actual contents, Sonu Kakkar is a rare find. This talented singer's voice packs a punch even while her demure looks win you over with their innocence. Raw but beautiful, Sonu's singing style is full-throated and unabashedly powerful. She wowed the world with her raunchy folk number "Babuji Zara Dheere Chalo" in E Niwas' film Dum and bagged the Best Debutant Singer MTV Immies Award.

Some of Sonu's memorable tracks are – the emotional and heat wrenching track 'Call of the lover – 'Sun Charkhe Di' from Sandeep Chowta's non-film album Mitti, the Indi-pop chartbuster 'Mallika I Hate You'etc.

Exuberant and cheerful, Sonu's indefatigable enthusiasm and passion for music is something she conveys effortlessly through her playback singing and live performance.Sonu is a power packed live performer and sets the stage on fire with her energetic performances.

Sonu's latest album on Sony BMG – Don't Touch Me! - Promises to be a blockbuster album.

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During the evening renowned singer Ravindra Jain paid tribute to Bhajan Samrat in his own style. He along with Smt. Nandani Sharan, Vipin Sachdeva & Prem Prakash performed various Bhajans and made their presence felt. Apart from Bhajans well known singer Amarjeet Singh Bijli presented Shabad & Kirtan dedicated to Guru Granth Sahib and Abdur Rehman presented Naatiya Qalam.

On this occasion Vishal Sharma (Director, Sur Aradhana) said that the aim behind this program is to raise awareness about Sarva-Dharma. He said that all the religions have one thing in common that "Sabka Maalik Ek Hai" and everyone have their own way of praying to God.

On this occasion to give tribute to Shri Hari Om Sharan, Sh. Murli Manohar Joshi (Ex-HRD Minister), Nand Kishore Garg (Vivek Gyan Uday Foundation), Divya Jaiswal (Vice Mayor), Mohan Garg (Vivek Gyan Uday Foundation), Mukesh Gupta, Vishal Sharma and many others were also present there.

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The singer is the official spokesperson of the Laadli campaign of UNFPA that focuses on the pleasure and pride of having a daughter and motivates people to fight injustice against the girl child. ‘The video of the first song in my album 'Sun Zara' is a dedication to all girls, Suneeta said, UNFPA has gratefully supported in making the video of this album. According to United Nations Population Fund, “This video has been made for the Girl Child, to address the issue of Sex Selection and to help stop female feticide”.

There was Suneeta Rao and Ina from UNFPA. Ina said, UNFPA takes entertainment route as a vehicle to spread the message of sex selection. A change, which stirs our conscience into action. There is no better route for this than the field of art, be it music, a painting or a gazal. .Suneeta said, “the only thing which is important is music, we are not looking for whether it will be a hit or not but the important thing for me is that it should be communicated.

Singers and artist like to spread social message. I earlier sang Dhuan which was against smoking..

They told that the musicality is what people will like. It has fantastic music that will remain in the heart of people. You will hear it because it makes difference to your life.

"Sun Zara" has a social message which is to protect girls. The adverse child sex ratio can severely impact the delicate equilibrium of nature and destroy our moral social fabric.

Ina also said, “Contrary to what people believe, lesser number of girls in a society will not enhance their status. Instead, this could lead to increased violence against women, rape, abduction, trafficking and onset of practice such as polyandry.

Ina also said, it is important to focus on the equality mantra. Encourage equal value of the girl child. Law alone will not work; what it needed is a mindset change. Depict how ‘each one of us counts’

This is Suneeta’s fifth solo album, consisting of 8 tunes, which she describes as raga – based contemporary songs. All of them are written by Suneeta, with arrangements by NEXUS, consisting of Gino Banks, Sangeet Haldipur and Sheldon D’Silva, plus three tracks arranged by DJ Gaurav Issar.

Waqt moves at its own pace it never stops. When we see our past it seems it has gone so fast and present seems to be moving slow...but times never stops. So enjoy each moment and live life to the fullest.

The album has 8 tracks and the common theme is salute to life and we are slave of time.

Suneeta said,"Waqt" has lots of message. It is inspired by my experience and the people I have met who enriched my life. Also about enjoying life and music.

There is one Punjabi track ‘ishq da’ a Punjabi track which is in Punjabi pop style. Based on longing distances. About the beauty of Indian girl. It is based on raga Thumri.

She said at last I wish we have positive response for waqt and it is in heart of everyone.

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This is an event (first of its kind) by Matrka and YACM, exclusively for students of this great form of art. Here, as part of the event, will be concerts, lec-dems, lec-cons, educative programmes, movie reels, panel discussions, face to face conversation sessions with artists, listening sessions etc.

Through this event, we wish to expose music students to more programmes, both educative and fun, and also to give students of music an opportunity to meet and interact with each other and enjoy the experience of this wonderful music. Every programme will be very interactive in nature giving the students an opportunity to ask questions and learn from many great artists.

All the events organized are from the ideas that were received from the music students of the three institutions, hence, they get an opportunity to listen to their favorite artistes exclusively for themselves.

This is event, which is open to ALL music students. Lunch will also be provided on all 6 days.

The first 2 days (5th and 6th August) will be held at the Kalakshethra, the next 2 days (7th and 8th) at The Adyar Government Music College, and the last 2 days (9th and 10th) at The Music Academy, Madras. The timings for the event will be from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

Please visit http://svanubhava.blogspot.com/ for more information on the artistes performing and for event schedule.

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Svanubhava is a musical event exclusively for the students of Carnatic Music brought to you by Matrka, in association with YACM (Youth Association for Classical Music).

The program will start at 3:30pm on July 6, Sunday in Chusho Kigyo Center Recreation Hall in Shinagawa City, Tokyo. There will be a performance of Bharatnatyam dance by 16Indian children aged 3 to 12 years. This will be comprised of 3 compositions all composed in traditional style and taught by Ms. Nobi. .

This will be followed by Karnatic vocal recital by Prof.Takako Inoue with Mr. Toshiya Arai on Mridangam and Mr. Koichi Takehara on Morsing. Prof. Takako will perform two traditional compositions, Sitamma Mayamma and Vande Guruvaram.

In the traditional Indian Sitar Performance, Pandit Chandrakant Sardeshmukh will be accompanied on Tabla by Mr. Dineshchandra Dyoundi.

