Preston Merchant

SAYA! Talent Showcase

SAYA! (South Asian Youth Action) held its annual year-end talent show last weekend in Elmhurst, Queens, featuring poetry, bhangra, break-dancing, theater, photography, and video.

See more photos.

Reena Patel: "Working the Nightshift" Launch Party

Geographer and American Foreign Service officer Reena Patel held a party at the Roger Smith Hotel in Manhattan to launch her book "Working the Night Shift: Women in India's Call Center Industry."

The book explores the economic and social issues of Indian women working in this new and untraditional environment that challenges long-held assumptions about their personal and social mobility. 

See more photos. Buy the book.

A.R. Rahman at the Asia Society

Academy Award-winning Bollywood maestro A.R. Rahman spoke yesterday at the Asia Society in New York, in a forum hosted by Desi Hits!, SAMMA (South Asians in Media, Marketing and Entertainment) and SAJA (South Asian Journalists Association).

 

Anjula Acharia Bath of Desi Hits! with A.R. Rahman 

More photos are here.

Brooklyn Sitar Festival 2010

Salil Tripathi -- "Offense: The Hindu Case"

Journalist and human-rights advocate Salil Tripathi read from his new book "Offense: The Hindu Case" at a private home in Connecticut.  Alan Murray, deputy managing editor of the Wall Street Journal, moderated the discussion.

 
Salil Tripathi (center left) with Alan Murray (center right)

Udayan Tripathi, Salil Tripathi, and Alan Murray

Salil Tripathi

Asian American Writers Workshop

The Asian American Writers Workshop is using one of my photos as part of its membership drive.  Here is the crowd gathered to hear Amitava Kumar in conversation with Jhumpa Lahiri at the PageTurner Literary Festival:

 

Asian American Writers Workshop Honors Sonny Mehta

As part of its PageTurner Literary Festival, the Asian American Writers Workshop  honored Sonny Mehta, Knopf Publisher & Editor-in-Chief with a Lifetime Achievement Award. The special guest was Michael Ondaatje, author of "The English Patient."  The event was held at the restaurant called At Vermilion in Manhattan. (Hover over the images for captions; click to go the image archive.)

Ishaara Rocks the NRI Global Summit

"America's Got Talent" stars, Ishaara, the Berkeley-based Bollywood dance troupe, performed at the NRI Global Summit 2009 in Milpitas, California.

Rez Abbasi CD Launch at Smalls

Acclaimed jazz guitarist Rez Abbasi debuted his new CD "Things to Come" at Smalls in the West Village last weekend, performing with the musicians from the disk, all of whom are virtuosos.  The house was packed. 

Dan Weiss (drums), Johannes Weidenmueller (bass), Rudresh Mahanthappa (alto sax), Rez Abbasi (guitar)

Vijay Iyer (piano)

Rez Abbasi and Kiran Ahluwalia (vocals)

Dan Weiss

Rudresh Mahanthappa, Johannes Weidenmueller, and Rez Abbasi

Rudresh Mahanthappa and Rez Abbasi

Acoustic Falu at Joe's Pub

Falu took the stage at Joe's Pub on October 1st for an acoustic show of traditional Hindustani songs -- quieter but no less energetic than Falu's usual repertoire.