An evening to remember in East Meadow

Jesse Jess, Leena with band

The South Asian Community was onceagain enthralled by the 14th IndianAmerican Night 2011, proudly presentedby Indian American Forum Inc., atHarry Chapin Lakeside Theatre, EisenhowerPark, East Meadow, on June 19, 2011.The event was organized as part of the ongoingInternational Music Nights Concert Series,courtesy Nassau County Executive Edward P.Mangano (Nassau County Department ofParks, Recreation and Museums) and Canon.

Dancers performing at the Indian American Night

The event showcasing classical Indianmusic and folk dances from all regions ofIndia, excellently coordinated by Indu Jaiswal(Chairman - Indian American Forum & Coordinatorof this event), drew people in largenumbers, from all communities.

The cool breezy evening filled with mesmerizingentertainment of live vocal performancesby charming Jesse Jess, winner of A.R.Rehman Talent Hunt USA, and Leena withtheir band.

Right on the heels of music, a cultural danceextravaganza by students of Bollywood PerformingArts, Sadhna Pranji's SadhanalyaSchool of Dance, Satya Pradeep's Nritiya SaagaramDance Academy, East West School ofDance, and other dancers thrilled the audience.

East Meets West Concert at NY Consulate General of India

Consul General Prabhu Dayal introducing Talia Roth, world renowned guitarist, atthe East Meets West Concert.

More than 130 people attended the"East Meets West" on June 7, 2011at the Consulate Ball Room. Theconcert was organized by the Consulate Generalof India, NY, in association with CitiBank and Salon De Virtuosi.It featured three prominent artistes - TaliRoth on the guitar (representing the West)and Pandit Samir Chatterjee on tabla withAbhisek Mallick on Sitar (representing theEast)

The first half of the program was the performanceby Roth who has been hailed byClassical Guitar magazine as an "extraordinarysolo and chamber musician" and by theNew York Times as "a marvelous classicalguitarist." Her engagements include recordingthe entire classical guitar sound track forthe Woody Allen film You Will Meet a TallDark Stranger.

The second half of the program featuredAbhisek Mallick on the sitar accompanied byPandit Samir Chatterjee, a renowned virtuosotabla artist. He has performed at the NobelPeace Prize ceremony in Oslo, Norway in2007 and performed twice in 2009 at the UNGeneral Assembly.

Pandit Chatterjee, who has accompaniedsome of India's greatest musicians includingPt. Ravi Shankar, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan,Ustad Vilayat Khan in concerts, has been acatalyst in the fusion of Indian and non-Indianmusic and can be heard on numerousrecordings as a soloist and with great Indianclassical and international Jazz musicians.

Abhisek Mallick has proved his musicalacumen by receiving the "President's Award"from the Government of India, after achievingthe first prize in All India Radio Musiccompetition.

NJ Chapter of Ekal Vidyalaya raises $320,000

Manoj Mishra & Nirupama Dey Group performing at the EkalVidyalaya benefit concert.

Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation's (EVF) benefitconcert on June 4, 2011 in Edison, NJ, byBollywood singer and Sa Re Ga Ma Pasensation Manoj Mishra & Nirupama DeyGroup raised $150,000 bringing the totalfundraising efforts for the week from New Jerseyto over $320,000.

Audience at the capacity-filled auditoriumhad a wonderful time at the Vrundavan Auditoriumwith the singers regaling all by renderingsongs of Kishore Kumar, Mukesh, Manna Dey,Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, and K.L. Saigal.

In her speech, Prajna Khisti, President of NJEkalChapter, spoke about illiteracy in modernIndia and the efforts needed to eradicate it.

Ekal Vidyalaya School provides non-formalbasic education and hygiene training to 30-40underprivileged children in tribal, remote-areavillages of India, where many times there areno approachable roads or basic facilities. It wasrecently the recipient of the "Best NGO OrganizationAward" for its transparency and administration.More than 34,000 Ekal Schools are in operationin remote tribal areas throughout India, includingJammu & Kashmir where education isrendered without consideration to caste, creed,language, etc.

Three volunteer-families - Arvind & PratibhaSant, Prakash and Leela Waghmare andMakarand and Suniti Abhyankar were presentedwith a plaque for their dedication toEkal's literacy cause.