The Sitar performance will then be followed by an interesting performance– Pandit Chandrakant will sing his own Sanskrit compositions - Prayers to Guru - which will be enacted by Ms. Nobi through her Bharatnatyam performance.

The prayers of the Guru composed are “This Universe is without beginning or end and is permeated by the Supreme Entity. The Universe consists of sentient (animate) beings and insentient (inanimate) or stable elements like stones, soil, ether etc. The Guru can guide us to the Supreme knowledge of THAT which pervades all living and non-living beings in the entire Universe (namely Brahman). I salute such a Guru. “

Then, “The Guru can save us from the pangs of ignorance (darkness) by applying to us the balm of knowledge or awareness of the Supreme, I salute such a Guru. “

There will be three such compositions performed. All three describe the greatness of a Guru (teacher) and the value of himself/herself or his/her teachings in ones life.

After this there will be more traditional Indian dances by elder students from Ms. Nobi’s Contemporary Natyam Company

As per the traditional Indian Calendar, on the full moon day in the month of July Indians celebrate and worship Guru.. Guru, is the great teacher who enlightens you and shows the path in life. This worship celebrationis called 'GuruPurnima' and fallson July 17th this year as per the Indian Calendar.

This event is supported by the following organizations in Tokyo: Indian Embassy, The Shinagawa Board of Education, Global Indian International School and the Japanese Association of Indies Music. Currently Presale tickets are available at JPY 2,500

Darshanam is a voluntary organization promoting traditional Indian art and culture in Japan since 1991. A specialty of Darshanam is to give a variety of music performances; this is possible due to the auspicious guidance of Dr. Chandrakant, (www.darshanam.com) who learnt traditional music from Pandit Ravi Shankar and Mrs. Annapurnadevi. In 2007, for Japan India Friendship Year, celebrating 50 years of cultural relations, Darshanam produced several concerts in collaboration with Japanese artists.

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The week long convention was inaugurated by Sh. Mani Shankar Aiyyer, after which folk artists from North East parts; Mizoram, Assam, Arunachal, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Tripura, Nagaland and Manipur presented their colorful performances and made their presence felt in between the presence of music maestros. The performance was worth a watch as it was a complete gesture given by these artists in a very different way.

Reliving the imagination of youths towards Indian Classical Music, Dance and Folk Arts, SPIC MACAY's National Convention had performances by Khayal Singer Ulhas Kasalkar who started with Raaga Multani followed by Raaga Marwa & Tarana in his style. As usual Pt. Hari Prasad Chaurasia was at the top with his brilliance that attracted people during the program. Alaap Jod-Jhala and Taala Roopak performed by him were superb. Entire atmosphere was captured by the Flute maestro while performing tunes of 'Mile Sur Mera Tumhara', the sheer magic of Flute was equally supported by the Tabla of Vijay Ghate. It was just the beginning for the Convention and then came the musical magic by Misra Brothers; Pt. Rajan-Sajan Misra which left the people and other guests going crazy to their tunes. Their performance on Vilambit bandish in Raaga Pooria Kalyan "Payaliya Jhankar" and "Piya Samjhaoon-Samjhat Naahi" in Chota Khyal Bandish in Drut Teen Tala was the most attractive one. In his unique style Pt. Vishwamohan Bhatt presented Raaga Madhurranjini (combination of Raaga Madhuvanti & Shivaranjini), during his performance he brought smells of Rajasthan by performing 'Kesariya Baalam Padharo Mhare Des', to attract the youth he also presented his Grammy Award winning piece 'Meeting By The River'.

Besides these everyone also enjoyed the performances by Ashwini Bhide Deshpande, Ustad Rahim-Fahimuddin Dagar, Abdul Rashid Khan and Kuttiattam Dancer Kapila Venu. Whether it was music maestros or the upcoming performers each and everyone's performance was noticed. During the course of programme the youth also got the opportunity to learnfromleading exponents in variousart formsby participating inintensives. The week long convention was dedicated to Late Table Maestro Pt. Kishan Maharaj.

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EarthSync, the distinctive music label and high-end audio-visual production house based in Chennai, South India, announced that their flagship product Laya Project will be in stores across India on Thursday 3rd of July 2008. EarthSync is committed to nurturing folk, tribal and native music from Asia, and bringing this music to a global audience by bringing together the traditional and the contemporary from around the world.

Major retail chains like Planet M, Landmark, Music World, Crossword and Odyssey will all be carrying the 3 different product formats: a) the deluxe box set consisting of the 68-minute documentary DVD and 2 CDs, b) the DVD only, and c) the 2 CDs only.

For Laya Project, the international EarthSync team travelled for two years through the folk communities in the 2004 tsunami-affected regions of Sri Lanka, Thailand, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar and India. The musicians are the people of coastal and surrounding communities recorded on-location; the recordings were then mastered and enhanced at Clementine Studios, EarthSync’s in-house recording studio.

Says Sonya Mazumdar, EarthSync’s CEO: “Laya Project has been gaining appreciation in many countries around the world, doing well in terms of reviews, unit sales, awards and accolades, yet it fills us with special pride to be releasing it here in India.”

Laya Project is a personal and collective musical tribute to the resilience of the human spirit, a celebration of the spirit of sound. The production creates a composition that mixes and enhances the original recordings, and embarks on an inspirational visual and musical journey crossing borders, while preserving the music of the people. Some of the performances are rare, and are documented for the first time in this production.

“When people from these countries see Laya Project, they often tell us how it makes them proud of their culture, their music and traditions” adds Yotam Agam, EarthSync’s CTO. “Creating global awareness and appreciation for unique cultures is something we strive for with all our projects.”

Laya Project, distributed in India exclusively through EMI Music India, is also being screened worldwide on National Geographic Channel.

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Here is a unique saint for whom; music is tool to serve the mankind. He is using it for therapeutic purposes to help the ailing and sick amongst his devotees and the people who come to attend his concerts.

Ganapathy Sachidananda Swamiji of Avadhhotha Datta Peetam Mysore is the unique saint who has been conducting Spiritual Music Concerts for meditation and Healing (Nada Chikitsa) in India and abroad.

Thousands of people of all age, religion have found out that music is a harmonizing factor in today's world which is full of conflicts and tensions.

Being a great musician and composer swamiji, also got the famous musicians and vocalists to sing for him and his devotees in the sprawling Nada Mantapa in his Ashram in Mysore. Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Pandit Jasraj, Pandit Amjad Ali Khan, L. Subramaniam, late Semmangudi Sreenivasa Iyer and many others.

Nada mantapa is a unique place wherein greatest musicians all over the world are keen to perform. The open air auditorium is decorated with the portraits of all great musicians and composers. There is a unique arrangement wherein portrait of the composer automatically gets illuminated when the performer starts his composition.

Music therapy:

Music therapy requires more than just intense meditation on sound. This great master understands the varying vibrational qualities of the different ragas and knows which raga can help a particular disease. Certain ragas can only be played at selected times to be healing.

As a first step in this methodology, the Swamiji requests various musicians to play several notes as specified by him on their respective instruments. Once Swamiji is convinced about the right note and its right frequency it is fed into the synthesiser. The end product is a unique composition created by the Swamiji that assures a primary or supplementary cure for diseases.

The Swamiji has also adapted the basic melodic structure of some select kritis of Saint Tyagaraja like Mokshamu Galada (Saramati), Shobillu Saptaswara (Jaganmohini), Samaja vara gamana (Hindolam) and so on.

A long quest:

The Swamiji's quest began when he was a child of eight. On May 26, 1942, in the small hamlet of Mekedatu, Jayalakshmi and Narasimha Sastri were blessed with a baby boy. They named him Satyanarayana. His parents were engrossed in spiritual practices and Satyanarayana grew up in this atmosphere. Even as a young boy, he displayed a natural inclination to classical music and spirituality.

Satyanarayana became Ganapati Sachchidananda Swamiji at the age of 22. His mantra was Nadopasana (worship of music).

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Avadhoota Datta Peetam:

Swamiji’s ashram in Mysore, known as Avadootha Datta Peetam has grown over years to an impressive size and encompasses many aspects of the spiritual life. Here one can study Yoga, the Vedas and Sanskrit.

The Ashrama is open to all people of all religions and thousands of devotees from all over the globe come to the Universal Prayer Hall.

Social Projects

Datta Peetham and it's 77 branches spread all over the world have supported numerous social projects since like providing food, education, shelter, job training and free medical help to the poor.

The Peetham also provides for medical need of both local people and remote villagers where no medical facility is available.

A traditional school to teach Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda, Sanskrit studies and priest training in the premises of Mysore Ashram is attracting interested persons from various walks of life. Interestingly many muslim students from Trinidad got training here recently.

The event was organized to honour the Great Master who is hailed as the ‘Father of Music’ in Jammu and Kashmir State. The most loved and respected musician of the State of J&K, Pt. S.N. Sopori, popularly known as ‘Masterji’, is a musician with phenomenal energy, artistic qualities, devotion, dedication and perfection. A living legend, ‘Masterji’ has been the guru of thousands of students and Hindustani classical music grew with him in the Valley. Sitar, Santoor and classical vocal are his forte. Pandit ji has also been the pioneer in putting some of the Sufiana Muqams in the notations to ensure its preservation. It’s due to the pioneering and dedicated efforts of Pandit ji that musicians got a prestigious status in the valley.

A large number of professionals, music performers and teachers are his taught. To name a few: Maharani Yashoraj Laxmiji (of the Royal family), Pt. O. N. Raina, Prof. Jai Kishori Kaul, Prof. Usha Bagati, Prof. Hawa Bashir, Prof. Rifet Jabeen, Dr. Rajkumari Magazine, Sh. Pradhuman Singh Jindrahia, Dr. B.L.Koul, Smt. Kailash Mehra, ‘Melody Queen’ of Kashmir – Padmashri Smt. Shameem Azad, and many others including his son the Santoor Legend & Composer Pandit Bhajan Sopori and his grandson Abhay Rustum Sopori.

Sangeet Mahavidyalaya, the School purely of Indian Classical Music that Pandit ji started in the valley, was the only source of holding Hindustani Classical music and Dance concerts in the valley which featured the recitals of luminaries like Ustad Amir Khan Sahib, Pt. Nikhil Banerjee, Ustad Naseer Aminuddin Khan Dagar, Dr. Parvatikar, Ustad Mushtaq Ali Khan Sahib, Ustad Rahimuddin Khan Dagar, etc.

On this occasion Governor Sinha said that the Indian culture and civilization accorded a very significant place to the teacher-taught relationship which was not existent in other civilizations. He said what the guru had achieved for himself was as important as what he had imparted to his disciples and Pt. S.N. Sopori had achieved this in a remarkable way. He said his disciples, foremost being Padmashri Smt. Shameem Azad, had come up to legendry singers like Malika Pukhraj. He described ‘Masterji’ as a multifaceted personality and a revered figure whose son Pt. Bhajan Sopori and grandson Abhay Rustum, both nationally and internationally acclaimed musicians, were carrying forward his Name and Gharana.

Chief Minister Azad in his speech said that ‘Masterji’ came from a place where music comes naturally in all things including streams and trees. He said he has a special fascination for flowers and trees which produce ample music. Azad said that speakers at the function had paid glowing and well deserved tributes to ’Masterji’ with whom he enjoyed a special relationship. He said the great musician was the teacher of his wife and noted singer Shameem Azad. He referred to Pandit Sopori as “ustadoon kay ustaad”. He said it was a matter of pride that three generations of ‘masterji’s family were actively engaged in the promotion of music. He wished a long life to the noted musician.

On this occasion, Smt. Shobhawati Sopori, wife of Pt. S.N. Sopori ji was also felicitated by the First Lady of the State Smt. Premni Sinha. Many noted disciples of the legendry musician especially Shameem Azad, Pt. O.N. Raina, Pradhuman Singh Jindrahia, and others were also hailed for their contribution to the music.

Earlier, Shameem Azad paying rich tributes to her teacher Pt. Shamboo Nath Sopori described him as a living encyclopedia. She said that he had not only earned his well deserved place in the world of music but also ably transferred his art to his disciples who had themselves reached places of prominence. She said through classical and light classical, his popularity had transcended boundaries of the country. She called Pt. Sopori as a well known personality of the music world, a saintly person and a great human being and said as his disciple she had received abundant affection and love from him.

Noted writer and critic Padmashri Muhammad Yusuf Taing, and poet and broadcaster Farooq Nazki spoke about Pt. Sopori ji eloquently describing his personality and contribution to music. Famous singer, Kailash Mehra read the citation.

Famous Sufi musician Ehsan Bharti and eminent Santoor Maestro & Composer Abhay Rustum Sopori enthralled the audience by their performance.

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Global Foundation has been formed recently to take up the Social responsibility of the group effectively. Wealth and generosity go hand in hand and Mr Rakesh Garg is a firm believer in this adage. His Global Foundation is planning to provide education and medical facilities to hundreds of marginalized people in various states in the coming period.

Global Foundation was launched recently (on 19th April 2008) with a program for the Children of Blind Relief Association premises at Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg, Near Oberoi Hotel, New Delhi. On this occasion Najma Heptulla (MP, Rajya Sabha), Rakesh Garg (Chairman, Global Foundation), Vicenti Paulo (Chihale Chancellor of Mozambique, Dean of the all Africal Diplomatic Corps.), Amita Garg (Managing Director, Global Reality), Mahendra Swaroop (Corporate Strategy, Global Reality), Shankar (Secretary, Global Foundation) were also present there.

The musical program was started with a Vandana by the blind children of school followed by 'man laaga mera yaar garibi me..., vaishnav janto..., dama dum mast kalandar...' by Vidya Shah and 'jai jai ram krishna hari...' by O.S. Arun.

During the programme, Uniforms to all the children of 12th Standard for the year 2008-09 was given by Global Foundation. A Computer, All-in-one printer, voice recorder printer, toffee and chocolates gift hampers were also provided to the children by the group. The programme was anchored by Radhika Garg.

On this occasion Rakesh Garg (Chairman, Global Reality/Foundation) said, when the Foundation approached the Blind Relief Association for providing assistance to them, it came know that Children of the Blind School are interested for a Gazal and Bhajan evening program. Therefore the Foundation decided to have a big program for the children. He said our motto is to motivate and encourage the children and at the same time we also wanted to entertainment them with a wonderful evening which they desired for a long time.

GRVL is a Real estate conglomerate with projects ranging from Hotels, Integrated Townships, Shopping Malls, Commercial & Office Spaces, IT Parks, SEZs, etc.

GRVL has presence in 12 Town spreads over in 7 States and an emerging Pan India Company. GRVL group owns substantial Prime Land Bank spread all over India. First 5 star Deluxe Hotel of 272 rooms at Gurgoan will be put to use during 2008.

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Ragamalika, the classical dance and music club of BITS, Pilani was established in 1990 by a group of enthusiastic students and faculty with the purpose of nurturing India's rich heritage and carrying forward the Indian tradition by advocating the opulence of Indian fine arts. Ragamalika is passionately dedicated to the cause of promotion of classical music and dance amongst the BITSian public. Ragamalika conducts cultural programmes and concerts in Pilani throughout the year. Its members are actively involved in the organization as well as the management of all activities related to the events, apart from participating in the performances themselves.

Considering the fact that Ghazals have a mass popularity among worldwide BITSian music lovers, Ragamalika organized a Ghazal Concert Shamm e Ghazal on Sunday 13 April 2008 in the Engineering Theatre of the Institute. The Ghazals chosen for the evening included Dhoondo Ge Agar, Shaam Se Aankh Mein Nami Si Hai, Wo Kagaz Ki Kashti, Ghungroo Toot Gaye, Chupke Chupke Raat Din, Dayar e Dil Ki Raat Mein and Raat Jo Tu Ne Deep Bujhaaye.

Pratik Maheshwari, Akash Dey and Amrita Purkayastha particularly with her haunting voice mesmerized the audience with their soulful rendition of the Ghazals and were ably supported on Tabla by Rithesh R Iyer and Hardik Dhanjibhai Kabaria.

Ragamalika truly made it an evening to be remembered for times to come

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Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani Rajasthan which has set the industry university collaboration bench mark as well as having the reputation of pioneering the online examinations for admissions in India today through the path breaking BITSAT offers degrees in various disciplines presently at Pilani, Dubai, Goa campuses and in the short future at Hyderabad campus apart from an array of work integrated learning programmes for HRD of a vast spectrum of Indian corporates. The alumni of the Institute are spread across the globe from Australia to America.

The first day events included elevating vocal recital by Pt. Ulhas Kashalkar and Carnatic violin recital by Mysore Brothers. The participants also enjoyed the spectacular light and sound show of North East.

The coming four days will witness inspiring performances by various eminent artists which includes Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia, Prof. T.N.Krishnan, Us. Fahimuddin Dagar, Pt. Rajan and Sajan Mishra and Us. Asad Ali Khan to name a few. Besides these performances, there are lecture demonstrations by Smt. Anjolie Ela Menon and Sh. Dadi Pudumjee; talk by Sh. Raghu Rai and screening of classical films directed by Satyajit Ray, Akira Kurosawa and Charlie Chaplin. Delegates are also learning from leading exponents such as Us. Abdul Rashid Khan(vocal), Sh. J. Gurappa Chetty(Kalamkari), Guru Ghanakanta Devi(Manipuri) and Su. Kapila Venu (Kutiyattam).

“Today we are linked up with the outward world through internet, television and mobile phones. This weeklong ‘Retreat’ will provide an opportunity to the young person to connect inwardly” asserts its founder Dr. Kiran Seth, professor at IIT Delhi.

“We feel privileged to be given this opportunity by SPIC MACAY to host the convention. Students in large numbers have turned up from all parts of the country to meet and spend some quality time in a true ‘Ashram’ atmosphere,” says Prof. Kannan, Vice Chancellor of Nagaland University.

The convention has conceptual and organizational sessions, evaluations of the programs conducted, planning of upcoming VIRASAT series and charting out areas of future growth.

The convention is dedicated to Pt. Kishan Maharaj and shall hopefully live up to its expectations and serve the purpose it is meant for bringing all that is inspiring, abstract and most importantly

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Note to Editors:

About SPIC MACAY:

SPIC MACAY stands for ‘Society for Promotion of Indian Classical Music and Culture Amongst Youth’. It seeks to conserve and promote an awareness of this rich and heterogeneous cultural tapestry amongst the youth of this country through focus on the classical arts, with their attendant legends, rituals, mythology and philosophy and to facilitate an awareness of their deeper and subtler values.

SPIC MACAY has been exposing students to renditions of the best of our heritage by leading exponents in their respective fields. Growing acceptance, by both educational institutes as well as leading artists, has helped SPIC MACAY, grow into a nationwide movement in a short span of 31 years.

SPIC MACAY is essentially a students’ movement. It works through a nationwide network of students and volunteers. They meet weekly in all major cities to take the movement forward. Students participate actively, by organizing the concerts, arranging publicity and taking care of the artists. Apart from being able to understand the finer aspects of the art forms, students benefit immensely from the direct interaction with the artists.

SPIC MACAY does not charge admission fees to any of its events.

About National Convention:

National Convention is an annual event of SPIC MACAY which bring youth from the entire country at a common platform where they exchange ideas, share experiences and provide a way forward for SPIC MACAY and realizing its objectives. It provides the participants a platform for experiencing the performances by great maestros and getting an insight into the culture and music of India, its values and ethos The last convention was held at University of Jammu, was attended by 600 student delegates.

Travel arrangements to and from all prominent cities will be arranged by the respective SPIC MACAY chapters. The organization invites participation from school and college students as well as its active volunteers from different chapters in India and abroad.

Acknowledged as the scion of the Gwalior musical gharana, Meeta Pandit has emerged as a shining star in the world of classical music. Meeta is grand-daughterand disciple of Padma Bhushan Pt Krishna Rao Shankar Pandit, the doyen of Northern Indian Classical music in the 20th century and the daughter of legendary Pt L.K. Pandit respectively. Her melodious and robust voice coupled with intricate handling of ragas has won her admirers - young and the old alike. She has seriously worked on the rigorous talim, sadhana to flower her own unique style. Besides Khayal, Meeta is equaly popular with genres of Tappa, Bhajan, Thumri, Sufiandcross cultural music.

She has performed extensively in prestigious festivals in India and abroad like – France, Germany, London, Switzerland, Norway, Rome, USA, Russia and Bangladesh etc. Meeta was sent as the cultural ambassador in 2004 for the SAARC music Festival in Islamabad. She was invited in 2003 by Govt of France as Artist in Residence to be based in Paris. A film on her titled 'Meeta - Linking a Tradition with Today' has been made by (Public Service Broadcasting Trust along with Prasar Bharti)in 2005. She is an A –Grade artist of All India Radio.

Meeta conducts workshops twice a year in France, besides training many students under guru-shishya parampara in India. A Doctor of music, Meeta has won many National awards like-The Golden Voice of India, Sur-Mani, Yuva Ojaswini, Yuva Ratna, FICCI Award for Music etc. The Leading Magazines of India namely -India Today and The Week in their special issues of opinion poll have featured her as one of the “Youth Powers” leading India in the Millennium. Music Today had released her albums namely-Footsteps, Young Maestros, Tansen.

Presently to increase awareness of Indian classical music in India, Meeta is hosting a programme Swar Shringaar on WORLD SPACE RADIO - “Radio Gandharva”.

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On the first day Ragini Rainu presented 3 qalams of 'Bulle Shah' ‘Ranjha Jogiya...’, ‘Ghungat Chuk...’ and ‘Oth Challe...’ followed by bhajans ‘Mero Mann...’ (Meera) and ‘Ras Gagan Ghufa...’ (Kabir). The Sufi Diva was at her best and it was the sheer magic of her brilliant performance that left people singing to tunes.

The second day belonged to Abhay Rustum Sopori, who first presented 'Aalap' and 'Jod' in 'Raga Rageshree Kaunce' in his characteristic style - Sopori Baaj, the creation of his father and Santoor King Pt. Bhajan Sopori. Abhay produced sonorous meends and majestic Gamak and Taan patterns together with various chandh patterns. This was followed by composition in Raga Rageshree. With his individualistic style of singing together with his instrumental rendition, he sang the composition ‘Phulwan ke mala...’ and Tarana 'Dim Tana na na...' in Teentaal and Ektaal. He concluded his recital with a composition in Teentaal with his trademark lightning tempo 'Jhalla'.

The programme got enriched with the presence of Santoor Legend Pt. Bhajan Sopori, Aparna Sopori, Dr. Rafeeq Masoodi (Commissioner Secretary, J&K Akademi for Art, Culture and Languages), Ruchi Roy (President, Rotary Club, Gurgaon) and many others, who all enjoyed the performances of these two young artists.

On this occasion Pt. Bhajan Sopori said, to revive the Indian Classical Music between youths and other music lovers we have organised this concert in association with Old World Hospitality. According to Pt. Bhajan Sopori, till now due to lack of sources these kind of programmes were being orgranised at Delhi only but because of this newly build Art and Cultural Hub 'Epicentre' now people of Gurgaon can also enjoy the same in their own city. He further added "Epicentre" was launched this very month and we are happy to organise one of its inaugural music concerts, we received great response and hospitality from the people here and in near future we are planning to come up with more programmes.

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On this ocassion, Shanno Khurana, Satish Vyas & his wife, Shovana Narayan her husband Herbart Traxl, Shubhendra Rao & Saskiya Rao, Jyotiraditya Scindhiya & his wife, Geeta Chandran, Sadhna Srivastava, Vasant Sathe, Tejender Khanna, Uma Vasudev, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Madhup Mudgal and parents of Meeta; Smt. Abha & L.K. Pandit were also present there.

All wished the newlywed couple for a happy married life and also enjoyed the tasty food and drinks served over there.

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Ragamalika, the classical dance and music club of BITS, Pilani was established in 1990 by a group of enthusiastic students and faculty with the purpose of nurturing India's rich heritage and carrying forward the Indian tradition by advocating the opulence of Indian fine arts. Ragamalika is passionately dedicated to the cause of promotion of classical music and dance amongst the BITSian public.

Ragamalika conducts cultural programmes and concerts in Pilani throughout the year. Its members are actively involved in the organization as well as the management of all activities related to the events, apart from participating in the performances themselves.

The most important programme organized by Ragamalika is SANGAMAM, a cultural festival normally held in February every year at Pilani. It features eminent artistes from all over the country performing for a cosmopolitan audience of over 4000.

In 2008, Sangamam marches proudly into its 12th year thanks to the continuing support of well wishers and sponsors. The sponsors for this year Sangamam include Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) and Chennai based Shriram Group of Companies.

One of the highlights of Sangamam each year is a scintillating inaugural performance by the hosts before the artistes take their bow on the center stage. For this year Sangamam inauguration, Ragamalika chose episodes from Vana Parva – the twelve years in exile in the forest by the Pandavas and Virata Parva – the one year in exile spent incognito by the Pandavas at the court of King Virata from the great epic Mahabharata for dancing. The inaugural performance was truly dazzling.

Scheduled from 22nd to 24th February 2008, this year's Sangamam featured Violin duet by Lalgudi Shri G J R Krishnan and Lalgudi Smt Vijayalakshmi on the first day, Jugalbandhi by Smt Jayanthi Kumaresh on Veena and Pandit Ronu Majumdar on Flute on the seond day and Bharatha Natyam Ballet by Smt Shobhana Balachandra and Group on the last day.

Sangamam 2008 has indeed surpassed the previous eleven years in terms of brilliance and grandeur.

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Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani Rajasthan which has set a bench mark in industry university collaboration is one among the top ranking universitiesin India today offering degrees in various branches of Engineering, Management, Economics, Pharmacy, Sciences, Engineering Technology, Information Systems, General Studies, Finance, etc presently at Pilani, Dubai, Goa campuses and in the near future at Hyderabad campus apart from an array of work integrated learning programmes for HRD of a vast spectrum of Indian corporates.

FEST 2008 promises to be a treat to music lovers across Mumbai with an impressive line up of artistes. Vocalist Shubha Mudgal, violinist Dr N Rajam, flautist Ronu Majumdar are few other names in the enviable list, SPIC MACAY has lined up for this series. The series will go on till 20th of March with concerts to beheld in many schools and colleges across the length and breadth of the city. Some of the venues are IIT, NITIE (Both Powai), UICT (Matunga), Anjuman Islam (VT), IGIDR (Goregaon), ITM (Khargar). While the concerts are held at educational institutes with an aim to reach out to students, SPIC MACAY events are well attended by music lovers from all walks of life

SPIC MACAY concerts nowfor the past many years have become regular features in Mumbai’s music calendar. In 2007, having completed 30 years of existence, the movement enjoys tremendous goodwill among the artist community as well as schools and colleges. In the recently concluded series of SPIC MACAY, Virasat 2007, over 30 lecture demonstrationsexposing various art forms like classical music, classical dance, folk arts were conductedin schools and colleges across Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Thane.

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SPIC MACAY stands for ‘Society for Promotion of Indian Classical Music and Culture Amongst Youth’. SPIC MACAY uses classical Indian art forms as the chief medium to create awareness about traditional Indian culture among students and thus achieve its aim. Assisted by its extensive network of affiliated schools and colleges, SPIC MACAY- founded in 1977 by Dr Kiran Seth a professor in IIT Delhi-,has been exposing students to renditions of Indian classical art forms by leading exponents in their respective fields. Growing acceptance, by both educational institutes as well as leading artists, has helped SPIC MACAY grow into a nationwide movement, in a short span of 30 years

SPIC MACAY conducts two major activities each year called FEST and VIRASAT simultaneously in many cities and towns of India. The FEST series takes place in the months of January to April while the VIRASAT takes place from July to November While the FEST series is largely focused on Indian classical music and dance, during VIRASAT we expose students to a wider variety of art forms like Yoga, meditation, theatre, folk arts etc in addition to classical music and dance. Leading universities and schools across India like Delhi University, IIT, IIM to name a few and worldwide like Stanford, Berkely have active SPIC MACAY chapters

The organisation works through a network of volunteers spread across the country and holds weekly meetings in every city to enable new volunteers into the movement. SPIC MACAY events have now become a part of every city's music calender.

SPIC MACAY is your movement. Join us for our weekly meetings at UICT, near Khalsa College Matunga, Mumbai every Saturday from 4:30 pm – 6:30 pm.

In Delhi the meetings are held at Lady Irwin College, Sikandra Road, every saturday

Melodically-blessed Shamir Tandon, a renowned composer, has covered a very very long journey, at the speed of a jet, from an MBA and a Cost Accountant by profession having a 8-9 years stint with Singapore-based Virgin EMI, a very big multinational corporation, as CEO of Virgin Music India, and that, too, by creating music for films with mature and sensitive subjects.

Starting his career in merchant banking, Hire Purchase & Lease and then Shamir took a major shift to entertainment when VIRGIN EMI music set up shop in India. He moved on from virgin in 2006 as a country head to pursue his dreams of composing music. Today, he has been a Managing Director and Music Director both with an equal ease.

In a meeting with him, he said that Music compositions come naturally to him -- its God’s gift and comes directly from There – ‘’I’m blessed by almighty’’.

In the world of music, he is looked upon as a very talented music director who excels in creating music for Madhur Bhandarkar trilogy -- award winning film Page-3 and the popular Corporate and Traffic Signal. Although, he started his journey with Raveena Tandon’s Stumped.

A staunch believer in original music, Shamir, a young vibrant music composer who has carved a niche for himself in Bollywood – in a very short span of time. His interest lies in Intellectual world cinema and hence having done 7 films of substance in just 4 years, Shamir has been blessed to have legends sing under his baton.

Lataji and Ashaji have been very impressed by his songs – Kitne Ajeeb Rishte hain Yahan Pe and Huzoor e Ala. People have been mesmerized by his versatility ranging from the thought provoking Lamha Lamha Zindagi Hai, O What A Babe, One Love, Say Na Say Na, Bure Bure from Bluffmaster to the huge Qawali – O Sikander, which was one of the biggest hits in 2006 and sung by the sufi singer Kailash Kher under Shamir.

Shamir has been nominated for various Awards across the globe – both for his films and advertising music – he has even won a few of them. He has to his credit more than 150 advertising jingles, audio visuals for popular brands like Coke, Pepsi, Liril, Reliance, Taaza, Samsonite etc. and has done the world cup anthem for the last World Cup where he made 11 leading singers sing in one song.

He is the only young and vibrant music director of his generation to have recorded under his baton living legends like Lataji, Ashaji, Manna De (at the age of 86) and Jagjit Singh.

Shamir has recently hit the jack pot with the number 1 album of 06 07 – Asha and Friends where he has got Ashajit to sing with superstar Sanjay Dutt, Gorgeous Urmila Matondkar, Australian pace bowler Bret Lee and the Little champs – winner of the Zee Saregamapa.

The current year (2008) will have a new music release every alternate month by Shamir and the very Ist quarter will witness the release of music of Super Star, Mr White Mr Black and Sangeet Sivan’s click with a youthful subject and young actors, the music had to be different from the unique serious music done for films of Madhur Bhandarkar. It will be interesting to see the other side of Shamir’s music in this film.

The beginning of the new year has seen the release of the music of the film Super Star by Ashtavinayak films (featuring Kunal Khemu and Tulip Joshi). With the music of this film, Shamir has made an entry into the realm of commercial cinema prior to which he was best known for his mature music in realistic movies of Madhur Bhandarkar having extensively used legendary voices in his past films, while in Super Star he has used a lot of young new voices.

Shamir was also responsible for marketing and distributing global acts ranging from the Beatles, Floyd, Frank Sinatra to Norah Jones, Robbie Williams and Kylie Minogue. He was also instrumental in bringing down to India acts such ad Deep Purple, Rolling Stones, Richard Clayderman and Michael Learns to Rock to India.

There are some interview excerpts during a meeting with the famous music maestro… Shamir Tandon:

*When asked Shamir what made him shift from corporate to the entertainment industry- from a managing director of a multinational company to a music director?

He replied Entertainment is passion - we live just one life and

I always wanted to see the best of both worlds. I wanted to experience Nariman point - tie suit board meetings et al. I have seen that all and now I have started life all over again.

*Were you inclined towards music from an early age?

Yes, but I don’t come from a music family - just knew from childhood that music was great - would make my own songs and sing in school and college.

*How did you manage your corporate life and musical aspirations?

All through my 12 years of corporate life, my bosses always supported me to pursue my passion. I would work extra hours to balance both professions, needless to say working on weekends etc. But it was great fun.

*When asked how he got Page 3 in his lap?

He said that he was sitting in a 5 star coffee shop in Mumbai - someone introduced me to Madhur Bhandarkar. He said he was looking at music for his forthcoming film. He said he dint want to go with the conventional big names of Bollywood. I softly hummed a few tunes to him and the next day he signed me on.

*Questioned on his fascination for legends – Mangeshkar sisters, Manna De, Jagjit singh while the industry is turning towards upcoming talents. Comment!

He was quick to reply that Why me - all of us -Indians have had Lata Didi, Ashatai, Manna De and more as a staple diet. We have and our parents and grandparents have grown on these legends. It is a wish of everyone that they keep singing. I am fortunate that i got opportunities to record them. I am blessed.

* When asked that his songs remind of the melodious yesteryears. Any conscious effort?

Shamir justified by saying that the kind of subjects I have done demanded that kind of music. I have recently done some very youthful music going with the nature of films I am doing.

*Your chemistry with Madhur Bhandarkar – since you've given music for all his films!

Smilingly, he said we are friends. We understood each other. Our film and music have complimented each other. I am glad the trilogy worked out well. Am grateful to him that we worked together on 3 consecutive projects.

*All the films you give music for are realistic / serious cinema. Comment!

Its coincidental. After page 3, people thought my music iscut for that kind of cinema only. Actually I would like to make music of all kinds. We are born listening to commercial music so that comes more easily than anything else.

*On his upcoming projects?

Shamir said that I have films coming up with Ashtavinayak films, Sangeet Sivan, Rupali films -Sanjay Ahluwalia, Shemaroo, Karan Razdan, Popcorn - Sunil Shetty, Satish Kaushik, a single with Sunidhi chauhan and Taaza, Asha and friend Vol 2 and more.

*In an age of plagiarism you have always believed in legitimate collaboration – Comment.

He said that I am lucky to have been able to work on some international projects. I have personally worked to make the song One Love for Abhishek -Bipasha where the boy band Blue collaborated with Shaan and brought the entire project together. Now for virgin records I have done two recordings of Ashaji with Robbie Williams. Thats a big one.

*Your songs are beautifully written. Where do you get these ideas?

I like to sit with my writers and discuss words and thoughts with them. That makes a difference.

*When questioned on the menace of piracy and how to prevent it?

Being very critical of piracy, Shamir said that its an age old concept - it has coexisted. I think more than building fear psychosis we need to educate the consumer that downloading without paying is illegal, that buying cds and sharing is not within the law. Most of the times the consumer is not even aware that what he is doing is not correct. We should run a campaign.

Shamir’s eagerly awaited works include Fashion, Mittal v/s Mittal, some films produced by Shemaroo, Ashtavinayak Films, Percept, Sangeet Sivan and many more that he wishes to keep under wraps for reasons of superstition.

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For Ranganath, music is a passion. Though I can’t sing, I enjoy any pleasing music, says Ranganath. It so casually happened that in one of the acquaintance meetings I just found Ashwin’s passion about music and his melodious compositions. And I was so impressed with his multi-faceted talent. Soon I became producer and also an advisor. Unlike many private albums in Telugu language, or remixes, Nuvvo Kala is original, Ranganath informed.

Music is in my genes. It comes so natural to me. I have not learnt music formally. I am a self-taught singer. Music Director Illayaraja, though I never met him, is my inspiration. When I am not otherwise busy professionally, I impulsively develop some tunes. "My songs are impulsive musical reactions to my friends’ experiences, like the song ‘Untavani’, and Gurthunda gurthunda", he stated. We picked the best ones out of the compositions I made while at USA .

After coming back to India, Ashwin set up his own company ValueMinds, which builds a platform for on-line software testing (the company has just launched TestersDesk — the world’s first online tooling platform). Though work took precedence over music, he still managed to pen down lyrics and created tunes for almost 80 numbers.

"Selecting six tracks for this album was quite tough, but we have chosen only the best". We have also produced a video along with the audio album that can be seen in www.nuvvokala.com. But, only audio is available for sale. Video is produced to promote audio on electronic media. Nuvvo Kala has a bit of everything in the soundtrack. It captures the fun spirit yet showcases varied emotions. Besides Ashwin, Harshika (of Happy Days and Mantra fame), Deepu, Vittal Rahul (a ghazal singer) have crooned the numbers. Ashwin is the conceiver, music composer/director, and lyricist and sang three of them.

Adding more about it Ashwin said, NUVVO KALA is a timely album that sets the beginning of a new era in Telugu private music. The album is a confluence of different incidents that happen in our lives expressed through simple Telugu lyrics and sweet melodious compositions.

The album has a variety of music ranging from "a lover on drinks", "memoirs of a parted pair when they see each other", "a deep theist questioning about the consciousness of god", "a woman talking to herself about her broken relationship", "a weekend ramp-up by party loving freaks", "the problems in a father-son relationship" and a brief theme solo towards the end. The album also has a video directed by Chaitanya PVK based on a couple of songs in the album.

Today Ashwin is very happy about the album as he has been receiving lot of favorable reviews. He has sold about 5000 CDs basically within their known circle of friends.

Nuvvo Kala is priced at Rs.50/- and is available at music stores.

29 years old Ashwin is a multi-faceted personality. He is an IT professional/entrepreneur, Singer, Music Composer, Numismatist and Philatelist. His journey of life has lot of interesting tales, ups and downs. An 8th class student, he became a franchisee for DTDC, a courier company at Guntur . By the time he passed tenth class he got involved more in business and bid good by to studies. At 18, he was the managing franchisee units of DTDC under the guidance his Grandfather.

While that business was still on, he reached Hyderabad in 1998 in search of greener pastures. Started some business where he got cheated and exhausted with financial resources. Then took up a job as Lab Assistant without any familiarity in computers. Soon picked up C++ language and clarified doubts of students in that language. Soon they demanded him to be their faculty. And he was forced to be Trainer on that subject. Since then he never looked back. Slowly and steadily got into Java and other languages. He was so well known in those days, he soon became Java Ashwin. And tryst with training continued.

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ValueMinds is a Knowledge Development company that delivers several products and services in the IT knowledge domain; with its current focus on the Software Testing space. Awareness Improvement and Productivity Improvement are the values that it delivers in all its functions viz. In-house Training, Corporate Training, Tech & Strategy Consulting, Knowledge Portals, and Seminars etc.

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Bravura Artist stands as a representation of the finest experience our South Asian culture has to offer. From elite musical artists to the crem de la crem of fashion and everything which falls in between, we've established ourselves as a company to bring forth the best aspects of the South Asian lifestyle. Bravura Artist stands true to the definitions above and much more. We are striving hard to transform the norms of our fashion, media & entertainment industry ... one step at a time.

To download, right-click & save-target as: http://www.digitaldesi.com/renegades3_disk2/15)%20Get%20Em,%20Got%20Em%20by%20Sir%20Aah%20feat.%20Pacifik.mp3

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

Bravura Artist stands as a representation of the finest experience our South Asian culture has to offer. From elite musical artists to the crem de la crem of fashion and everything which falls in between, we've established ourselves as a company to bring forth the best aspects of the South Asian lifestyle. Bravura Artist stands true to the definitions above and much more. We are striving hard to transform the norms of our fashion, media & entertainment industry ... one step at a time.

"Something's Goin' On," produced by Sureet Sandhu of Digital Desi Productions and co-produced by Sameer Agrawal & Raja Wilco of PropaGandaz Music Group, is a song to bring forth this idea of "authority," and how it is has taken over the American way of thinking.Raja Wilco releases his first promotional single for mainstream audiences – gearing at the idea that there is, indeed, something going on, and nobody is doing anything about it.

Combining the musical talents of Sureet and Sameer, Raja Wilco creates an exhilarating unification of music and politics – steering away from what is typically heard from an urban South Asian artist. Within this song, one will still find the uniqueness and refreshing essence which Wilco brings forth through all his songs.

To download the track, Right-Click and Save Target As:
http://www.digitaldesi.com/renegades3_disk1/1)%20Somethings%20Goin%20On%20by%20Raja%20Wilco.mp3

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

Bravura Artist stands as a representation of the finest experience our South Asian culture has to offer. From elite musical artists to the crem de la crem of fashion and everything which falls in between, we've established ourselves as a company to bring forth the best aspects of the South Asian lifestyle. Bravura Artist stands true to the definitions above and much more. We are striving hard to transform the norms of our fashion, media & entertainment industry ... one step at a time.

"Something's Goin' On," produced by Sureet Sandhu of Digital Desi Productions and co-produced by Sameer Agrawal & Raja Wilco of PropaGandaz Music Group, is a song to bring forth this idea of "authority," and how it is has taken over the American way of thinking.Raja Wilco releases his first promotional single for mainstream audiences – gearing at the idea that there is, indeed, something going on, and nobody is doing anything about it.

Combining the musical talents of Sureet and Sameer, Raja Wilco creates an exhilarating unification of music and politics – steering away from what is typically heard from an urban South Asian artist. Within this song, one will still find the uniqueness and refreshing essence which Wilco brings forth through all his songs.

To download the track, Right-Click and Save Target As:
http://www.digitaldesi.com/renegades3_disk1/1)%20Somethings%20Goin%20On%20by%20Raja%20Wilco.mp3

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

Nirvana Woman Magazine is a national magazine in USA and Canada. Nirvanastyle.com is the home of Nirvana Woman Magazine.

Sureet has nothing but passion, dedication and determination whenever speaking about music. He has strived so hard to get to the position where he is at now and doesn’t want to stop until all the musical talents we have in our scene attain recognition – for him, attaining exposure for the artist is first and foremost and in the process if he gets some recognition then it adds to his success.

Carrying a professional career lifestyle, the family-man vision, and the passion to create music, Sureet makes him life seem so easy to outsiders. He’s committed to solely putting out the best music out there and with each new project he releases, he surpasses himself more than before. He’s a dedicated producer, caring father and above all, he’s the most humble person you’ll ever meet! At NirvanaStyle.com, we strive to admire and celebrate those who represent the South Asian culture to its fullest potential, while paving the road for others to succeed as well, and that is what makes Sureet Sandhu Nirvana’s “Role Model of the Month,” for January!

Producing. Who's in control of this art?
Sureet Sandhu is.

Balancing a professional career, a beautiful baby daughter and having the time to sit-down and produce music requires immense skill – which we’re aware Sureet has. Not only does Sureet work with known Urban Desi artists, but he also looks for the opportunity to give up-coming Urban Desi artists a chance to shine in the limelight.

To read the article, please visit this link: http://www.nirvanastyle.com/html/fashion_articles.php?id=223

Download Disk 1: http://www.digitaldesi.com/renegades3_disk1/renegades3_disk1.zip
Download Disk 2: http://www.digitaldesi.com/renegades3_disk2/renegades3_disk2.zip

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

As a producer, Sureet is credited for initiating Digital Desi Productions – the first outlet for underground South Asian artists to share their lyrical creativity with the rest of the world. He is also attributed for his numerous mixtapes under the title “Renegades,” in which he has brought talent such as Sir Aah, Raja Wilco to crossing borders internationally with names such as Raxstar and Kerfew into the minds and ears of listeners on a global level.

For more information: Digital Desi Production